TOLEDO has been designated Spain’s ‘Gastronomic Capital 2016′ and its numerous restaurants are highlighting locally sourced products and wines.
Alfileritos24 is a contemporary restaurant set in one of Toledo’s narrow, twisting streets (Calle Alfileritos). Its taster menu (€39) has eight dishes, including hare, salted cod, pork, all accompanied by rices, pulses, marinades and sauces and of course Manchego cheese (Toledo is the capital of La Mancha).
My meal there included a bottle of wine from Finca Loranque (a picture of El Greco on the label), a typical full-bodied Spanish red which goes well with the earthy flavours of the meal.
There are other, cheaper options at Alfileritos24, including a menu del dia (daily menu) which features dishes from the taster menu.
Down numerous steps at the foot of the hill on which the walled part of Toledo sits is Hacienda Del Cardenal (Paseo de Recaredo) which, as the name suggest, is the former residence of a cardinal dating from the 18th century.
While the setting is distinctly old-school – wooden beams across the ceiling and tiled floor – the menu combines tradition with a more experimental twist. Raw salmon skimmed into thin slices, tempura asparagus and delicately cooked red tuna cubes, again with accompanying vegetables, cepes and rices – plus more Manchego and another regional wine from Bodegas Volver.
#TOLEDO #JEWISHTOLEDO #JEWISHSEGOVIA #SEGOVIA