Restaurante El Azafrán Km 176 — Restaurant in Caminreal

My wife ordered the menú del día. Got arroz meloso for the first plate, so dry it was almost inedible. Same thing with the chicken for the second plate. Seemed like yesterday’s leftovers. She left most of it. I asked for the vegan/vegetarian option. They said all they could do was an ensalada mixta without the tuna. I reluctantly agreed against my best instincts. Turns out I was right - a load of wilted lettuce and a sliced tomato. I ate one slice of tomato. Asked for the bill. My salad experience cost 9.50. Apparently this is a “medio menu”. Absolute joke. When I suggested they charge me something even a little bit reasonable I was told “it is what is is” with a condescending tone. Kids menu, same thing. Spaghetti with some “tomate frito”. Horrible experience after 5 hours on the road and looking forward to something even a little bit decent. I get the impression they get a lot of motorway business and gave up trying a very long time ago. I hate this attitude. Avoid this place...

We ended up here after a long day, and it was... okay, I guess. The place had a cozy, Spanish vibe with tiled walls and soft lighting really set the mood. But the service was slower than a turtle; our server was nice but kept getting distracted, and we waited forever for our food. The menu looked exciting, but my tapas were a letdown: the albondigas were tasty, but the mushrooms were oily and bland. My partner’s fish was fresh but lacked flavor. The wine was good, and the churros were a crispy win. Prices were reasonable, but I expected more for what we paid. If you’re starving and nearby, it’s not awful, but I wouldn’t make it a must-visit. 😕 Spain’s got...

Turns out I have stopped here twice before, so it's a very convenient place to stop on the way to/from the Bilbao ferry . This time, I was driving back to Caen after driving from Alicante, and for the first time, I stayed the night. The place was very clean, the staff was friendly and the food was excellent. I had the 'menú del día' and it was delicious. Why doesn't the UK have service station stops like this, instead of the same old, same old expensive franchises ripping you off. The atmosphere 5* was partly down to Real Madrid v Atlético Madrid on the TV in the last 16 of the...