El Ventorillo del Chato

Carretera de Cádiz a San Fernando Km 2 Cuisines: Spanish

About

El Chato ("pug nose") is the nickname of the original founder of this inn launched in 1780 on the isthmus linking the port city to the mainland. While technically under house arrest, the Spanish king, Fernando VII, came here for food, drink, and sex with the local prostitutes. Now it's an enormously charming restaurant, with a wood-burning stove, flowers, and a collection of 19th-century antiques. Try the arroz del señorito (a paella of shellfish that has been taken from the shells and cleaned before cooking), arroz negro con chocos (squid with rice colored by its own ink), or dorada en berenjena confitada al vino tinto (gilthead sea bream with eggplant cooked with red-wine sauce). There are two floors, including the basement, where flamenco shows are sometimes performed on the original tablao (flamenco dance floor).

Add to Wish List