Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
IT might seem like a backwater in the middle of nowhere, but Ronda really is the veritable pot at the end of the restaurant rainbow.
A cauldron of quality local ingredients and a chopping board of talents, Ronda and its nearby Serrania is one of the true hotspots for dining in southern Spain.
Take my word, having travelled far and wide to unearth a chestnut or seek out a morsel, interviewing well over 100 chefs in the process, much of it for my book and website Dining Secrets of Andalucia.
While I have waxed lyrical about the culinary revolution in Madrid, raved about rural gems such as Asador Etxebarri and fallen in love with San Sebastian over the last 10 years, few places equal the joy of a tapas tour in Ronda in the heart of winter.
When I first arrived in the mountain town two decades ago, it certainly had its highlights, but it definitely lacked a proper line up of decent eateries.
Today, you can eat well in easily a dozen places, while the level of talent includes many chefs who have worked in many of the world’s best three Michelin star joints.
Top of the pile by some length is two Michelin stars chef Benito Gomez, a Catalan dynamo whose restaurant Bardal has taken the town to new heights.
Having trained under Spain’s most famous chef Ferran Adria (El Bulli), he moved to Ronda via a stint at Adria’s sister restaurant Hacienda Benazuza, near Sevilla.
I first tested his food there some 15 years ago, an amazing 25-course masterclass which was easily one of the best meals of my life.
Bardal comes close, thanks to Benito’s love of the Serrania’s local ingredients and his original way of using them.
If his long (and for some pricey) tasting menu doesn’t suit you his nearby diffusion restaurant, Tragata (also now open in Malaga) gives you a nice taster of his skills.
Closeby are, no less, than four other joints where the chefs have worked at the very top Michelin star restaurants in Spain.
Take Taberna Almacen where Javier Pimentel is continually changing and upgrading his menu, supported by a big team of youngsters.
Having trained at San Sebastian’s three star cathedral of cuisine Akelarre and later with Malaga’s top chef, Dani Carnero, he’s more than earned his culinary stripes.
“Ronda has seen a big general improvement in quality and creativity over the last few years,” he explains. “With new places opening it has created a really healthy rivalry.”
I always end up eating very well here and there are always lots of specials of the day, while dishes incredibly start at just a few euros.
I am a big fan of his stews and soups, while his smoky baba ganoush, with fried sweet potato chips, dried carrots and bananas, is a veggie delight.
Like Benito he is always hunting down the best local ingredients, in particular the bread from artisan baker, Panaderia Maximo, in nearby Benaojan. His ‘Mollete de Benaojan’ is one result, a lip-smacking mini-bocadillo of blue cheese and local Iberian ham.
Just around the corner you’ll find the highly-rated Quinto Tramo, which has become the nerve centre for foodies over recent months.
The very essence of Ronda, head chef Jose Luis Pacual’s parents ran a hat shop here nearly a century ago and he and his brother Paco still operate its historic space.
You can really feel the history of Ronda here thanks to the bullfighting memorabilia and fantastic black and white photos.
With nearby Bar Maestro where Hemingway and Orson Wells used to wax lyrical about the toros sadly shutting a year or so ago, this is your next best place.
It has real ambience and luckily its food is to match, with a top pick the fried prawn taco with onion guacamole and kimchi mayonnaise and a tuna tempura taco with a twist of lime which you roll up to eat is a genuine explosion in the mouth.
Everything is beautifully presented on branded grease paper and Jose Luis is a perfectionist having done his time at Dani Garcia’s three Michelin star restaurant in Marbella, and before that, Tragabuches in Ronda.
Another, absolute must visit is the charming dining den of Tropicana, where Jose junior and senior run an incredibly slick operation.
Often voted among Spain’s best on Tripadvisor, Jose junior learnt his trade under famous three Michelin star genius Martin Berasategui in the Basque Region.
Having embraced the new world, the prodigal son fully understands the need to have plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes on the menu, plus a decent number of specials.
I loved his partridge salad which, while badly sold as coming with just red peppers, came with croutons, carrots, lettuce, raisins, walnuts and at least a dozen mixed leaves and spices.
Meanwhile an artichoke heart comes with a few thin slices of pancetta and a fried egg sounded dreadful but it oddly worked…and the presa iberica was as beautifully cooked as I’ve eaten in Ronda and came with a creamy wheat semolina accompaniment.
Yet another three star Berasategui trainee is Martin Abramzon at Kutral, who has also made Spain’s Top Ten best restaurants, according to Tripadvisor.
An incredibly hip spot at the back of Ronda’s industrial estate, you’ll definitely need to book on the weekend and likely in the week.
One of the best travelled foodies in Spain, Martin can talk about dining till the cows come home, which is appropriate given the Argentinian runs easily the best parilla-style temple of meat in Malaga province.
In Ronda for well over a decade having arrived to run the former Michelin-star joint Tragabuches, he can also knock out some impressive vegetable dishes, plus, naturally he best empanadas around.
He has also cooked for many celebrities, including Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Ronda not me deserves an award for its incredible range of places to eat,” he insists. “Gastronomically we are offering more and more new places to eat with lots of variety.”
One of those places is Barrafina, in an incredibly charming spot just inside the old city wall, down by the Arabic Almocabar gate.
Run by Spain’s former ham-cutting champion Juan Ramirez Gil, himself the son of the town’s first wine merchant, it focuses heavily on top quality ingredients.
Aside from the best ham in Ronda, the goat’s cheeses from Grazalema are spectacular, while the tuna tartare and beef tataki are superb.
Now with well seasoned chef Kiko Ramirez in the kitchen, it goes from strength to strength with new dishes like a pulled pork brioche with dates and walnuts and a burrata with pesto and amazing local tomatoes on toast.
Also highly-rated on Tripadvisor, best of all is the black Angus pastrami ‘sandwich’, the true king of luxury sandwiches, which comes with beer, pickles and mustard.
Nearby, in the main Barrio San Francisco square is easily one of the friendliest places in southern Spain.
Cerveceria Bandolero is always very much service with a smile from these two cousins, who run backwards and forwards charming guests and plying you with excellent simple and local fare, with a bent towards Carnes a la Brasa.
Right in the heart of town meanwhile you must look out for Mi Manuela, in the charming Plaza Carmen Abela, near to where Cervantes once lived.
This is an excellent new spot run by a friendly young local couple with some good ideas, a fabulous eye and offering great value.
They are always doing specials by the day and the variety of rice dishes is worth checking out.
Best of all, was the amazing freshest mango and avocado salad with prawns, brought out by chef Ruben himself.
If it is wine you are looking for, don’t miss Entre Vinos, which has over 100 wines (yes 100!) from Ronda, with more than a dozen wines by the glass.
There are some excellent tapas and it’s a charming place to while away a few hours, particularly on warm days on the terrace outside.
Just up the hill is Siempre Igual, which is exactly that ‘Always the same’, it’s a bloody excellent place to enjoy tapas and some excellent wine with friends.
Run by a friendly family team, they always have some experimental new dishes, worth a try and in a great location, just up from the bullring.
Right by the bullring is the classical Pedro Romero, almost always full and jam-packed with bullfighting memorabilia, making it worthy of almost-museum status.
Named after the matador who founded modern bullfighting and put Ronda on the map, brothers Carlos and Tomas have been in charge since their 88-year-old father hung up his hat.
He is still often in situ mind, eating at his favourite table, and the dishes have hardly changed, in particular with classics such as carrillada (bulls cheek) or rabo de toro (oxtail) which easily equals the best you can eat in Cordoba, from where the dish heralds.
Marvellous Muelle
If you’ve never eaten in a railway restaurant then you are in for a big surprise. Not only is El Muelle, in Arriate, very much the first class carriage, but this is a train to your taste buds.
This all thanks to Dutchman Frank Rottgering, whose legendary joint sees regulars drive all the way from the coast and even Sevilla to eat each week.
Highly rated on Tripadvisor and it’s not hard to see why, it being both charming and atmospheric in equal measures.
Chef Isa is as popular with foreigners and tourists, as the locals, who love her generous servings and ability to change by the month and always offer specials of the day.
But there is simply no substitute for Frank himself, who is easily the most talented restaurateur in the Serrania, enthusiastic, inquisitive and interesting.
