My sisters and I were in Segovia as a day trip, and wished to make the trip thoroughly worthwhile,…read moreso we did some research and finally decided to go here for lunch in between visiting the cathedral and the castle. The restaurant, which can be entered either through its own door or through the hotel, is an interesting bit of architecture on its own and well worth observing for a few moments before concentrating on the meal. The waiter delivered impeccable service, and while he did not speak English, we made do quite well with my broken Spanish and have no regrets.
The menu was pondered over the usual bread and water [with the expected minor fee, it being Europe].We ultimately decided against the price fixe and simply chose individual dishes with our usual gusto, trading back and forth the following, with a shared bottle of crisp white wine-
Sopa Castellana- A hearty soup of beans and bread in a delicious stock of some sort, thoroughly delightful
Falafel Israeli-Europa- Falafel balls, no more no less, quite tasty
Gazpacho de Cerezas- Cherry gazpacho is precisely what the name suggests and turned out to be a refreshing cold soup still with the characteristic but gentle bite of garlic. It was quite tasty and actually turned out to be excellent spooned over the falafel, though I am quite certain the mix was never intended.
Surtido de Filikas Sefardies- Tiny phyllo dough wrapped triangles with various fillings. I would cheerfully have eaten the lot of them by myself, but my sisters would have done me harm.
Pato Confitado-Detapas- Duck confit served over grain with a delightful gravy
Cochinillo Asado- Perhaps a strange choice for a theoretically Sephardic restaurant, but Segovia has its traditions. Not for the squeamish as there are wee ears and feet involved, the suckling pig was an absolute delicacy with crispy skin and ridiculously juicy meat.
Lomo de Bacalao Superior- For whatever reason, I have always been wary of cod, perhaps because salted, it is an imposing, club-like ingredient, and hardly seems up to my usually demanding standards for freshness in fish. This cod is probably the loveliest I've ever had, with sugary caramelized leeks and tomato, a splendid crust and moist, flaky flesh underneath. I'd consider returning to Spain for this alone.
The desserts we chose were the Ponche de Segovia [delicious and draped, I think, in marzipan], Tarta Charlota [less exciting, but lots of whipped cream], and the Sansaticos [more phyllo triangles with delicious filling], joined with pleasant little cups of coffee. Overall, the meal was probably the absolute best of two solid weeks in Spain.
