El Ventorrillero — Restaurant in Jimena de la Frontera

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A Marmite restaurant - you'll love it or loathe it.

Yes, my "Average" three stars tells it all - i wasn't sure whether to say it was excellent or awful . . .

Mid week, party of 7 for lunch, mainly native Spanish speakers. We had booked, as it fills up fast.

The food was good. It was a little difficult to choose what you actually wanted to eat rather than what Luis wanted you to eat, but more of that later.

Mind you, Luis the owner/waiter is part of the family feel of the place, His Mum is in charge of the kitchen, he does front of house - his kids came back from school with their school bags, sat down and started their homework.

So the positives - above all real old-fashioned food, home cooked.

Another positive could be Luis himself - a real extrovert, joking and interacting with the clients. Although - Marmite - some people could find this annoying, he could get on your nerves.

But there are some other Marmite points.

For a start, there is no menu. No list of food available with the prices.

Luis just pulls up a chair, and reels off a list of what's available (no prices ever mentioned), and then asks what sort of things you like, and then tells you what you'll have. Some slight modification of his order is allowed if you protest very strongly, but basically you eat what he tells you to. A bit like your Mum or your Granny when you were 8 years old. Now you may think that this is cute, and love it, or you may consider it flipping annoying.

And at the end, don't expect a nice neat bill to pay. He'll come and sit down again and start writing things on the paper tablecloth, telling you how much he's going to charge you for each thing.

He'll make it seem fun, and good value, by saying "Well, I won't charge you for the croquetas, have those on me", or "Tell you what, instead of €13 each I'll let you have the three bottles of wine at €36 the lot". He then does a quick calculation in his head and tells you how much you owe.

Again, cute, simpatico, but of course impossible to check the bill. And you didn't know the prices in the first place . . .

The absolute negatives are that it doesn't come out all that cheap, for what is very good but not extraordinary food. Two sorts of chick-pea stew - that's the cheapest of food!

And above all the premises are cramped, crowded and unbearably noisy. I had to shout at the top of my voice at 8 people to move so that I could go to the Loo.

So love it or loathe it -...

I can't praise El Ventorrillero too highly. We dined there on one evening, when it was so good that we returned the next day! This is not normal for us, as we usually like to compare the various restaurants in a town. On the first evening Luis had the night off and Claire was doing a fantastic job front of house, with Luis's mother in the kitchen. What we really liked was being able to discuss the menu so that we were able to make an informed decision. For example, I said that I'd like a steak but would like it cooked blue. Before finalising the order, Claire brought out a steak from the kitchen and we agreed that the cut wasn't sufficiently thick to achieve the rareness that I wanted. She suggested the loin of venison, which was fantastic. The next evening Luis was back and again provided a preview of what was on offer before finalising our choices. As well as the food being first rate the atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming. We speak a smattering of Spanish, but the details we discussed would have been beyond me. It was therefore a big bonus that Luis spoke...

Marvellous food, service, and atmosphere truly set this restaurant apart as a gem in the area for anyone looking to savor authentic Andalusian cuisine. The dedication and warmth of the family running this restaurant shine through in every detail, making each visit a memorable experience. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, this restaurant is a must-visit destination for its delightful dishes that perfectly capture the essence of Andalusia. Highly...