Samaruc Denia 2013 sl — Restaurant in Dénia

CATASTROPHIC HEALTH HAZARD. Where do I even start. Went here for a family birthday meal after seeing all the good reviews online and all I can say is don’t be fooled. We are no strangers to Michelin star style restaurants/service and it’s obvious this restaurant is attempting to be similar but they couldn’t be further apart.

All dishes were tasteless with bland sauce. Basically tiny portions of what tasted like canned food, served with theatre. Even the bread was served as a first course on its own not even with butter, salt or oil etc. Food did not taste fresh, tasted like it had been prepared and left in a fridge for a week. The wines were the best part.

To finish off the experience, we had 3 cockroaches keeping us company on the table and ground. The staff moved us to another table and crushed one of the roaches, however there were more and this gives concern for the sanitation of the kitchen. We experienced upset stomachs following the meal also!

As for the atmosphere.. it was non existent, dining area is between a wall and a car park (that is almost impossible to park in without blocking other cars) and there was no music.

To summarise: Avoid at all costs, extremely overpriced, almost the same pricing as actual Michelin restaurants, however it doesn’t come close. Staff seem passionate about the food and local ingredients but it’s just awful and almost comical.

The whole experience seemed like a scam and unless you want to pay €70pp before drinks and be served food on par with canned anchovies, surrounded by cockroaches with no atmosphere then AVOID. Worst dining experience in 20 years of...

I can only say W O W! My husband and I agreed to try the vegetarian menu , as our friend who is visiting is in fact, vegetarian. I have to admit it was a hard time convincing my meat-loving man to go eat “vegetables for dinner”; but I thought “oh well… might not be the most exciting dinner, but we will enjoy ourselves” We arrive; and since the very first moment, feel comfortable and positively surprised. The coat is handled, the wines are presented and tasted, the bread is DELISHIOUS, The chef comes and presents himself. The small place feels like home - and we relax. The first dish comes out - a small crispy starter with a perfectly smooth aubergine mix underneath. The touch of smoked flavor is perfect. The size is perfect. The flavor explodes as you chew , and we looked up from our plates thinking “ok… this is going to be a dinner to remember!”

Dish after dish came out - and we were as positively surprised each time. The tomatoes in strawberry vinegar, the mushrooms with coffee and cream, the stuffed onions.. all! Absolutely recommend this menu to anyone- you’ll be amazed by the bomb of flavors.

And just WAIT for the second of two desserts. The baked apple with vanilla cream , crispy sweet biscuits and crunchy caramelized pistachio…

Congratulations, SAMARUC! Really: you deserve to be known across the country. We...

My wife and I dined at Samaruc on 15th December with her parents to celebrate their retirement and move to Costa Blanca- the meal was perfection in every way. Ismael and his team were fantastic hosts who made us feel welcome despite very little shared language; the restaurant has a real family feel and the space was warm and inviting (including lovely holiday decor).

The wines were wonderful and great value, and our server made sure to bring us multiple options to taste each time to ensure we had the perfect accompaniment.

The food, however, is where the real magic began. The menu consisted of 9 well-sized courses, and every member of our party received a wonderful culinary progression (we had one vegetarian and two pescatarians, and Ismael created lovely bespoke menus to our dietary restrictions that never felt like we were missing out).

The preparations were unique, interesting, and creative while still feeling loyal to the history of Dénia and paying respect to the local produce. Flavors and sauces were impeccable throughout. Desserts were also a highlight, paired with an elegant dessert wine.

Samaruc is definitely not to be missed, and is in fact worth a detour whether for a special celebration or just a regular date night.

We will be back for sure and cannot recommend...