Restaurant El Carmen — Restaurant in Sant Josep de sa Talaia

✨🍷 Restaurant Review: El Carmen 🐚🌅

If you’re looking for an authentic Spanish dining experience with stunning sea views, relaxed local vibes, and truly delicious food — Restaurant El Carmen is a must-visit when you’re in Spain! 🇪🇸🍽️

🍴 Dishes I tried and absolutely loved:

🥖 Starters (Tapas / Entrantes): 🦪 Mejillones al vapor (Steamed mussels in wine or sauce) Huge, fresh mussels served in hot, flavorful broth. The aroma of the sea in every bite! I soaked up every drop with bread — it felt like a comforting dish made by grandma 💕 🌶️ Pimientos de Padrón (Fried Padrón peppers) Fried in olive oil, lightly salted. Some were spicy, some mild — each bite was a surprise! 🥵🌿 Hot, salty, and totally addictive. 🐙 Pulpo a la gallega (Galician-style octopus) Tender octopus over soft potatoes, sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil. Rich and flavorful, and it paired perfectly with red wine 🍷😋

🍚 Main Course: • 🇪🇸 Paella (Traditional Spanish rice dish) This is the soul of Spanish cuisine! Even though I usually don’t enjoy al dente rice (Asian habit 😅), this paella changed my mind completely. Flavors were deep, ingredients fresh — absolutely perfect! 🌾🦐

📍 Location & Vibe: The restaurant is perched on a scenic cliffside with breathtaking panoramic views of the sea 🌊☀️ — perfect for watching the sunset while enjoying a glass of wine.

Don’t expect anything fancy or luxurious like on their website. It’s very much a local, down-to-earth spot with chill beach vibes 🩴🏖️ Dress casual like you’re heading to the beach! 👗🕶️

📌 Tips to Know: ✅ Reserve in advance – always full! ⏳ If you don’t, expect a wait (especially on weekends). 🚕 If you don’t drive, getting a taxi might take time ask the staff for help. 📶 No internet? No problem the staff is kind and happy to help you call one! 😊

💬 Final Thoughts: El Carmen is more than just a meal it’s an experience 🌟 Authentic food, stunning view, local atmosphere if you want to feel the real Spain, far from the touristy buzz, this is the place 🥂🌊🇪🇸

👉 Definitely one of those unforgettable meals that stays with you. Highly...

The food was alright but unfortunately two things completely frustrated me with this place and ruined what could have been a decent family meal. The chap on the drinks shack was unbelievably pretentious and seemed to take issue with me ordering a white coffee insisting I order a coffe with milk!!?? We then had a 2 minute discussion on what was the correct term. It really didn’t matter, I’m not sure if he wanted to prove something. Customer is usually right in my book but we agree to disagree in a really odd altercation.. My wife and kids enjoyed the food and then it was time to go home. We hung around the bay for a bit to see sunset and then decided to order a taxi. Sounds straightforward? No. No signal. The restaurant seemed to forget we had just spent the best part of 200 euros on food and drinks and didn’t want to help order a taxi saying they could only receive calls not make them. Seriously? We then asked a lady at a clothes shop who said she couldn’t help us and the signal was a pain. We then went back to reception at the restaurant and again they didn’t want to help happy to leave us hovering around the area. They gave us two numbers and my wife and I rang and rang for the best part of an hour. Eventually we got through and about two hours later we had our ride only to realize that loads of people were on on the road leading down to the restaurant in the same stupid predicament! The place is best avoided the food was good but nothing...

Absolutely awful experience at El Carmen restaurant. Despite having a reservation, we were shockingly denied entry due to their absurd "no dogs" policy. We had a harmless 20cm Chihuahua with us, which we offered to keep in a bag, but the hostess firmly refused. When questioned about losing our group of 15 customers, the hostess still prioritized their petty rules over customer satisfaction, suggesting we leave our dog in the car - clearly revealing his hate for dogs. Who in their right mind would leave a dog in the car?!

Disgusted by their lack of empathy, we walked just 70m to Restaurant Cala d’Hort, where we were greeted with warmth and understanding. Not only were we seated at the most comfortable table with a stunning view, but they also heartfully welcomed us with the dog, even going as far as to prepare a special salmon dish for her. The service was unparalleled in its friendliness and attentiveness, and the food was just amazing - fresh fish, super good meat, and very very good paella. To top it off, they even gifted us a bottle of liqueur on the house.

In summary, do yourself a favor and avoid El Carmen at all costs. Their adherence to stupid rules goes despite the essence of hospitality, while establishments like Restaurant Cala d’Hort exemplify true warmth and flexibility. Save yourself the disappointment and choose a restaurant that values both its patrons...