Restaurant Reviews

So what’s the point of trying to repeat the same wining ‘n’ dining experiences you loved so much under the sensual caress of the Mediterranean sun, here. I’ll give you the best reason there is; ‘El Molinos’.

The national dish of Spain is of course, tapas. The Spanish take their tapas very seriously and in recent years, I’ve become a bit of a ‘tapas snob’. I’ve come to love its variety, freshness, colour, zesty, intense flavours; the way you can ‘graze’ your way through an entire evening; and the almost-forgotten social experience of sharing interesting, challenging new tastes with best friends.

Finding tapas as good as the Spanish serve up is tough and almost invariably ends in disappointment but at El Molinos, those fabulous experiences truly can be recaptured. Here you will find tapas cooked and served with absolute authenticity. This is not tapas ‘a la turistic’. All the glorious dishes you discovered on balmy evening strolls around the plaças of Barcelona or Valencia are here to tease and tempt you again.

Always part of the ‘ritual’ of tapas is the careful selection of dishes, individually chosen to complement one another with the intention of sharing. But on our most recent visit, our group of four took a bit of an easy way out and opted for the ‘banquet’. And what a treat! Our senses were first of all seduced by the enticing smells long before the dishes came into view; served with great theatrical panache by ‘head honcho’, Paul Frazer Three huge, colourful dishes (works of art in themselves) laden with a cornucopia of generously proportioned tapas sizzled and steamed before us and it wasn’t long before those languid Spanish nights sprang fresh in the mind.

Mussels in wine and cream, king prawns pil-pil, king prawns in the lightest of batter, chicken in wine and peppers, chicken brochetas, two types of chorizo, pork, estafado, meat balls, patatas bravas (of course!) Even a curve-ball request for deep-fried chillies was satisfied with aplomb. Accompanied by the very reasonably priced and delicious ‘vino de la casa’, this was not merely a meal, this was an ‘event’.

In talented young chef, Chelsey Ellis, El Molinos has found someone who truly understands the subtleties and skills of matching strong flavours with delicate ones, a skill which sets great tapas apart.

As our night slipped effortlessly by, the place itself quickly wrapped us in the warm glow of those happy holiday times – the only thing missing was the sun. And on leaving, our main thoughts are of a swift return.

The Spanish know a thing or two about enjoying themselves but we can equally enjoy the pleasures of their national obsession with tapas. Make the most of the gem that is El Molino – mucho gusto!

Tom Hedley