Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
LIKE so many joys in life, half the fun is the journey in getting there.
A trip to El Mirlo, near Tarifa, is one perfect example.
Aside from the famous road past Gibraltar and then the horn of Spain with Morocco and Ceuta spread out in front of you, you still have one of the country’s most intriguing back roads.
The A-2325 is unlike any other you’ll find in Europe. Just two miles in length it weaves through a former army barracks after carving through a five-metre high sand dune that often encroaches the track.
Impossible not to stop for photos and admire the views, you’ll even forgive the many pot-holes when you arrive at a simple sign and sizable carpark.
While just an hour from the Costa del Sol, El Mirlo is a world apart in ethos.
Aside from the magical location, you feel it in its authenticity, the warmth of its staff and the very homeliness of its menu.
The arrival is dramatic down a long alley full of wine vat table tops and stools painted in Mediterranean blue, while its planting is a riot of plumbago, palms and aromatics.
Based on four terraces and with a chill-out area, ideal for families, below, the decor is simple with crochet umbrellas, terracotta lamps and plenty of hand-painted tiles and menus.
Now 35 years old, the family-run restaurant has constantly evolved and recently set up a collaboration with the Shamoon family, who own the Marbella Club and next door Puente Romano.
While giving it a new lease of life and a helpful injection of cash, it is the knowledge and enthusiasm of the long term staff that really makes it special.
Most of them are family, from Carmen in the kitchen, to Maria Chico, Antonio and Nene in the sala and, as manager Pedro Garcia, explains, ‘they give us the same energy as they have always done’.
The focus is very much on Andalucian cuisine, with seafood – particularly the amazing bluefin tuna from nearby Barbate – top of the pile.
There are lots of Andalucian classics, including ham and squid croquettes, artichoke hearts and pil pil prawns, which are delicious. The ‘pan macho’ corn bread is baked each morning.
Under the watchful eye of Marbella Club’s Executive chef Santiago Guerrero and Carmen – who arrived here 35 years ago from Barcelona – local lad, Samuel, from Jerez, is coming on leaps and bounds.
I particularly liked his delicious ‘tiradito’ of bluefin tuna, which comes in a Japanese ponzu sauce, spiced up with some black truffle.
Next, we had the crispy calamari in an aioli sauce, followed by an original version of a tuna tataki, served in a tomato salmorejo sauce and almonds.
Staying with the local vibe I insisted on going with the local retinto steak that comes from the handsome brown cows that roam the nearby hills.
Served with padron peppers and new potatoes, it was as tender as could be.
As we kicked back to enjoy the strains of late afternoon reggae with the best views in Christendom, I was starting to think about the journey home.
But not before at the insistence of Pedro we tried Carmen’s classic rice pudding, which came with a lemon, orange and lime zest demerara sugar crust on top.
As corny as it may sound, it was a real departure, a true journey to heaven. The sweetest send off home.
Open from March to October 6, you’ll need to get there fast. Visit www.elmirlo.es
Punta Paloma, s/n, 11380 Tarifa, Cádiz
Phone: 951552688
