Senzone – Granada

On our last night in Granada we had discussed an evening at our hotel sat on the balcony with just some nibbles, until my wife uttered those familiar words, "Let's eat out." Followed by the less familiar, "I'll pay."

Jumping back onto the iPad and the Michelin App, I found an interesting entry for a hotel restaurant called ‘Senzone’ that the trusty guide stated serves cuisine 'à la mode' in 'a contemporary layout' with 'carefully prepared dishes.' A further bit of Googleage revealed that the restaurant is housed in the Five Star Hotel, Hospes Palacio de los Patos. We jumped into our poshest frocks (a cool linen ensemble for myself) and then into a taxi.

On arrival at the hotel, we were buzzed through the electronic gates of the charming former aristocrats villa and noted that the restaurant was located in a modern, marble clad building alongside. We descended the few steps into an oasis of calm. Glimmering water gently bubbled and foliage flowed from large terracotta pots and hung from vines, creating welcome shade from the late evening sun.  

Inside, the sleek contemporary bar area with modish white leather stools looked a great place to enjoy a pre or post meal cocktail. The adjoining restaurant area with its modern Georgian style chairs in white with silver upholstery continued the modernist theme. We chose to enjoy our meal outside on the terrace, the sound of the water being so relaxing.

An award winning restaurant, (finalist in the prestigious “Restaurant Revelation of the Year” Award at the Madrid Fusion Summit in 2007), Senzone offers an interesting and varied menu with innovative interpretations on national and regional favourites, with an emphasis on local products - the ‘Gastronomical Caviar Degustation’ showcasing the excellent organic produce from nearby Riofrío. Having snacked and eaten for most of the day, we decided to go a la carte, (saving the celebration of caviar for a return visit.)

To get the show on the road, the usual bowl of olives soon arrived, this time, accompanied by the less usual squid ink crackers.

Next up, as an amuse bouche, a refreshing bowl of Salmorejo – although similar to the more common gazpacho, this recipe from Córdoba produces a thicker soup and uses just tomatoes, bread, oil, vinegar and garlic with a garnish of Serrano ham.

My wife’s choice of starter was,  Cous-cous con melon y vinagreta de frutos rojos – a simple, yet tasty dish featuring beautifully diced cubes of melon with the sharp ‘red fruits’ vinaigrette.

Featuring two of my favourite ingredients, spider crab and artichokes, I was really looking forward to my starter, Arroz de centollo y alcachofas. Served in a bowl made from a hollowed out spiny spider crab shell, it certainly looked impressive. One taste of the cheesy rice studded with pieces of sweet crab meat and artichoke and I was smitten. I’ve always loved artichokes and have been successfully growing them at home for the past couple of years, this dish got me thinking about the possibilities of getting a tank and raising my own spider crabs but with a minimum EU landing size of 120cm and an average size of 1.5m the possibility of making this starter at home is obviously a nonstarter!

My wife’s next course was, Nuestra lata de caviar (caviar de Riofrío, quisquillas, crema agria de coliflor y blinis de alga) – roughly translated as ‘our way of caviar’ the thin seaweed blinis being the perfect vehicle for the fine creamy Per Sé caviar from Riofrío, accompanied by a carpaccio of prawns and a creamy cauliflower sauce. My wife stated this is one of the finest dishes she has eaten, ever!

My next course was, Chopitos de Motril, ñoquis de tinta y alioli – a visually striking plate of food, starring gorgeous baby squids from nearby Motril (coastal town of the Granada province), cooked with their ink sacks intact. The ‘gnocchi’ also contained squid ink, although with a crispy shell and light chewy centre, the texture of these was more similar to a macaron than gnocchi; they tasted delightful all the same. A vibrant green parsley oil and dramatic swipe of red pepper sauce completed the stunning dish.

Translating as, ‘veal sirloin with mushroom risotto’, Solomillo de ternera y risotto de setas was my wife’s choice of main - she said it was tasty enough but didn’t seem wowed.

My main was, Bacalao con tomate “a la andaluza” y polenta al vino oloroso – another vibrant dish with the parsley oil and a rich tomato sauce ‘Andalusian style’, contrasting with the lightly poached brilliant white of the codfish. The neat block of polenta enhanced with sweet wine was a great accompaniment.

For dessert, my wife opted for the intriguingly named, Nuestro combinado de moda or “our trendy cocktail’ – based on a mojito, without the alcohol, it was essentially a combination of mint and lime sorbets and granitas. Very refreshing.

My dessert was simply called, Chocolate en diferentes texturas – you can’t go wrong with chocolate served in different textures! The main constituents being a white chocolate ‘cannelloni’ with a rich chocolate mouse in the centre and an indulgent warm white chocolate ‘soup’. Delicious!

A magnificent meal to end a fabulous week in Granada – next time we are in the city we will definitely go back to try the ‘Gastronomical Caviar’ menu and will be looking out for the Hospes Hotels and Senzone Restaurants in other Spanish cities. 

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Restaurante “La Ermita” en la Plaza de Toros – Granada

Leaving my wife on the balcony of our hotel with a bottle of Anís del Mono, meaning ‘The Monkey’s Anisette’ and some nibbles, I decided to brave the midday sunshine and walk the mile or so down the Avenida de la Constitución to a charming restaurant - Restaurante “La Ermita” en la Plaza de Toros; located under the porticoes of the bullring.

One of the largest in Andalusia with a capacity of 14,500 the bullring first opened in 1929 and is still in use, although the popularity of bullfighting is waning among the younger Spanish generations.

Despite eating there on a couple of occasions in the past, I have since tried to become a little more mindful of what I eat; eating more sustainable, local and organic products and have also been choosing to eat much less meat, toying with the idea of giving it up altogether. Bearing this in mind, I did consider whether I wanted to eat at a restaurant so connected with such a ‘sport’. 

Three factors managed to override my moral compass: firstly, a respect for the culture that I am visiting and its traditions; secondly, the fact that famous, former veggie Sting (he now eats meat which he has raised) played a concert at the Plaza de Toros the previous month and if he, being much more of an activist than myself, didn’t have a problem with the whole idea, then why should I? thirdly, because I remember the food there being damn tasty. A bit of a ‘sell out’ to the cause, I know!

Many historic artifacts and bullfighting memorabilia adorns the walls of the restaurant, including: posters, photographs, artworks and statues. There is also a large bull’s head; stuffed and mounted and overlooking the main dining area. At the time of eating, I tried not to imagine how it may have endured a slow, torturous death amid barbaric cheering in the area above.

 

Instead I remembered my dad’s favourite joke, saying “It mush have been shifting when it hit the other side!” and the Ellen Degeneres classic, “Stuffed deer heads on walls are bad enough, but it’s worse when you see them wearing dark glasses, having streamers around their necks and a hat on their antlers. Because then you know they were enjoying themselves at a party when they were shot.”

Putting aside personal views of bullfighting and animal rights, the restaurant’s location and interior certainly is impressive and a ‘must do’ for those in Granada hoping to get a taste of Spanish culture. The exposed brickwork, stone floors and dark wood are all characteristic of traditional rustic décor; the obligatory barrel tables and hanging jamóns complete the picture. 

As you enter, the bar area serves a less formal tapas menu and caters for the younger crowd. The soft lighting towards the rear of the venue, along with beautifully set tables with linen tablecloths and napkins provide a more formal or romantic setting. Semi-private dining spaces above and below the stairs are perfect for families or groups.

My lunch started with an amuse bouche featuring an apple (manzana) flavoured cold soup topped with fine slivers of jamón ibérico – an interesting take on the classic pork and apple flavour combination.Instead of ordering a starter and a main, I decided to order a tapas dish, two starters and ‘una media ración’ (a half sized main portion.) 

The first dish to arrive was, Espárragos blancos de Navarra - white asparagus from the autonomous Navarre region of Spain, bordering the Basque Country. White asparagus is a favourite of mine and the Navarran stuff is said to be the best – this was served far too cold and subsequently lost some of its delicious subtle flavour.

The tapas dish, Manita de Cerdo con Trufas was the next to arrive – not quite Pierre Koffman or Marco Pierre White standard this was a tasty enough dish. The pig’s trotters were well cooked and meatier (as opposed to fatty and gristly) than many I have had; although I did struggle to taste any truffle but for €4.50, I don’t know quite what I expected.

The next ‘starter’ to arrive was a mountain of Berenjena Frita con Miel de Caña – a specialty of Granada, Malaga and the Canary Islands this dish features lightly battered aubergine drizzled in ‘Miel de Caña’, a type of molasses. I can eat, but the size of this portion was a little overwhelming; what is more once I had eaten the top layer coated in the delicious ‘sugar cane honey’ the bottom half was bare (and nobody wants a bare bottom.)

My final dish, Hígado de Pato a la salsa de canela e higos secos –roughly translates as duck livers with cinnamon and dry figs. The figs were great, the livers a little overdone for my preference but still edible. The accompanying apple, orange, pink grapefruit and kiwi tower was largely strange and the cinnamon sauce also lacked quality; worse was the manner in which the passing waiter, obviously in a hurry to get somewhere, plonked it down on the table.

All in all the meal was a little disappointing for one listed in the Michelin guide; I remember it being much better on previous visits. The saving grace came in the form of a Q Tonic – one of my favourite drinks ever! The last time I had this Brooklyn brewed ‘elixir’ in a restaurant was in Momofuku Ko in New York. Since then I have only managed to buy it, rather expensively, on the Internet and in Singapore; a real surprise to find it here! I rushed back to the hotel to tell my wife. She didn’t seem quite as impressed as I hoped… but this may have had something to do with the half empty bottle of Anís.

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Meson Luis - Granada

Being firm fans of fish and seafood, Michelin's entry regarding Meson Luis sounded perfect: ‘Cuisine: seafood Comments: Very recommendable. Friendly service in this small and pleasant place, where six little tables, not too close together, invite you to lively conversations.’

Arriving at Meson Luis about 9pm, quite early for a Spanish evening meal we found just one couple sat at the bar enjoying drinks and tapas. We were greeted warmly by the two members of staff and were duly impressed by the fine looking fruits of the sea which lay before us. Not knowing where to start or what to pick I used my basic Spanish to ask them to bring us whatever was good. A brave move, you might think? But we had complete confidence in our smiling hosts ability to choose (our only concern being, just how much this laissez-fair approach might cost).

The first dish to arrive was a small plate, piled high with Coquinas - tiny clams, cooked simply and served with a squeeze of lemon juice. The two pictures show how my wife and I have vastly different approaches to eating; she selecting individual clams one at a time and carefully arranging the shells like butterflies and me, popping them in repeatedly and quickly casting the shells aside to speed up the whole greedy process.

Next up, one of my favourites, Navajas - the hunting of razor clams always looks so much fun (if you haven't seen this before, check the youtube video of the River Cottage's foraging expert John Wright doing just that), they can put up a bit of a fight as they are pulled from the ground and this may be why they are named after the 'navaja' an Andalusian fighting knife; although eating them has to be so much more pleasurable. Especially when they were prepared and presented as beautifully as these with delicious herby oil and another squeeze of lemon.

Next to arrive was a plate containing two lightly floured and fried Pescadillas and four Salmonetes - the pescadillas are tiny hake (about 20cm), a Galician specialty. They have heads that resemble lizards complete with an impressive set of gnashers, their white flesh was firmer in texture than the little red mullets (salmonetes) but not as flavoursome.

With all the fabulous fish on display I was a little disappointed when a plate of tomatoes arrived. That was until I tasted the, Tomate Casero - this translates as 'homemade tomato' I don't know if that meant that they were homegrown; they were certainly unlike any I have ever grown on my modest raised bed back in Cheshire. So fresh, so fruity brought to life with a drizzle of good oil and seasoned with salt and crunchy chunks of chopped garlic.

Next up, Chipirones – a popular fried favourite, although I do prefer when they are cooked in their ink or with their ink intact inside them. The least enjoyable of the evenings fare – next time I will be sure to ask, “¿Con tinta, por favor?”

Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango? The Andalusian Malagueña fandango is a type of flamenco music and dance. How these big juicy clams came for share the name Malagueña, I don’t know. (I have also seen them on menus as Conchas Finas.) Beautifully prepared in their shells and coated with parsley oil the clams certainly danced to a merry tune on our taste buds. A contender with the navajas for best dish of the day.

Before we knew it, Meson Luis was full of lively locals chatting and laughing like one big happy family. We would like to have stayed on longer and practiced our Spanish whilst attempting to join in on the lively conversation. Full to bursting we had to concede to no more and decided to walk off the meal with an evening’s stroll back to our hotel. Although, on the way back, we did manage to find room for a delicious ice-cream from one of Granada’s many late night Heladerías. 

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El Claustro - Granada

“Cuisine: Inventive - Comments: Charming restaurant with a wooden ceiling and views of the cloister.”

So says what could be the most understated entry the Michelin guide has to offer. From these comments I was expecting a small bistro style restaurant serving up classic Spanish dishes with, perhaps, a slight modern or inventive twist. I took 'charming' to mean small and quaint. I took 'wooden ceiling' to mean simple and rustic. I took 'views of the cloister' to mean a terrace over looking your average cloister (if there is such as thing as an average cloister.) The truth is, not knowing quite what to expect, what met us certainly exceeded whatever expectations we may have had.

In reality, 'charming' became a plush hotel restaurant housed in one of Granada's finest 5 star hotels, The AC Palacio de Santa Paula. The building’s history including its origins, in the 14th century, as a Casa Moriscos and, in the 16th century, as the Santa Paula Convent. 'Wooden ceiling' turned out to be the ornately carved, magnificent ceiling to the lofty space that was once home to the convent's library and reading room. 'Views of the cloister' turned out to be a beautiful setting, overlooking a grand cobblestoned courtyard, complete with fountain and surrounded by immense Corinthian pillars and arches. All overlooked by the imposing gothic tower of this wonderful Mudéjar architecture.

At the entrance to the dining room, we were pleasantly surprised to be met by a large poster depicting the proud executive chef / proprietor Juan Andrés Rodríguez Morilla holding an award proclaiming him 2009 Mejor Cocinero de España (the 2009 Best Spanish Chef). Inside, more awards and accolades decorated the space. The Seville born chef who opened this restaurant in 2000 has quite a pedigree. He was the first Andalusian chef to win 'National Cook of the Year', a title he has now held an unprecedented twelve times. He has also worked in the two-starred La Alqueria Restaurante in the elBulli Hotel Hacienda Benazuz and the one starred Drolma Restaurante at the Hotel Majestic in Barcelona and El Cenador de Salvador in Madrid.

Upon being seated we were handed English copies of the restaurant's A La Carte and Set Menus: The five course Classic (€60), The seven course Sensations (€75) and the nine course Gastronomic (€100). We opted for the Sensations Menu, mainly because it featured a cold almond soup, a dish that I have recently made myself and had at the Michelin starred Fraiche in Birkenhead and wanted to compare. We also liked the sound of the scallops carpaccio.

The dining room impressed with crisp linen tablecloths, napkins, fine tableware, quality cutlery and soft romantic lighting. Typically Spanish, the décor was sumptuous rather than rustic. The ambience lifted by soothing classical music complementing this once spiritual setting. The large former bookshelves, adorned with the cross, that extended down one side of the restaurant, reminds diners of the room’s former purpose and now houses some of the restaurant's collection of fine wines (I'm not sure how much the sisters would have approved).

First to arrive was an amuse bouche featuring a trio of  treats: an oriental spiced flatbread; a light poppadum style wafer, with delicate curry spices and a pizza inspired Manchego wafer. We were soon offered a selection of breads. Over the course of the meal I managed to sample one of each: an olive oil bread; a cheese, a brown; a white and a tomato flavoured bread. The cheese one was my favourite but the real stars were the accompanying toasted Maldon salt and the chef's own locally produced olive oil made with Picual olives.

"Ajo Blanco"  (Typical Almonds and Garlic Cold Soup) with Apple and Dry Apricots - the chilled soup was a refreshing start to the meal. The pureed apple and cube of dried apricot provided a smack of sweetness. The surprise elements in this dish were two spherifications of Pedro Ximénez sherry, which delightfully burst on the tongue imparting a further rush of fruity sweetness.

Foie with Red Fruits Jam – served on a black slate this next course was a visual work of art. The sweet sticky jam was studded with fresh red berries and contrasting cubes of yellow mango (the colours of the Spanish flag). Another use of spherification, this time enclosing some fresh natural yoghurt. The generous serving of foie gras, as if not indulgent enough, had been sprayed a glittery gold colour.

Scallops Carpaccio with Trout Caviar - this was my wife's favourite dish, the translucent paper-thin slices of scallop looked like tiny jellyfish floating in the depths of the black serving slate. The salt and vinegar seasoning came from cubes of ibérico ham and in popping bursts from the trout caviar, locally sourced from Rio Frio and a subtly acidic vinegary gelée.

Sautéed Seafood from the Andalusian Coast - this dish delivered in both its imaginative concept and impeccable flavour. The ‘seaweed’ seabed was made from a thin layer of jelly (I'm struggling to make this sound as appetising as it was, suffices to say this vivid green sheet of molecular gastronomy was perfectly good.) Upon the seabed sat a 'rock' formed from butter and squid ink, so light and buttery, it melted with the slightest breath or touch, coating everything in a rich glossy sauce. Around the rock, swam a celebration of local seafood - exquisite, tiny shrimp, meaty prawns, lightly sautéed squid and a plump baby octopus. A joyful dish.

Sea Bass with Squash Vermicelli and Smoked Tuna Consommé - although, perhaps the simplest, this was my favourite dish. The bass itself was as delicate and fresh as any I’ve tasted. I said simple, didn't I? I may have temporarily over looked the 'squash noodle', don't quote me on this one but I think they are made with some kind of methylcellulose and a gelling agent such as agar agar or gelatine - all a bit technical. The real punch of flavour in this dish came in the form of the fabulously clear, umami rich smoked tuna consommé. (The flavour memory is flooding back to me as I write.) Quite sublime.

Lamb with Alpujarran Goat Cheese "Olives" - this dish had a tough few acts to follow and perhaps should have been the star; it certainly looked the part. The lamb had been sous vide for no less than twenty-four hours and although obviously meltingly tender was not as flavoursome as one might have expected. The goats cheese 'olives' employed techniques similar to the specification to create a soft black 'olive skin' that encased the goats cheese and the surprise 'pit' of a sherry soaked raisin. These, along with an olive sprig garnish, were placed upon dehydrated olive oil that represented the local specialty 'migas' - a visually impressive dish and great concept that sadly lacked a little in flavour.

Strawberry and Vanilla Soup - bearing in mind the creativity of some of the previous courses, this dessert could easily have been seen as an anticlimax. Relatively, simple as it was, the refreshing 'soup' was a fitting end to the meal.

We decided against coffee, planning to walk along to a local bar that overlooks the cathedral. We were however, presented with a coffee flavoured 'ice-cream' and some delightful petit fours - the dark chocolate with pink peppercorns, being my favourite.

I think what made this meal particularly enjoyable was a matter of expectation. We went to El Claustro expecting that 'Charming restaurant with a wooden ceiling and views of the cloister' and were treated to a meal that was as awe-inspiring as the historic venue itself. For us, without doubt, the best place we have eaten in Granada. 

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