345. Thu 15/3/18: Café Salon Bahia, Cádiz

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%
Another quietly innocuous bar away from the throng. The telly piques interest in this place though, as Viktoria Plzeň are beating Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League. They’re 2-0 up, 2-2 on agg… extra-time…

The bar is reasonably quiet, but has eight fruit machines – which gives the place the feel of a Czech Herna bar. It’s not as dingy as that, mind, although the array of tapas on display looks a little forlorn.

Sporting score an away goal on 105 minutes. Booo.

It’s not really our cue to leave, but we do anyway. It’s our last evening in Cádiz and, though we’re a little fatigued anyway, the little bars at the station end of the old town haven’t really been brilliant.

Cádiz, though, is an excellent, laid back little city – which we’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

340. Wed 14/3/18: El Serrallo, Cádiz

Beer: San Miguel 5.0%

We watch the second half of the football (Barcelona 2-0 Chelsea) in this bar, a couple of doors down and nearer the fountain in Plaza Mentidero.

It’s a San Miguel bar, which is nice. Steph, untypically, has been moaning about Cruzcampo minutes earlier… frankly though, there are odd times when even this beer starts going down quite nicely after the first couple. This seems like one of those nights.

Messi scores again.

Clientele, made up of aged old fellas, sat on round tables at the end of the bar where the telly is, murmur muted appreciation. I’m bored of this meaningless megla-millionaire football.

They all disappear as soon as the match ends, but we sit and discuss relative values of Cádiz compared to Seville. It seems decidedly more laid back here, which is nice. I’m not entirely sure we’ll be coming back soon – but it’s a lovely place.

 

323. Mon 12/3/18: Casa Lazo, Cádiz

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

From the market environs we carry on in a north easterly direction, at a tangent to our digs; passing a cinema (where we decide against seeing a film). We end up outside Casa Lazo, which appears to be more porcine restaurant than pub. Looking in, though, there is a bar area – so we venture inside.

It’s a thriving little place: the clientele this afternoon seem almost entirely made up of one or two extended families (the youngest members of which are far too noisy).

The bar seems to be trying very hard with its tapas, but nobody seems too interested. We get some complimentary olives, which does for us.

341. Thu 15/3/18: El Faro, Cádiz

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

Superior fish restaurant in old town Cádiz. We’ve picked up this tip at the party on Tuesday night in the market (no.332), courtesy of the bloke who said Rick Stein really didn’t go to the best places on his long weekend in Cadiz programme. He might be right… we still love Rick (though not as much as Brian) Stein.

The man in the market advised us to go to the bar, not the restaurant. So we do.

The bar is posh but accommodating. The barman looks like he’d prefer to be waiting our table, but is friendly and courteous. Everyone, it seems, wants the tortillitas de camarones (prawn fritters). They arrive, and are fantastic – far better than the ones we’ve had previously. We also have deep fried anchovy and deep fried prawns.

We don’t see the restaurant of course, but the bar is immaculate. Not the kind of place, though, where you’d necessarily want to stick around if you’re not eating – but then the food is so good (and so deep fried) that you don’t want to be not eating.

Delicious. Not cheap. Best move on.

317 Sun 11/3/17 Bar Orozco, Cádiz

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

Cádiz is cold and wet and WINDY. My holiday wardrobe selection is being exposed as far too optimistic…

On arrival in this, apparently the oldest, city in Europe we try and head toward the westerly beach in the old town; but are beaten back by the tempest. We pass a group of prospective Cofradías preparing to lug a dummy paso around town in a Semana Santa rehearsal (and think, though the weather’s bad, at least we don’t have THAT to contend with this year), and eventually end up in this establishment.

It’s a reasonably small and unassuming neighbourhood bar. The proprietors appear to favour Athletico Madrid (although most bars in town also have some Cádiz CF memorabilia). However, the main point of interest about the barman (we’re presuming the owner) was his formidable level of service. On a number of occasions a regular would walk to the bar and – without either saying a word – his order (it was always a he) would be prepared/poured and the transaction completed. The barman knew exactly what the customer required, the customer knew he knew; neither party saw any requirement for small talk.

Very impressive although… “hello” and “thank you”, surely, remain minimal requirements - if only for the sake of courtesy. But, no, that would involve a second of attention denied the Las Palmas v Villarreal football match on the telly.