D Yew
Google
Every time we check into a hotel in a new town, we always ask the hotel staff where they would go to eat. Simple as it sounds, this question can be interpreted in many ways. Do we mean where locals would prefer to eat or a place with a google-worthy review? Fortunately, the locals were unequivocal on this occasion - La Sitarilla.
Show up early. That's the only instructions we received. We arrived 25 min before opening only to find ourselves queuing behind 5 other parties! Fret not, the interior is much larger than it appears from the outside. Punctuality thankfully is one of their hallmarks and we were promptly and efficiently ushered to our table at the precise opening time.
Word of caution. Begin with ordering your drinks only. This being a traditional Spanish tapas establishment, each drink already comes with the house 'cover' of a moderately sized tapas. Don't be over enthusiastic like we were and order additional dishes with our drinks. A la carte menu items are very generously proportioned and fit for larger groups. Together with the tapas that accompanies each drink, there's a real risk of over ordering !
LS has a fairly extensive menu of traditional tapas. If you're in to 'meat & potatoes' comfort food, try the Sitarilla meatballs. It came with a heaping pile of coarse cut chips slathered in a thick tasty gravy and could possibly feed a medium sized family. However, our absolute favorite was the grilled padron peppers. It had a light exterior char with perfect blistering on the skin of the peppers. It's piquant, slightly bitter smoky taste worked well with a sprinkling of coarse salt. Memorable !
The restaurant completely filled up in a blink of an eye, with a good mix of both locals and foreigners. I'm guessing they're all here for the same deal as I am, a great tapas experience. By that I mean the drinks are cheap, the tapas are generous (and tasty), the ambience lively and the service top notch and friendly!
