Restaurante El Faro de Cádiz — Restaurant in Cádiz

Not in the habit of giving low scores. I do my research in advance. But this was a bit of a disappointment. Having been sold to us as the “grande dame” of Cadiz, we were excited to have a traditional meal but elevated and refined. The dining rooms are elegant but very traditional - as expected. Service was friendly and warm. We had high hopes based on first bites: the toast with anchovies and the tortillita of tiny shrimp, as well as their “famous” sea urchin filled with prawns and a refreshing lemon foam. Wine list was well selected and good values were able to be found The problem was with the main courses: they were terrible. And being the most expensive plates, the least value. The seafood rice was tired, dried out, and lifeless. The seafood within perfunctory and overcooked. 23€. The loin of tuna - in a place world famous for tuna - was 7 (I counted) small morsels of cut up tuna with 3-4 sad potatoes and a few out of the jar pickled peppers. For 24€. So - I give the experience overall a 3 star rating and ask of the restaurant: consider the value of what you are serving when - even as a famed restaurant- you are surrounded by old school traditional tabernas slinging plates and plates of deliciousness at great prices. Other than a pretty room, what is the value proposition you offer? Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes - but in a restaurant like this there should be no...

No words to describe this place. Let me try. Traditional decor, attentive & knowledgeable waiters, Gadetano charm, delightfully light & modern tasting menu. We went for an intimate birthday meal but there was a table of two raucous businessmen (still there from lunch time) and a table of tourists. This place is perfect for any occasion. If you’re from out of town, just don’t ask for a ‘Merlot’ as the tourists did. How embarrassing. Much better to let the knowledgeable young waiter guide you. I don’t know his name but he also waiters at the Michelin star restaurant nearby & knows his stuff. (You should have seen the death stare he gave to a trainee who failed to describe the dish he was serving to the neighbouring table!) He got out a special ‘Fino’ for us which apparently was not on the menu. Not sure if that part was true, but who cares - it was delicious! The Winter taster menu is utter delight. Course after course of surprising dishes - mostly fish & shellfish including a meaty tuna belly disguised as red meat. We chose a light red from the ample wine menu. The memorable olive and pistachio panacotta was just the right finish. Luckily we had a little walk back to the Parador to digest our food, and chat about the wonderful and most memorable of birthday celebrations. (Pls note ‘gaditano’ is the correct spelling…I wasn’t able to correct...

Disappointing Dining Experience Atmosphere and Ambience The establishment presents an uncomfortable atmosphere, with excessively bright white lighting and an absence of music. This creates a setting that feels both awkward and lacking in comfort. There is no sense of style or warmth, giving the impression that the venue attempts to appear sophisticated but falls short, remaining distinctly average. Food Quality and Presentation The food offerings were notably poor in both balance and quality. Despite the high prices, the dishes served were ordinary and disappointing. For example, one starter consisted simply of cold potatoes drenched in olive oil—a far cry from what one might expect from haute cuisine. Overall Impression The experience left a negative impression on the entire group, who found the food unpalatable and even felt unwell as a result. There was a pervasive air of arrogance about the place, and the sentiment among the group was unanimous in their dissatisfaction. The restaurant suffers from what could be described as an "Emperor's new clothes syndrome," where its reputation is undeservedly positive despite the reality being quite the opposite. Based on this visit, avoidance is strongly...