Restaurante El Aljibe — Restaurant in Cádiz

Sometimes, you walk into a place where menus threaten to bury you under a flood of good choices, and your best move is to surrender to the wisdom of the manager. It was our first meal in Cádiz, and we laid our cards on the table—sherry lovers, seafood devotees, with a nut allergy to navigate. El Aljibe Gaditano didn’t just meet expectations; it demolished them, reminding me why I fell in love with humble, heartfelt dining in kitchens long before my San Francisco days.

The sherries arrived—an Oloroso for me, a semi-dry Pedro Ximenez for my wife—setting the scene for a perfect match with a salad of cabbage and arugula dressed in sherry vinaigrette, topped with unexpected dry tuna shavings. My wife, cautious of the unfamiliar ingredient, ended up devouring it with wide-eyed delight—umami, citrus, and green notes dancing like a secret only Cádiz could tell.

Lunch deepened with the finest tuna ceviche I’ve encountered, each knife-cut slice dressed with olive oil and sesame, garnished with shallots and microgreens—a dish so clean and precise it almost whispered.

Then came the moment: our first paella in Spain. It arrived at the table still sizzling, a colorful celebration of saffron-infused rice and fresh seafood. Every bite was an ode to Cádiz’s soul, balanced by fresh sherry poured with ceremony, echoing centuries of culinary love.

Dessert held its own: sherry paired with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with caramel vodka, and crowned with home-whipped cream. Sweetness with a bite, a final wink from a kitchen that knows its craft.

El Aljibe Gaditano gave us the best culinary embrace Cádiz has to offer—flavor and service fused like a love letter to this storied land. We’ll be back. No...

So far since I got here every meal I have had has been excellent. Cadiz has a reputation for wonderful cuisine and it is richly deserved. But the meal I had at El Aljibe tonight was on a different level. The pork was so tender I didn't really need the steak knife and how they manage to create such a tasty roast potato is beyond me. The vegetables were cooked to perfection and the accompanying sauce was so, so moreish. The amount of food was very good as well, not too much but also enough. I usually eat quite quickly but tonight I did what needed to be done... I savoured it. Only my ex wife's voice in my head saying "Do NOT mop up the plate with your bread" stopped me doing just that. Damn that woman... A sneaky look at other people's meals, as you do, means I will be going back... they all looked sumptuous. The service was exactly what you want and the ambience wonderful, helped greatly by a guy playing the guitar who wonderfully jammed along with the church chimes! That made the people who noticed smile and was well worth tipping him for when he came round. Excellent value for money as well, easily affordable for most travellers I would think. One of my favourite Cadiz experiences which I cannot recommend...

The host was incredibly friendly and welcoming, such a nice guy to deal with. I did not hesitate to stay there. However, the waiter and waitress they were not that friendly, their facial expression was like they didn’t want to serve my table, I even thought it could be because I am South American, I was wondering if it was a sort of discrimination. I tried to give a complement about the starter to the waiter but he ignored me completely, the lady in other hand was interacting with the table next to mine and seemed like she tried to avoid ours. The food in general was good, but I was looking for a good steak and this place is definitely not the right one to ask for stake it was really hard. Everything else I ordered it was very good. I asked to the waiter for suggestions he seemed annoyed by that but he did get the wine option right because I loved it. The restaurant decoration is lovely, very nice old house. If everyone could be as nice and caring as the host that will be perfect, he was the only person who made us...