Restaurante Mena — Restaurant in Dénia

There is among restaurants a certain class that holds such a high opinion of itself that it believes itself to be above reproach. Some of this class deem themselves to be above the opinions of their patrons, whether positive or negative, and so win themselves a certain self-confidence that either precedes great fortune or catastrophic ruin.

Before proceeding, I must confess that this is a one-time impression and that I may have happened upon a particularly unfortunate day. I do not have a record of consecutive visits by which I may gain a broader understanding of their menu and practices. Also, that my tastes may be at an underdeveloped level that prevent my true appreciation of higher cuisine.

That being said, I found my experience to be somewhat lacking. First of all, the view from the restaurant is nothing short of divine. An unobstructed view of the Mediterranean on one hand, and picturesque cliffs on the other. For that alone, some of the extravagant prices may be excused. The waiter was courteous, quick, and helpful. The appetizers (An assortment of fried foods) was excellent and tastefully arranged. For the main course, I ordered the grilled tuna, which came out in probably the usual time for a restaurant of this sort. My first thought upon seeing the dish was this must be a joke. The grayish strips of tuna were placed around a pile of fries in the middle of the plate with no real decorum and the only garnish a rather withered lemon wedge cast on the plate. The only apparent seasoning for the tuna was a rather ill done balsamic reduction that was then drizzled over the tuna and sent out without garnish or additional color.

That more than anything was really strange. The overall impression that the plate gave was depressing. Yellow, grey, and black. A splash of red or green would have presented a more appealing dish.

The tuna itself was tough, stringy, and possessed of an overpoweringly fishy taste that made the restaurantes claim of fresh fish somewhat difficult to believe. Maybe given the lower volume some of the hold times have been stretched beyond food safety guidelines.

I do believe that this place has great potential given its location and general atmosphere. Maybe reducing the menu size and putting a greater emphasis on quality and presentation will reap...

We visited this place in November 2023 for lunch. It is a restaurant that specializes in paellas and Mediterranean food. The pros are the sea views, especially if you get a table by the window or outside during warmer months. We weren't so lucky that day, ours was in the middle of the room. The paellas looked really appealing, although we did not order for one.

My friend had fish and I had lambchops. The fish looked good and he says it was delicious. My lambchops on the other hand were a bit chewy/hard that day and I didn't enjoy them much. I tend to enjoy places by the sea that not only offer amazing views but are eye appealing in terms of interior decoration. I guess what the place lacks in terms of sprucing it up, they make up with the variety of food offered.

In addition I think the service could be better and...

Por nuestra experiencia, NO recomendamos este lugar, habiendo tantas buenas opciones para comer rico en Denia.

Fuimos en pareja. Mi mujer había reservado mesa a las 15h. para comer en la terraza por nuestro aniversario. Nos presentamos 15 minutos antes y en vez de hacernos esperar en la barra, nos pasaron para sentarnos en el salón, nada que ver con lo que habíamos reservado. Pedimos que nos ubicaran en nuestro lugar de preferencia (donde habíamos pedido, en la terraza) pero una de las dueñas, Mónica, nos dijo que para ello teníamos que esperar 1h. más. Anonadados, pensamos en abandonar el lugar, pero al no haber más opciones cerca y con el hambre apremiante, decidimos quedarnos. A los 5 minutos vimos que se quedaban dos mesas libres en la terraza, avisamos a nuestro camarero y al minuto se acercó Mónica a nuestra mesa para hablar con nosotros, en un tono de voz elevado, dijo que para empezar, ellos no cogían reservas por Instagram y que, ya que esta vez lo habían hecho como excepción, entendiéramos que no es posible sentarnos en la terraza… Este minuto de monólogo en un tono elevado, parecía buscar montar el numerito más que llegar a una solución, por lo que decidimos no discutir, pero el hecho en sí, incomodó bastante la velada. No había problema en quedarse en el lugar donde estábamos, pero las formas no fueron adecuadas a nuestro parecer, deja mucho que desear el tono con el que esta persona se comunica con los clientes y de hecho, con el resto de sus compañeros.

A todo esto, respirando hondo e intentando dejar a un lado esta actitud, pedimos paella de marisco para sustituir lo malo por algo rico jeje, esperando que al menos la comida estuviera buena, pero no fue así, trozos de pimiento grandes en la paella, las gambas y cigalas (2u.) a medio hacer y el arroz un poco soso para mi gusto. Evidentemente no vale lo que cuesta (21€/persona). Ni siquiera tuvieron la deferencia de cambiarnos los platos cuando trajeron la paella, ya que, evidentemente, estaba manchados del aperitivo (pan rancio, muy seco y Ali olí, lo único rico de la velada, a parte de mi mujer). Tampoco nos sirvieron la paella, mientras que a otras mesas, pudimos observar que sí (por lo que deducimos que hay trato de preferencia con ciertos clientes), para colmo, nos sentimos discriminados.

Nosotros no volveremos.

Por otro lado, vistas son interesantes, quizás para tomar un café, puedas disfrutar de un buen paisaje si no hace...