In this age of TripAdvisor hits, Instagram likes, Bloomberg rankings, Ofsted grades and, especially for all the total nerds out there (like me), the Office of National Statistic's Indices of Multiple Deprivation, it is difficult these days to avoid the temptation to turn everything into a league table and end up writing about your travels as if they were some sort of join the dots puzzle of hot-spots. A couple of years ago we may have quietly mocked an American couple on the table next to us in a café in Olivera when they scored every country on their 'Yrup trip' out of ten, concluding Fraince was 'the tops' but Airthens 'just didn't cud it', but we are not entirely immune from the malaise ourselves, declaring from time to time some place or other the top spot for this or that:
- Best aire de camping car: Neufchatel-en-Bray
- Top spot in Donostia for cheap pinxos: Brexta Mercat's Bar Askena
- Number one soulful seaside sleepy spot: Kattnäs Camping, Åland, Finland
- The epitome of small archaeological museums: Mycenae
- The ultimate Tuscan Sausage: 'Ancient Butcher's Norcineria' Montopoli', Toscana.
- The finest Camping Municipal in France: Loupian
- The greatest beach bar in the galaxy: The Cabana Beach Restaurant, Burgau, Portugal
All of which is fine until you find somewhere better; so far as of the ultimate beachside bar is concerned, today the Cabana Beach Restaurant was knocked off the top spot by Cala Llevada's Chiringuito Mar Azul, which we hereby crown as the best Chiringuito this 'side of the Big Bang', to misquote Douglas Adams.
Why?
1. Location
Mar Azul sits at the foot of some pine clad cliffs at the back of Cala D'en Carlos, a little shingly cove a few miles east of Tossa de Mar. The location is semi-private in so much is it is part of Camping Cala Llevada, so unless you are staying on the site it takes a little bit of an effort to get there, car parking is limited and the track to the place is very steep. Consequently, in the shoulder season at least, both the beach and the Chiringuito never get over-crowded. That being said, if you want to guarantee a table for lunch at the week-end, it's a small place, so it's best to book ahead.
Because the place is built on a narrow rocky shelf above the beach, from the tables all you can see is the sea, hopefully deep blue and sparkling silver. Viewed through the drooping palm fronds it feels more tropical than Mediterranean. It's lovely.
Mar Azul sits at the foot of some pine clad cliffs at the back of Cala D'en Carlos, a little shingly cove a few miles east of Tossa de Mar. The location is semi-private in so much is it is part of Camping Cala Llevada, so unless you are staying on the site it takes a little bit of an effort to get there, car parking is limited and the track to the place is very steep. Consequently, in the shoulder season at least, both the beach and the Chiringuito never get over-crowded. That being said, if you want to guarantee a table for lunch at the week-end, it's a small place, so it's best to book ahead.
Because the place is built on a narrow rocky shelf above the beach, from the tables all you can see is the sea, hopefully deep blue and sparkling silver. Viewed through the drooping palm fronds it feels more tropical than Mediterranean. It's lovely.
2. Food and drinks
So far as the menu is concerned, the choice is very limited. In our experience the more limited the menu the more likely it is you are are going to be served something cooked to order, made from fresh ingredients and the simple truth is that no matter how skilled the chef, it's great ingredients that are the bedrock of deliciousness. Chiringuito Mar Azul serves freshly caught fish, what is on offer depends on whatever the local fishermen have netted earlier. Between the four of us we ordered a mixed fish grill and one 'big fish' - a grouper - both were perfectly cooked, maybe the mixed grill was the better of the two as it offered a medley of tastes.
The other Mar Azul speciality is fresh salads. They looked spectacular and again the ingredients could not be more freshly sourced.
There are aspects of this basic chiringuito that are extraordinary. On a steep stony slope at the foot of the cliff the owners have a established a small, but highly productive 'huerta'. I had to look-up the Spanish word, it means 'orchard'.
Though the soil is little more than gravelly sand it grows a remarkable range of fruit and vegetables on the small plot. Raised beds have been created, the low walls built using the larger stones from the beach. There are lots of big pots and boxes too, full of herbs and vegetables that require a richer soil. I suppose the place thrives because it is a suntrap, sheltered from the wind by the cliffs but with a southerly aspect. We've seen such miniature Edens elsewhere, in southeast Sicily, particularly around Marsala, but never one on a beach. There is even a small raised bed at the front of the bar next to the wooden stairs leading down to the sand. Squash plants tumble down the low bank their fruits lining the edge of the sand like vegetable conches. Sustainability and zero km. produce lies at the heart of Mar Azul's menu; it is an alluring, delicious proposition.
Like the menu the drinks on offer are not unusual, draft and craft beers, local wines and classic cocktails - but what more would you want?
3. Vibe
The style of the place leans towards beach bum paradise rather than Ibiza cool, featuring rustic style white painted wooden table and chairs; nets, basketry, fishing floats and local ceramics hang from the rafters, sun dried palm fronds fringe the ocean view. The staff too contribute to this laid back vibe, a young, friendly diverse bunch, service is slow paced, but nobody here is in a hurry.
Weekends feature live bands, when we were there a soulful lone guitarist singing his own heartfelt songs. Difficult to tell what he was feeling soulful about as they were in Spanish, but he was definitely unrequited about something. Usually the soundtrack is more upbeat, late afternoon DJ sessions from the place's small deck - as the music drifts across the beach people rise from their sunbathing torpor and samba about a bit. Otherwise the place has latin jazz and bossa nova pulsing quietly in the background. It's quite difficult to feel old here; that's a blessing if you actually you are sixty plus. Anyway, I tracked down a bit of video taken by someone which gives a feel of the place.
A beautiful location, delicious locally sourced food, young friendly staff, a mix of interesting music, a stunning Mediterranean view, Mar Azul exudes optimism and hope, right now that seems in short supply. Taken together you find yourself concluding most people are nice, life can be good, the pursuit of pleasure is a virtue. So we thanked the fishes for their sacrifice before we ate them, then forgave the bar staff for their minor transgression - Sarah judged her Pina Colada a tad too sweet; after all, we are not talking paradise here, merely an imperfect utopia, which is as good a state we humans are ever likely to achieve.
So far as the menu is concerned, the choice is very limited. In our experience the more limited the menu the more likely it is you are are going to be served something cooked to order, made from fresh ingredients and the simple truth is that no matter how skilled the chef, it's great ingredients that are the bedrock of deliciousness. Chiringuito Mar Azul serves freshly caught fish, what is on offer depends on whatever the local fishermen have netted earlier. Between the four of us we ordered a mixed fish grill and one 'big fish' - a grouper - both were perfectly cooked, maybe the mixed grill was the better of the two as it offered a medley of tastes.
The other Mar Azul speciality is fresh salads. They looked spectacular and again the ingredients could not be more freshly sourced.
There are aspects of this basic chiringuito that are extraordinary. On a steep stony slope at the foot of the cliff the owners have a established a small, but highly productive 'huerta'. I had to look-up the Spanish word, it means 'orchard'.
Though the soil is little more than gravelly sand it grows a remarkable range of fruit and vegetables on the small plot. Raised beds have been created, the low walls built using the larger stones from the beach. There are lots of big pots and boxes too, full of herbs and vegetables that require a richer soil. I suppose the place thrives because it is a suntrap, sheltered from the wind by the cliffs but with a southerly aspect. We've seen such miniature Edens elsewhere, in southeast Sicily, particularly around Marsala, but never one on a beach. There is even a small raised bed at the front of the bar next to the wooden stairs leading down to the sand. Squash plants tumble down the low bank their fruits lining the edge of the sand like vegetable conches. Sustainability and zero km. produce lies at the heart of Mar Azul's menu; it is an alluring, delicious proposition.
3. Vibe
The style of the place leans towards beach bum paradise rather than Ibiza cool, featuring rustic style white painted wooden table and chairs; nets, basketry, fishing floats and local ceramics hang from the rafters, sun dried palm fronds fringe the ocean view. The staff too contribute to this laid back vibe, a young, friendly diverse bunch, service is slow paced, but nobody here is in a hurry.
Weekends feature live bands, when we were there a soulful lone guitarist singing his own heartfelt songs. Difficult to tell what he was feeling soulful about as they were in Spanish, but he was definitely unrequited about something. Usually the soundtrack is more upbeat, late afternoon DJ sessions from the place's small deck - as the music drifts across the beach people rise from their sunbathing torpor and samba about a bit. Otherwise the place has latin jazz and bossa nova pulsing quietly in the background. It's quite difficult to feel old here; that's a blessing if you actually you are sixty plus. Anyway, I tracked down a bit of video taken by someone which gives a feel of the place.
A beautiful location, delicious locally sourced food, young friendly staff, a mix of interesting music, a stunning Mediterranean view, Mar Azul exudes optimism and hope, right now that seems in short supply. Taken together you find yourself concluding most people are nice, life can be good, the pursuit of pleasure is a virtue. So we thanked the fishes for their sacrifice before we ate them, then forgave the bar staff for their minor transgression - Sarah judged her Pina Colada a tad too sweet; after all, we are not talking paradise here, merely an imperfect utopia, which is as good a state we humans are ever likely to achieve.
Postscript
Three weeks later, back at home looking over a cold, grey windswept garden as I fiddle about trying to eradicate the blog's worst typos, I reflected on the Jay Rayner's review of The Humble Bee Café at Stepney City Farm that I read in the Guardian yesterday. The great thing about Jay Rayner as a food critic is that he will look beyond the latest culinary wunderkind who has Michelin stars in his eyes and take seriously more modest places that are producing excellent food on a shoestring budget within a particular community.
Perhaps as the world changes then our perception of what makes a great restaurant has to change too. Globalisation has opened us up to experiencing tastes, ingredients and dishes from across the world and led to new, exciting fusion cookery. What Mar Azul and the Humble Bee Cafe show is that using fresh ingredients from right outside your door can produce truly delightful food. Small can be beautiful, or as Jay Raynor put it succinctly, one of life's true delights is - A meal in a very happy place.
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