Toledo: Where to Eat in Spain’s Gastronomy Capital of 2016

A mere 50-minute drive from Madrid (or 30 minutes by high speed train), the former Imperial capital of Spain until 1561, Toledo is an exquisitely charming city with so much to be discovered.

Stunningly beautiful Toledo in Castilla La Mancha

I recently spent a few days in Toledo, Spain’s gastronomy capital of 2016 and was blown away by the food I got to try there, the numerous fine-dining options available at ludicrously reasonable prices and the robust local wines, but more on those later.

The charming cobblestone streets of Toledo

Spain is hardly a tough sell for those looking for a bit of European sunshine; in fact it is still the number one holiday destination for the Brits. But like many others in this country, I must admit to visiting Barcelona, Madrid, Andalucia and San Sebastian on a number of occasions, but never venturing much further afield in Spain.

And what a big mistake that was, as I discovered on this recent trip to one of Spain’s most gorgeous regions - Castilla La Mancha.

The gorgeous Windmills of Consuegra in Castilla La Mancha, as featured in Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote

Home to Miguel de Cervantes (the Shakespeare of Spain), the wondrous Windmills of Consuegra as featured in Don Quixote, and the most important cathedral in the country in Toledo, Castilla La Mancha is also a melting pot of Christians, Jews and Muslims making it one of the most culturally exciting and diverse places in Spain.

Toledo's Jewish Quarter

I will be writing in more detail about Castilla La Mancha in the weeks to come, but for now I wanted to flag up that Toledo is Spain’s 2016 Capital of Gastronomy, and so there is excellent food to be found there right now. No time to waste I say!

With numerous and frequent airline options from all main airports in the UK, Toledo is one the best weekend get-away destinations for us; being relatively undiscovered also means that Toledo is surprisingly affordable. Take for example, the 8-course tasting dinner we enjoyed at Locum Restaurant in Toledo’s city centre, priced at an incredibly reasonable €40 (£31.50) per person.

We had two exceptional meals in Toledo and Locum’s was one of them. Located in a 17th century house just by the city’s stunning cathedral, Locum restaurant serves Castilla La Mancha’s local produce in dishes of great sophistication and creativity.

I loved Locum’s Galleta Oreo – a ‘cookie’ made from nougat of foie gras with creamy Manchego cheese at its centre. It was luscious, sweet and savoury at the same time and highly creative.

The region of Castilla La Mancha is known for the use of game and offal in its cuisine, and our next dish was a fine example – a delectable cream of potato served with chunks of lobster and lamb sweetbreads (mollejas de cordero). The combination of land and sea in this dish was one of the highlights of our dinner.

Equally lovely was the pan-fried hake served with a heady saffron sauce, plump mussels and olive oil caviar (spherified extra virgin olive oil, cleverly made to resemble fish eggs).

And just when I thought it could not get any better, ‘El Pastel de Mazapán’ arrived. Toledo is world-famous for its artisanal marzipan (nothing like the overly sweet and dry marzipan that we sometimes experience from ready-made, commercial brands) and that is what we had for our dessert course – a hot marzipan cake that oozed out molten marzipan from its centre, served with a delicious cream of cheese and passion fruit, heaven!

I highly recommend Locum Restaurant for anyone visiting Toledo. Their fine-dining 8-course menu at €40 per head is excellent value for money and I for one cannot wait to return.

The other great meal we had in Toledo was at the 1-Michelin starred restaurant El Carmen de Montesión. Opened in 2010, El Carmen de Montesión was awarded its first Michelin star in 2013 under head chef Ivan Cerdeño, whom we had the opportunity to meet.

A 5-course lunch menu here including wines and water will set you back a ‘staggering’ €27.50 (£21.65) per person. If you really want to push the boat out and enjoy their 8-course fine dining menu with wines, water and VAT, expect to pay as much as €43 (£34) a head. El Carmen de Montesión is likely to be the best value Michelin-starred restaurant in Europe.

Of the 8 delectable courses we had at El Carmen de Montesión, one of the highlights was their take on the traditional Castilian ‘Atascaburras’ – a hearty winter dish of salted cod, potatoes, garlic, olive oil and nuts but re-interpreted here with a sweet garlic meringue, purple potato tuille, and baccala foam. This was a super light and flavoursome dish.

The bonbon of partridge was also excellent – served with a truffle biscuit base and refreshing green apple purée.

Another highpoint was the ‘Pluma Iberico de Bellota a la Brasa’ – Iberico de Bellota pigs are fed on acorns, giving the meat a beautifully sweet nuttiness. The pluma cut is found at the bottom end of the loin - it is heavily marbled and is the pork equivalent to wagyu beef. The meat is very succulent and delicate and unusually for pork should be eaten medium rare. The pluma we had at El Carmen de Montesión was no exception – so very sweet and juicy and perfectly cooked, served with pieces of blackened yucca and potato gnocchi that resembled nuggets of coal.

For dessert, the ‘Recuerdos de Toledo’ (Memories of Toledo) was a refreshing course of goat’s cheese ice cream topped with saffron foam.

El Carmen de Montesión is the sister restaurant of the highly regarded El Bohio Restaurant, opened in 1934 in the town of Illescas and now headed by the 3rd generation of the Rodriguez family, brothers Pepe and Diego. The kitchen at El Bohio is led by Pepe Rodriguez who was mentored by the 3-Michelin starred chef Martin Berasategui. I had one of the best meals of my life at Martin Berasategui’s in San Sebastian (reviewed here). 

We didn’t have the opportunity to visit El Bohio on this trip, but considering that the town of Illescas is on the road between Madrid and Toledo plus all the above credentials, El Bohio is likely to be a very good lunch or dinner stop en route to Toledo.

For an after-dinner (or even pre-dinner) drink, I recommend Bar Jacaranda in the Old Town. We had a few bottles here on our last night in Toledo until the small hours, it is open from 7pm to 3am. Founded in 1978, I believe the bar has never been modernized since it opened – it is charming, bohemian and full of character but most importantly it serves some great local wines, and Castilian fondue at reasonable prices.

There are few places in Europe that have excited me as much as Toledo in recent years – it is easy to get to and a stunning spot, the food is top notch and it’s fantastically good value. A perfect gourmet weekend for me would be lunch/dinner at El Bohio on a Friday on the drive from Madrid, followed by tasting menus at both Locum and El Carmen de Montesión restaurants in Toledo on Saturday and Sunday.

In the coming few weeks, I will be sharing with you in more detail my #InLaMancha adventures, as well as my top recommendations for restaurants and wineries in the region. If you are travelling to the area imminently, check the Twitter and Instagram hashtag #InLaMancha for more information.

My fellow bloggers will be posting their thoughts too, so do check in on Sarah Lee of Live Share Tavel, Niamh of Eat Like a Girl, Michael Turtle of Time Travel Turtle, Abigail King of Inside Travel Lab and Keith Jenkins of Velvet Escape for further insights.

The #InLaMancha campaign was created and sponsored by Turismo Castilla La Mancha in partnership with iambassador. The London Foodie maintains full editorial control over all content published on this site as always.

Travel Essentials

Locum Restaurante
Calle Locum, 6
45001 TOLEDO
T: 925 22 32 35
locum@locum.es
www.locum.es

El Carmen de Montesión
Construction Montesión 
Street Montesión 
Toledo
45004
contacto@elcarmendemontesion.com
Tel. (+34) 925 22 36 74
http://elcarmendemontesion.com

El Bohio
Av Castilla-La Mancha, 81 -. Illescas
- Toledo - Spain
Email: diegorrey@yahoo.es
Phone: +34 925 51 11 26
http://elbohio.net

Bar Jacaranda
Callejon dos Codos, 1
Toledo, 45003
T: 925 21 22 31

Discovering the UK’s Best B&B - A Cornish Staycation at Chapel House, Penzance

Three hundred miles southwest of London, and a 5-hour drive away, the town of Penzance is the western-most city in England, and an excellent spot from which to explore this part of Britain.

A historic port, once affluent and known for tin-mining and industrial-scale fishing, these days Penzance is mostly visited for its excellent fish and seafood restaurants, for the surrounding fine sandy beaches and for the spectacular cliff top walks scattered throughout the county of Cornwall.

Penzance is a charming, although not chocolate-box pretty town, with a buzzing high street, plenty of shops and some fine Georgian architecture.

Just ten miles from Land’s End, Penzance is surrounded by an area of Celtic culture and outstanding natural beauty.

Majestic cliffs, rocky coves and crystal clear seas vie with the heather and gorse of the moors and early Christian and Bronze Age sites to form a landscape that supports a proud Cornish culture, and has long been a source of inspiration for artists and writers.

Where to Stay in Penzance

The historic, gorgeous Chapel House was named the UK’s best B&B in the Sunday Times ‘Ultimate 100 British Hotels 2015’, and this is where we headed in Penzance.

This fine town house was built in 1790, and during its long existence it was at one time a shelter for WWII evacuees, as well as being for many years the home of the Penzance Arts Club. It was purchased and painstakingly restored over 2 years by former City of London Finance Director Susan Stuart, who moved here from Stockwell in 2013.

Chapel House opened as a boutique, 6 bedroomed hotel in 2015, combining carefully preserved original features with some striking contemporary design.

The building is flooded with natural light, the décor features soft greys, greens and blues, modern art works, and the elegant double drawing room has views over the harbour. The chosen furnishings create a light, clean and uncluttered look.

There is a large and beautifully kitted out open-plan kitchen and breakfast/dining area in the basement, leading onto a gorgeously landscaped garden.

All the rooms have en-suite bathrooms, and ours was on the top floor. This is a light-bathed contemporary part of the hotel, with its own open plan landing with a sofa, books and games under a glass roof, with panoramic views over Penzance and out to sea.

The room had a Georgian arched window with a spectacular view of the harbour. Our room was light, with a comfortable, bespoke king-size bed made by a local joiner, smart TV, fast Wi-Fi, and an iPad loaded with information on places to go and things to see, including hidden gems like local secluded beaches or advice on where best to catch the sunset.

Breakfast is served from dawn, with freshly baked breads and pastries, a selection of cooked dishes to order, smoothies made on the premises daily, and good coffee or tea.

The English breakfast, cooked by Susan Stuart herself, was one of the best I have had in years, with excellent quality, locally supplied bacon and aromatic black pudding. Equally delicious were Susan’s bacon sarnies, I had these twice during my 2-night stay! Outside of normal meal times, guests are welcome to help themselves to complimentary cake, tea and coffee in the kitchen.

Susan goes to some trouble to make Chapel House feel like the home we all would love to have (rather than just a hotel). She runs the entire operation with the help of just one employee – Susan is the owner, the marketer, she is the chef (she makes her own jams, cakes and biscuits), cooking and serving both breakfast and dinner to all her guests.

A massive foodie, Susan is an excellent cook as well as being super knowledgeable about all the best places to eat in and around Penzance, her recommendations were spot on for all restaurants we visited. The produce she uses for her cooking, from the bacon to the black pudding and the seafood all comes from top independent local suppliers in town. It was interesting to see that her incredible eye for detail was not only limited to the beautiful design of Chapel House but also to the quality of its food and supplies as well as the service provided to its guests.

We loved our stay at Chapel House and I cannot think of a better place to stay in Penzance. In fact, Chapel House is a reason in itself for a visit to Penzance and I very highly recommend it.

Where to Eat in Penzance

Chapel House 

Chapel House offers a 3-course dinner (reservation required), at a very reasonable £25 per person for all guests any day of the week. Non-residents are also welcome to book for Fridays and Saturdays. 

We were lucky enough to enjoy one of her dinners on a Friday night with a mixture of guests and locals. We enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine in the drawing room, then made our way downstairs to the shared dining table, for Susan’s home-made meal. 

I had joined Susan that morning for her trip to Stevenson Fishmongers in Newlyn, and the Cornish selection of fish and seafood she purchased looked tip-top.

Situated in Newlyn Harbour, Stevenson Fishmongers is a family run business in operation for over 100 years. I would strongly recommend a visit if you have access to a kitchen during your stay.

Back at Chapel House, we kicked off with a delightful roasted butternut squash, served with ginger tomatoes and lime yoghurt. With fresh and vibrant flavours, this was a great start to our meal.

The highlight however was yet to come – Susan’s Cornish Bouillabaise had big chunks of hake, diver-caught scallops, tiger prawns in an aromatic fish broth and a scattering of samphire. This was magnificent, and in my opinion merits a trip to Chapel House in its own right.

And just when I thought it could not get any better, we were served dessert – a heavenly saffron cake bread and butter pudding with clotted cream.

On Sundays, brunch (£12.50 per person) is available from 10am to noon, which includes the usual breakfast items plus specials like kedgeree, devilled kidneys, smoked haddock and buttered samphire.

Apart from the option of dinner at Chapel House, there are many other good places to eat in Penzance. Our visit was only for two days, but we managed to explore a few restaurants. 

Ben’s Cornish Kitchen

Ben's Cornish Kitchen in the nearby town of Marazion is reputedly the most talked about restaurant in the area. This is a small restaurant, and reservations are a must – we were fortunate enough to bag the last two available seats for lunch.

Run by Chef Ben Prior, with his mother and brother, Ben's Cornish Kitchen offers a choice of three seasonal starters, mains and desserts. Lunch menus are great value for money -  £13 for one course, £17 for 2 or a very reasonable £20 for 3, which is what we went for. There is a range of wines by the glass, and a good selection of bottles from Berkmann Cellars.

To start, we chose the smoked haddock chowder - well made, richly flavoured, and served with a brunoise of celeriac and a topping of powdered cornflakes and pickled fennel.

The spring vegetable veloute was light, fresh and delicious. Made from spinach, broad bean and pea, it was served with a tangy goat’s curd and truffle oil. The flavours were so fresh and clean, and indeed it was like Spring on a plate.

For our main course, we had pan-fried Parmesan gnocchi with pine nuts. These were excellent, but better still were the accompanying vegetables - beans, peas, greens, sprouting broccoli, white asparagus tips, and little courgette spheres. The vegetables were intensely flavoured and cooked just right, still retaining some lovely bite.

Our other main was a gloriously pan-roast hake served on a bed of Cornish earlies (new potatoes), wilted spinach, and a deliciously tart caper and herb butter. Sublime.

On the sweet side of things, we shared a couple of desserts – the fruit and nut chocolate pave was beautifully glossy served with salted caramel and roasted peanut ice cream.

The second dessert was strange sounding but spectacularly good – the sweet curry plate. Bringing together a number of elements from a classic Indian curry, but sweet enough to be a dessert, this combined sweet popadoms, cardamom ice cream, spiced rice pudding, mango curd, coconut purée, ginger jelly and coriander cress. Finished with some shards of spiced caramel, brown sugar, coconut and mint essence, this was a hugely creative and delicious end to our meal.

Dinner is available at £24 for 2 courses, £29 for 3, or £39 for 5. I thought that the cooking at Ben’s Cornish Kitchen was superb. I would not be at all surprised if they were awarded a Michelin star in the very near future, as cooking of this quality and inventiveness at this price level is rare indeed. Very highly recommended.   

Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar

There are two branches of Mackerel Sky – one in Penzance town centre, the other in Newlyn, and it was to the latter that we headed for lunch.

This cosy spot, made of white painted wood and glass is situated next to a stream, and has 2 tables and 2 window ledges, with seating for 20 people. With an open-plan kitchen and stripped wooden floor, it has a relaxed, casual vibe.

Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar serves fresh fish and seafood from the local Mount’s Bay Area in a menu of small eat (tapas-sized) options. The menu offers a variety of tasting plates, sides of chips, new potatoes or house salad, with a choice of four desserts.

The beer-battered monkfish with tartare sauce (£7.50) had a thin layer of light, crisp batter, and the fish itself was firm-textured and delicious.

The Cornish crab rarebit (£6.95) was also good, served on sourdough, with melted cheese and chunky pieces of fresh local white crab meat.

The salt and pepper squid with aioli (£6.50) though tasty was the weakest link of our meal – tender squid coated in a floury, semolina-like batter. It was served with mayonnaise and not an aioli as described on the menu.

With a portion of well made chips (£3), a glass of La Sablette Muscadet (£7) and a Bloody Mary (£5.50) for me, this was a fine lunch. Recommended.

What to Do In & Around Penzance

There are a number of nearby towns worth a visit - Newlyn, a major fishing port that nowadays has virtually fused with Penzance, and also Mousehole, a tiny fishing village that has retained its original character and charm.

Other attractions that are worthwhile visiting include St Michael's Mount, a medieval castle near Marazion (www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk), a stunning location and just a few metres from Ben’s Cornish Kitchen.

Also within a short drive of Penzance are the white sandy beaches of Prothcurno, the fishing village of Larmona, and just 7 miles away the town of St Ives, with its Tate Gallery (www.tate.org.uk/stives), and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden (www.tate.org.uk/stives/hepworth).

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens are situated just a couple of miles from Ben’s Cornish Kitchen – the place is the brainchild of a local GP, who bought the land to avoid it being developed into flats. 

As well as having a sculpture garden set over several acres, the site also includes a fine café, a bookshop and a garden centre with an excellent range of succulent plants seldom seen in London. We came away with a bumper crop for our own townhouse garden.

Other noteworthy places to visit in Penzance, although we did not make it to them on this occasion, are the Penlee House Museum and the recently reopened art deco Jubilee lido swimming pool, located on the only promenade in Cornwall which looks out over Mount’s Bay. It is open from June to the end of August. 

Travel Essentials 

How to Get There

We drove from London, it was a 5 hour drive door to door. If you are taking the train, the nearest station is Penzance, which is a 10 minute walk away. The train to Penzance from Paddington takes around 5 hours. Newquay Airport is a 1 hour drive away. 

Chapel House
Chapel Street
Penzance
Cornwall
TR18 4AQ
www.chapelhousepz.co.uk

Room rates start from £150, (£170 to £190 in high season) per night, with a single occupancy discount of £30. This includes breakfast, unlimited tea, coffee and cake and an early evening drink. The 3-course dinner is a fixed price of £25 per person. 

Ben's Cornish Kitchen
West End
Marazion
Cornwall
TR17 0EL
www.benscornishkitchen.com

Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar
The Bridge
New Road
Newlyn
TR18 5PZ
www.mackerelskycafe.co.uk

Stevenson Fishmongers
Newlyn Harbour
Cornwall
www.newlynfreshfish.co.uk

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
Near Gulval
Penzance 
Cornwall
TR20 8YL

Discovering Stellenbosch - Fine Wines, Exquisite Food and Plenty of Fat Cakes

Some years ago, to celebrate the big three-oh, I visited Cape Town for a one week holiday. Like many Brits before and since, I based my trip around Cape Town – one of the most beautiful cities in the world without a doubt, and not a bad place to stay.

Cape Town - From the Top of Table Mountain

But although I knew about the great wines of Stellenbosch, my visit there was just a day trip from Cape Town. This was enough time to enjoy a couple of brief wine tastings, but nothing more before we headed back to the bright lights of the city.

Glorious Autumnal Sunshine on Stellenbosch Wine Route - Jordan Vineyards

With hindsight, I can see what a wasted opportunity that was, since Stellenbosch has so much more to offer than great wine, but more on that later.

Morning Visit to Kayamandi Township near Stellenbosch with our Super Glam Guide Thembi

And so I was chuffed for the opportunity to put this right after an invitation to join a bunch of international and local food and travel bloggers for the Stellenblog 2016 campaign, sponsored by the good people of Stellenbosch Wine Routes, Stellenbosch 360 and Destinate.

Cape Town View of Camps Bay

The third year of #Stellenblog, this is a campaign that aims to show the many facets of Stellenbosch life and its surrounding areas to the world.

Wine Tasting and Brunch with a View at Jordan Vineyards

There has never been a better time for Brits to visit South Africa and Stellenbosch – the very favourable exchange rate against the Rand (£1 to 21 Rand) makes Stellenbosch one of the most affordable holiday destinations right now.

Wine & Cupcake Pairings for Pudding at Delheim Vineyards

And unlike London, dining out here at some of the best restaurants in the country does not require a second mortgage – how refreshing!

Stunning Dessert to End a Splendid Meal at Waterkloof Vineyards

Founded in 1679, Stellenbosch is just 30 miles east of Cape Town, or about an hour’s drive, and is the second oldest town in South Africa. Stellenbosch is picture postcard perfect, with some fine Cape Dutch architecture, wide pavements, cafes with tables outside, and is one of the greenest urban spots I have visited. It reminded me of California’s Santa Monica or even Napa Valley, but prettier.

Stellenbosch is also home to one of the country's oldest established universities with over 25,000 students making for a vibrant town – you can feel the youthful energy as you walk through the place, with its many bars, craft beer and gourmet burger joints.

Craft Beer Tasting in Stellenbosch

With 6 out of the 10 best restaurants of South Africa in Stellenbosch and its neighbouring towns, you will be hard pressed to find a better foodie destination in the country, not to mention the hundreds of wineries along Stellenbosch’s wine routes.

Amazing Lunch at Indochine Restaurant at Delaire Graff Estate

As the saying goes, where there is fine wine there is good food, and this is so true of Stellenbosch. I had many memorable meals here.

My 1st Taste of Vetkoek - "Fat Cakes" Deep-fried Dumplings for Breakkie at Kayamandi Township - dangerously addictive!

In the coming few weeks, I will be sharing with you in more detail my Cape Town and #Stellenblog adventures, as well as my top recommendations for restaurants and wineries in the region. My fellow international bloggers will be posting their thoughts too, so do check in on Rob of Stop Having a Boring Life, Marvin Schoenberg of NiedBlog, Kiersten of The Blong Abroad, Twiggy Mollison of Sleepless in Soweto and Meruschka Govender of Mzansi Girl for further insights.

Travel Essentials

I flew with South African Airways from London Heathrow taking a connecting flight from Johannersburg to Cape Town. With two daily overnight flights from Heathrow to Johannesburg, South African Airways offers flights to the largest route network within Southern Africa. To learn more, visit their website on flysaa.com or call 0844 375 9680.

The Stellenblog campaign was created and sponsored by the Stellenbosch Wine Routes, Stellenbosch 360 and Destinate in partnership with iambassador. The London Foodie has however full editorial control over all content published.