Most people would consider it a dream eating-out experience. Imagine a restaurant, resting on a cliff, overhanging the Mediterranean Sea with waves crashing around, mountains rising is it before you, behind you… mind you, all the while eating exquisite tasting food served with generous proportions, yes wide-ranging menu and wine list to choose from, not to mention a whole host of desserts, a little longer and more inclusive than any I’ve seen in the region… atmosphere can be what you want it to be… fine dining, home style, outside dining, family oriented — family-feel because family-owned generations ..?… a lot of partying on the terrace…today as most days in the area sun shining all around, in one of the nicest suburbs in the region… not 15 minutes from the Dénia Port, and on the other side of the mountain from Javea… the restaurant, is more or less encircled in nature … back to the food it is delicious and served in generous in proportions. The dishes are presented in a simplicity that’s beautiful. On some rating lists, you can see why Sendra is ranked #1 restaurant in Dénia. Today, a Balleria Ferry from the Dénia Port (I think about 4 to 6 per day) to Ibiza n Mallorca cruised by… grandly streaking across a blue sky, hugely crashing waves — bigger than normal like California crests while diners sipped wine and other beverages inside and out … it seemed a contagious happiness pervaded all around — maybe it was a lot of locals were there… laughing it up — everyone was super friendly and inclusive like you belonged to the club or something. What else...
Read moreI recently visited Sentra and was quite disappointed with the experience. The staff were very inattentive. The menu was almost snatched out of my hands before I had a chance to order, with the explanation that they would bring it back later because they needed to serve other customers first. I was told that the paella had to be ordered in advance, which was quite confusing as I had no idea how I was supposed to do that. This seems like an unusual requirement for a restaurant.
The atmosphere was unfriendly and unwelcoming. It certainly wasn’t worth the trip to experience such poor service. On the bright side, the sea and the weather were beautiful, but unfortunately, they couldn’t make up for the restaurant’s...
Read moreSENDRA: EL SABOR DEL MEDITERRÁNEO QUE DESPIERTA RECUERDOS
En carrer Fènix, 15, 03700 Rotes (Alicante), frente al mar de Dénia, se encuentra Sendra, un restaurante familiar que tiene el poder de convertirse en mucho más que un lugar donde comer: es un sitio que guarda recuerdos y los despierta con cada bocado.
Aquí, el pulpo seco, emblema de la casa, es cita obligada. Crujiente, intenso y con ese punto de brasa que te transporta al Mediterráneo más auténtico. Aunque en esta última visita se les fue un poco la mano con el fuego, sigue siendo una de las tapas imprescindibles que marcan la diferencia.
Cuando llega el invierno, no hay mayor placer que probar sus erizos de mar. Nos recomendaron acompañarlos con unas gotas de aceite virgen extra ecológico de la montaña alicantina y el resultado fue memorable: puro mar suavizado por un oro líquido cargado de matices. Y si hablamos de recuerdos imborrables, los sepionets a la plancha ocupan un lugar destacado: tiernos, jugosos y servidos con su tinta, un bocado que siempre queda grabado en la memoria.
En esta ocasión, elegimos uno de sus menús especiales: ensalada de la casa (enorme, fresca y perfecta para compartir), un surtido de marisco a la plancha con gamba blanca y roja, cigalas, navajas y zamburiñas que nos confirmó que la elección había sido acertada, y dos principales para compartir: la fideuá, sabrosa y bien ligada, y un suquet de pescado que nos dejó sin palabras, con rodaballo, rape, sargo imperial, salmonete, mejillones y almejas en un caldo profundo y lleno de sabor. Un plato para recordar y, sin duda, repetir.
De postre, la tarta de zanahoria con chocolate caliente puso el broche final a una experiencia que es mucho más que gastronómica: es un viaje sensorial, emocional y lleno de Mediterráneo.
Sendra es uno de esos sitios que no importa cuántas veces visites: siempre vuelves porque necesitas hacerlo. Y yo, sin duda, regresaré. Gracias a todo el equipo por seguir manteniendo viva la esencia de este rincón...
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