Segovia and suckling pig seem to be united concepts by the end of days, almost robbing this dish of its historic heritage. The city of the aqueduct It is always worth a visit, even if it is express, and it is not for nothing that it is filled with people from Madrid and people from nearby towns on holidays to exhaust the reservations of all the restaurants in search of a feast of roast meat.
Suckling pig, cuchifrito, lamb and lamb, beans, ear, torreznos, various chorizos… meat lovers they have a mecca in Segovia to unbuckle their belts, but that complicates the enjoyment when a diner in the group, precisely, prefers to avoid it. Without going into the biggest challenge that vegetarians and vegans have, it doesn’t hurt to remember that not everyone likes such meats, let’s say, meatwhich in addition to being very caloric they are not exactly light for digestion.
The stomach convalescents they also have the right to eat well, although under normal circumstances they would like to sink their teeth into the roast suckling pig, with its crispy skin. And there are those of us who are unable to prove it after having given the bottle to some affectionate piglets. But that is another story.
Fortunately, you can eat very well table and tablecloth in the middle of the Segovian heart, sharing a table as a couple or for a family celebration, without giving up the most traditional Segovian cuisine, since you can also find very good fish in the heart of Castilla y León. In our case, moreover, it was purely by chance.
Fresh fish in the Plaza Mayor of Segovia
A Saturday before Father’s Day and the Madrid long weekend did not seem like the best day to look for a place to eat in a city overflowing with tourists and pilgrims of the roast and the spoon. Not without prior reservation, at least. But improvisations sometimes work out.
Opened in 1975 in the heart of Segovia, in the arcades of the Plaza Mayor, the Jose Restaurant It also works as a bar and tavern, a place that has always been adapted now more to tourists that continues to be very popular to have a few beers with their tapas, have an appetizer or have lunch and dinner as the canons dictate. With terrace, bar and various spaces interiors, the vaulted lower dining room stands out, but do not expect to find a place without reserving well in advance.
Despite everything, the staff is more than tanned and knows how to deal with busy services; They quickly set up a table for us on the terrace next to the heater -that cold day at the end of winter was appreciated- and the attention was more than correct and fast, without overwhelming, all the food.
Grilled sole with ratatouille and boiled potato (€25).
While steaming casseroles of beans and Castilian soup passed around us, giving way to pieces of suckling pig and other meats, we put the discordant note choosing fish. In the selection of the day, sole and wild toad, monkfish, which were preceded by a tortilla stick of potatoes courtesy of the house, accompanying the drink. A more than remarkable tortilla, with its well-integrated spring onion, texture very juicy without being raw, and golden on the outside.
The fish is served with its portion of ratatouille homemade pepper, tasty and very soft, and boiled potato, something that our patient’s stomach was grateful for. Of course, the sole is a portion and you have to clean it yourself, in case it is a nuisance for someone. The point of both, perfect, with a juicy monkfish with firm and tender meat, very tasty, fresh and a generous portion.
Grilled frog or monkfish with boiled potato and ratatouille (€25). Very rich.
In the desserts, we must also applaud the fact that traditional recipes such as fried milk or cheese flan, with restaurant classics such as pastry cream millefeuille, although they have also succumbed to the inevitable cheesecake. The aforementioned homemade fried milk is a tasty feast for lovers of these flavors of yesteryear: plump and sweet, with a generous crunchy batter in cinnamon, nothing oily or cloying. Perfect for sharing.
The prices correspond to the other places in the area; It is the Plaza Mayor of Segovia, there are many tourists and hoteliers they take advantage of it. With a very attentive, professional and friendly service, cloth tablecloth table -hallelujah- and with the detail of ask if you want bread Before sneaking it in to collect it without further ado, José Restaurant is one of those meals that sometimes you improvise and it turns out more than well.
Homemade fried milk, generous portion (€6), delicious.
and after a good coffee and a satisfied stomach but without the hard digestion that the suckling pig would have left us, the imposing cathedral of Segovia awaits for your visit just two minutes from the establishment.
What to ask for. The “chopitos José” are famous in the area, and for an appetizer the potato omelette is great. Anyone looking for a Spanish starter with a spoon cannot miss the La Granja beans, although it is better to start with something lighter if you are going to have suckling pig or lamb. The fish are of good quality and cooked just right. In desserts we recommend the most traditional and homemade, especially the aforementioned fried milk.
Practical data
Where: Plaza Mayor 4, Segovia.
Half price: 30-45 euro.
Bookings: 921 46 09 19 and on its website.
Schedules: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every day.
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