Café Molino — Restaurant in Oliva

I don't like to write critical reviews but sometimes you have to describe your experience. I had my seventieth birthday celebration here, some years ago when it was under different management, so have fond memories of the place.

We were invited by friends to join them recently on a Saturday evening, as the restaurant was trying out a vegan menu. We are vegetarian (not vegan) so were very pleased to reserve our places. However, the experience was very disappointing. We had Spicy Asian Veg soup to begin. It was spicy and quite tasty with small tomatoes; my wife's portion was larger than mine, with fewer tomatoes, so not very carefully doled out into the two differently coloured breakfast bowls. If you are going to use coloured crockery then you have to consider how the colour works with the food. For the main course we opted for sweet and sour crispy tofu with rice. The tofu was hard, fried lumpy bits, the sweet part was a few pieces of chopped pineapple swimming in a vinegary red sauce, with a less than generous spoonful of boiled rice to soak it up. Apart from the sauce it looked colourless, beige and unappetizing. The other options were a bhaji burger (in a bun) and chips with coleslaw (personally I never understood the appeal of chips and bread together), or lentil shepherds's pie, which appeared to come in a small dish accompanied (I think) by chips. For dessert I had what purported to be mixed berry crumble with vegan custard. The crumble was a congealed, lumpy mess with little taste, on a puddle of thin cold custard. After two spoons I left it, as did a friend at our table. The fruit salad and blackberry coulis, which my wife opted for, was served in a jam jar – I am all for recycling but thought this 'trendy' way of serving food, with its suggestion of poverty and improvisation was now passé.

The service was very slow: it took about three hours from serving drinks to clearing away the final plates. Considering that it is a small restaurant with about twenty customers, and that we had pre-ordered our choices from the limited menu (three options on each course), this is not good for customer relations. The meal cost 14 euros, plus drinks. Very poor value, considering that there are many places in the town where for the same price or less we can eat very well (admittedly not vegan.) This restaurant clearly from the comments has many satisfied customers. If this is their first experiment with vegan food they need to do some research, improve their presentation and...

After two years living in Spain and dutifully chomping my way through Spanish menus, I was craving proper fish and chips. So it was with great glee that I saw Cafe Molino advertising its Fish and Chip Night in early January. The suppers are so popular that you have to book, and there are two sittings. Cafe Molino is a no-nonsense, no-frills bar that serves super food at extremely reasonable prices - and the biggest glass of wine I have even been presented with! The fish and chips were perfect: succulent cod, crispy batter, hot, non-greasy chips with a side of mushy peas, tartare sauce and bread and butter. My husband wolfed his down and could probably have eaten it all over again, so we might have to book him a double serving next time! But a chocolate brownie and ice cream filled the gap this time. Thank you, Mandy,...

UPDATE AUG 23 - Under new ownership with Debbie back behind the bar and a new chef, the cafe is back. The food is good, the portions generous and as before excellent value and the good news for the moment is its not too busy that you can't get service or enjoy your meal. We will be back.

Recently renovated this English pub serves good food and at a reasonable price. Drinks are also very reasonable and the service is spot on. UPDATE - full credit to the owners food is worth a visit with great specials and the vegan chilli is fantastic.

The bar has very limited space indoors but weather permitting it has outdoor seating in a great little square that is quite busy with lots going on.

Recommended is Friday fish and chips...