Restaurante Casa Mané — Restaurant in Los Barrios

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We often come to Casa Mané. This means that we can actually find it! You may noy be able to, first time.

If you look on Google Maps at Palmones, at the far end of the village , is the Calla Almadraba. At the very end of this road Google has marked Socieded Anónima Ibérica de Ingeniera. You are going towards that, with the Casa Mané being on a sandy track just before, right on the water’s edge. Satnav: 36.176559, -5.427547 is the turn off right to Casa Mané – it has a smallish red sign.

A fairly generous parking lot, sandy of course, with what looks like a garden shed on steroids in the middle.

It’s more than a chiringuito (beach bar), not quite a restaurant. Except for the prices which are frankly restaurant level. This is the Campo de Gibraltar region, this is where everybody takes their fish VERY seriously, and expects to pay high prices for high quality.

High quality it is. And this restaurant/chiringuito is in high demand, so it’s best to book.

You will see the refrigerated display counter with some fish near the door to the kitchen. That’s not the whole of their stock, just some. Point and ask what it is. Won’t do you much good, because the Spanish names – or even worse, the local names – will probably not mean much.

Ask for how many people Para cuántas personas? And they’ll tell you if the fish you are pointing at will feed 2, 3, 4 or more. You might try asking Cuánto?: how much, or Cuánto el kilo?: how much per kilo?, as that is how large fish are priced.

But to be honest, most Spaniards coming here know that good fish is expensive, don’t bother to ask the price, and expect to pay quite a bit. It’s not like a restaurant in Lancaster, Leeds, Llanelli or London where the menu tells you exactly how much you’ll be paying at the end. If this makes you feel nervous, then probably best not to go . . .

The food is usually outstanding, very very fresh and well cooked. That's what you go for.

The service is . . . well, it’s a family-run business rather than a business-run business. Casual and laid back is best how to describe it. Once, when an admittedly large (but therefore high-spending) and admittedly noisy (well, most of them were from Algeciras) family party got a bit too noisy, the waitress and owner’s daughter turned to one person who was being a tad picky about his food and said Tú, a comer y a callar. Which could be translated as Eat up and shut up!

:-)

But for fine fish, with a view over the Bay of Algeciras and the Rock in the background, this is an excellent place to go.

P.S. Don't ask for salmon, trout or cod. Local fish...

Excellent food, great service, cool location and atmosphere. They don't speak a lick of English but were very accommodating with me and Google. The gambas and garlic starter was exceptional and the whole pargo we shared was very good - very tender and mild but a bit bland. You can see Gibraltar from your table but the location is off the beaten path enough where you can actually park your car nearby and relax with the locals who frequent this elegant beachy place. Cold local draft beer and friendly service were appreciated. Food is pricey but all was very fresh....

la comida tenia sus altos y sus bajos, el pescado estaba muy bueno, pedi el calamar y hasta la presentacion era buena, sin embargo dos platos de carne que se pidieron en la mesa, solomillo y entrecot les faltaba presentacion, dia y noche con el calamar y ojo, no hablo de calidad pues la carne estaba buena pero presentar en un plato que pesa 1 kg un filete de 400 gm con cuatro patatas fritas es triste, el plato no tenia ni volumen ni color, 0 atractivo aparte del filete en si, entrantes buenos. El servicio.... buff... el servicio. Vale, en el restaurante solo habia mesas grupales de minimo 6 personas y habia una camarera que bien se podia haber quedado con nosotros, que tenia gracia y salero y creo que ahi acaba todo lo bueno que puedo decir. Aun diciendo que podriamos haber sido una mesa "dificil"...(que obviamente desde mi punto de vista, no lo fuimos). Contestaciones cortantes constantemente, no preguntaban para quien eran los platos simplemente los soltaban en la mesa, fuesen o no fuesen para ti. Sacaron la tarta del cumpleañero, la llevaron a la mesa y preguntaron si no le poniamos vela, se la llevaron y la trajeron cuando 3 personas estaban ausentes, le pusieron una vela que no se apagaba y para cuando volvieron los comensales la vela ya estaba derretida, cantamos 5 veces cumpleaños feliz, era de chiste... Cuando trajeron el cava le pedimos que dejaran cerrada una botella en la mesa por si nos faltaba, que ya nos serviamos nosotros la camarera nos dijo con desden llevandose la botella "asi no es como se sirve el cava señora"... en fin, dejo un largo etc en el aire... Un almuerzo inolvidable, de seguro, aunque no como nos hubiese gustado...