Delicious UK - (08)August 2020

ARABIANNIGHTS
There’sa Moorishvibeat
LaCasaDelCalifahotel
in the hill town of Vejer

drivingbackdownthatsteep,

twistily narrow road, thank you...)

THEGASTRO-TOURI’DDO

InSanlúcardeBarrameda,oneof

thethreesherrytowns,we’dtake

a €14tourofthemusty,mysterious

bodegas(cellars)ofthevastLa

Gitana(lagitana.es),andhopewe

gottheengagingVictorVidalagain

• heguidedusexpertlythrough
  fivetastingsincludingsomerare,
  long-agedsherriesoutofthebarrel.
  If timewasshort,though,we’d
  booka visitatthetinyLaCigarrera
  (bodegaslecigarrera.com),where
  yougraba quicktaste,havea look
  atthebijoubodega,buya bottle
  and go whistling on your way.

THESQUAREI WANTTOEATTAPASIN

Aswellasbeinga sherrytown,

Sanlúcarhandilyhappenstobeone

ofthegreatestplacesinSpaintoeat

tapas,too.I’dhopeourluckwasin

andthatwe’dmanagetograban

outsidetableattheperma-busy

CasaBalbinoinPlazadeCabildo,

a ‘templetotortillitas’.Thesecrispy

shrimp fritters (see recipe, opposite)

gowellwitha chilledglassof

manzanilla,thetown’ssignature,

fino-likedrysherry,butI reckon

we’dhavethemwithBarbadillo,

a simplewhitewinemadebythe

town’sbiggestsherryproducer.

I canalmosttasteit now...

If CasaBalbinowasbursting,

we’dmoseyacrosstoBarbiana

(barbianasanlucar.com),wherethe

papasaliñas(dinkylocalpotatoes

witha simpledressing)toppedwith

mackerelaremuchmoremmm-

inducingthanmydescriptionmakes

themsound...Afterwardswe’dstroll

uptotheBarrioAltofora cortado

coffeeintheshadedgardensofthe

DucalPalaceofMedinaSidonia

(ruralduquesmedinasidonia.com),

now a tasteful hotel.

THESPECIALPLACEI’DBOOKA TABLE

UntilweateatElCampero

(restauranteelcampero.es)I didn’t

realiseI’donlyscratchedthesurface

oftunaeating.InthisScandi-ishly

coolmodernrestaurantinBarbate,

thehistoriccentreofthecosta’s

tunafishing,yougettogodeep.

The almadraba bluefin tuna is

FUTUR EPL A N N ING

• FLYIberiafliestoJerezfromHeathrow.Orflyto
  Malaga,fromwhereTarifais a 1 hour 40 minute
  drive.Checkskyscanner.netforthebestflightdeals.


• STAYInTarifa,thecharmingPosadalaSacristiais
  closetoeverything.Doublesfrom£68;lasacristia.
  net.CasadelCalifainVejercostsfrom£85a night.
  InSanlúcar,onAirbnbtherearelight,bright,central
  apartments sleeping four from around £60/night.

Barbatel

lVejer

lSanlúcardeBarrameda

A T L A N T I C lSanFernando

OCEA N

COSTA DE LA LUZ

CADIZl

lJERE Z

PORTUGAL

SPAIN

lSEVILLE

lHUELVA

GIBRALTAR

Tarifal

El Puerto de Santa Maríal