Archive | Garrucha RSS feed for this section

Angus and Hereford Steak Restaurant, Garrucha

28 Oct

As a lot of you who have been here know, we are very lucky in the vast selection of restaurants near the Cortijo – within 5 minutes away to 25 minutes – that is usually our limit particularly if we are going for dinner.   One in the middle, 15 minutes, is the Angus and Hereford Steak Restaurant – it is just fantastic if you are a carnivore.  It is on the main road into Garrucha, known for its fish restaurants.  It has no view and one purely goes there for the food and the service, both of which are always great.

Obviously it is known for its fantastic steaks (clue in the name!) but you can have an array of different main courses, including a fantastic rack of lamb or a huge mixed kebab on a skewer to name a couple.  They also have a decent selection of tasty starters, but really, a salad is more than enough as they serve you warm bread with alioli (garlic mayo) and chimichurri sauce (chilli and oil) so unless you generally have a massive appetite I would forego anything else.  All the cuts of beef are divine – I usually have a rib eye steak – but the sirloin and fillet are also excellent. They make lovely big home made chips too, so with a glass or two of Rioja and you are all set.

The staff are always glad to see you (obviously!) and the service is really attentive.  At the end of the meal, you are always asked what drink on the house you would like (not a dodgy liqueur either), whatever you like.  Although not the cheapest place to eat here, they have kept their prices the same for the last couple of years, and certainly you would be hard pushed to get a better steak anywhere. If you haven’t been there yet, I urge you to give it a whirl.

Angus and Hereford Restaurant, Garrucha telephone number: 950 460 588

 

 

Go Karting in Garrucha

13 Jul

It occurred to me that I haven’t written much recently on things to do with the children that both adults and kids can enjoy.  During the summer, it has to be said, all they really want is pool, beach, water park and they are happy as anything.  Occasionally, though, it is fun to do something as a family before dinner, when it has cooled down a bit.  The great thing about Go-karting is that if you have a mixed range of ages in your family they can all have a go as they have tandem karts where the tiddlies can go with a parent.

Garrucha is on the way to Mojacar or Turre, both great places for dinner and so this is the perfect time to go.

In the height of the season (July and August) they are open from 11. a.m until 2 p.m.and then again from 5 p.m. until midnight (so you could have dinner and then go afterwards when it really is lovely and cool – and dark, but of course floodlit!). Check out more at the website, here.

If you are not keen to have a go yourself, you can have a drink and watch your party from the terrace.  They also have trampolines and a couple of pool tables for those waiting for people to finish racing.

It is open all year round but closes at 8 p.m. other than summer and Easter.

There are two tracks, one for older children and adults and a smaller track for tandem karts or children aged between 5 and 10 years.

Prices vary according to which kart you have, but under 10’s pay only 6 euros, tandems are 8 euros, disabled (kart with accelerator and brake on the steering wheel) 10 euros and then 10 and 15 euros respectively for  children over 12 years/adults for F-200 and children over 14/adults for the F-300.  All races last 8 minutes, which doesn’t sound a lot, but believe me it is quite long enough for anyone!

Go Karting Garrucha Telephone number is: 950 460 207

Garrucha fish market

14 Apr

As you will know if you read my blog, Garrucha is a lovely fishing port about 15 minutes away from us.  As you would expect there are dozens of fish restaurants around the harbour and along the whole stretch of beach towards Mojacar.

But if you are out earlier in the day, in the late afternoon, it is worth looking in on the fish market where every day after the boats come in at 5 ish, they auction off the day’s catch for restaurants, fishmongers and supermarkets.

There is a proper viewing gallery but we always just stick our heads in and watch from outside. Only the buyers seem to know what on earth is going on but I don’t think you have to worry about scratching your nose here!

There is a bar called the Clam (The Almeja) just in the port where you can sit outside and have a drink and see the boats come in– the restaurant is also very good for later on – no-where really gets going for food until 8.30 or 9 o’clock though.  At this time of year, when the light is beautiful at dusk, it is the perfect place for a sundowner.

 

 

 

Rincon del Puerto Restuarant & bar, Garrucha

13 Nov

This is probably our favourite restaurant in Garrucha.  It is fantastic in the summer particularly at night, as you sit right on the water and have the benefit of the sea breeze.  The menu is great – loads of fresh fish as you would expect, big salads, and a great selection of all kinds of shellfish.  They do an all year round trade here, both because of the food but also the superb location.  Sunday lunch in a crowd here is hard to beat – endless platters of food to share over several hours, sitting in the fresh air and not being ripped off!  You can pretty much come here at any time of day – coffee in the morning, lunch, drinks in the afternoon or before or after dinner, or dine up until midnight if you want to.

Great for tapas

If you come and eat at 8 pm you will probably have the place to yourselves – the Spanish in seaside towns don’t tend to do the after work drinks thing as they do in the cities, and as we do in the UK.  Those who work in offices will be at home until 8 ish and then start to go out – have a walk along the promenade with their families and then eat late – no-one really starts work here until 10 am and children are frequently kept out late (even though they have school at 8.30 am!).  All through the winter you can enjoy sitting outside at lunchtime on many days as it is nearly always warm enough as long as the breeze isn’t too strong.  At night time, there is a bar and very smart restaurant inside in which to have dinner – whatever the time of year you decide to visit,  you will be guaranteed a good time.

 

 

Garrucha market

12 Nov

It’s Friday morning and it is the most beautiful day.  I need to get a few things, including a new harness for Digby, our jack russell cross, who has decided to eat his present one.  As it is so glorious I decide to go down to Garrucha as it is market day and there is a pet shop on the way.  The market at Garrucha is probably my favourite because it is right on the street behind the seafront and I love mooching about, buying my fruit and vegetables and flowers, and then meandering down to one of the cafe’s overlooking the sea.

Spices at Garrucha market

The market here is fantastic, and has all kinds of things in the food line – dried cod (bacalao) and smoked mackerel, stalls with dozens of spices, nuts, dried fruit, pulses, gigantic sacks of snacks which you purchase by the kilo and then wonderful fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables.  I always just buy what looks good and then look up a recipe when I get home.  I bought a whole bag of red and yellow peppers today for a euro which usually means they need to be eaten within a couple of days.  No problem as I will make stuffed peppers with the red ones, and then use the yellow to put in some carrot and coriander soup.  I also bought some beautiful little vine tomatoes which I will roast tonight to go with a lovely rib eye steak and some paprika roasted potatoes.

Fish stall at Garrucha market

Everyone looks like they are enjoying themselves in the warm autumn sunshine, although actually it is more like a perfect English summer’s day to tell the truth.  Those of us who live here have our jeans on though-you can spot visitors a mile off as they are amazed that they can wear shorts and T-shirts in the middle of November – and why shouldn’t they?  We are acclimatized and with the sweltering summer gone, 23 degrees feels cool enough for trousers and long sleeved T-shirts!  Shopping done, off I go down towards the port for a well earned break and a cup of coffee!

 

 

 

Garrucha

15 Oct

Whilst we love the buzz of the summer season here, we kind of always forget how lovely the autumn and spring are here until they arrive! – there is still a lot of warmth in the sun during the day, but the mornings and nights are cooler and more comfortable than high season and of course, everywhere is that bit quieter!

 

Downtown Garrucha

 

Garrucha is a lovely seaside town near us – a lot less busy than Mojacar, the neighbouring resort, and much more local somehow.   The main fish market is here and at sunset you can watch the auctions take place – very confusing but good fun to watch – and, yes, Garrucha is known for its fish restaurants among other things!  The other morning while Mick’s mum was still here, they went off for a bit of precious time together and Mick took Sadie for breakfast in Garrucha.  She loves the sea and also Garrucha, so it was a good choice.

 

The Garrucha Hot Air Club

 

It has a long, long promenade adjacent to the beach and up on the road is just restaurant upon restaurant.   They found a new cafe though on the beach and loved it.  They had coffee and croissant overlooking the sand and sea – what more could you want.  At nighttimes during the season, the restaurants are alive with holidaymakers, both from the UK and the rest of Spain, offering the freshest of fish and seafood at really reasonable prices.  Apart from the Garrucha prawn – visitors beware – they are 100 euros a kilo – I guess a bit like ordering lobster in London!

 

The famous Garrucha prawn

 

There is also a lovely little marina here too and one of our favourite places overlooks it – Rincon del Puerto – the corner of the port – you can have coffee, lunch, drinks all afternoon or dinner here and is the loveliest of spots with great food.  Now Mick are on our own again it is one place that I will be going for someone else to serve me breakfast!