Wow, this place was absolutely wonderful! The reviews had me skeptical at first, but we enjoyed every single thing that we ate here. The seafood was scrumptious as was the dessert.
Came here with a group for lunch before taking a dip in the beach and we had a fabulous time! The restaurant is just steps away from Playa Llafranc, so you can imagine how gorgeous the beach views are. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenic views. Service was excellent from beginning to end. We ordered a variety of items; some were split and others were single person entrees. We ordered the following:
*Green salad: This salad as so friggin' good! I mean, it's just a green salad but the flavors were amazing. Not your typical green salad as it had jicama, corn, olives, and red bell pepper in it. It was almost like a tropical salad without the fruit. Very fresh and I loooved the dressing! It was delish.
*Mussels: SCRUMPTIOUS!!! Couldn't get enough of these babies! Felt like they had literally just got them out of the sea. They tasted that damn fresh!!! Mmm, mm, mmm! I can still taste them. These were a hit at the table.
*Deep fried calamari: I didn't try this since I don't like calamari (don't judge me), but my group devoured them and even ordered another basket. They smelled really good though.
*Seafood paella: So tasty! The rice kind of reminded me more of risotto since it wasn't as crispy as I'm used to, but the seasonings in that thang were marvelous! The shrimp and mussels were the best part! Absolutely delish and a nice hearty portion too. A few others in my party got this dish and loved it.
*Crema de Catalunya: AMAZING!!! So creamy and flavorful. This is what you'd call Creme brûlée in the states, but they make it so much better here! I don't know if it's nutmeg that they add or maybe allspice or cinnamon?! Whatever it is; it gives it SO much more of a robust taste. Creamy but not overly sweet, and it came perfectly torched too. Wished I could have eaten 5 of these. It was delectable.
We also enjoyed a few glasses of wine. I had a very light and crisp rosé which I thoroughly enjoyed. Can't give the exact deets on it, but it was tasty and paired wonderfully with the seafood. But yea, La Vela definitely impressed yours truly. Not sure about the negative reviews, but my group and I had an excellent lunch and I would happily come here again. read more