La Parrilla de San Lorenzo

Calle Pedro Niño 1 Cuisines: Spanish

About

The word for grill in Spanish is parrilla, and, appropriately, this restaurant serves some of the finest grilled fish and meat dishes in town. As a curiosity note, it honors St. Lawrence, who was burned to death over a grill. The parrilla was a late-16th-century monastery that has played many roles over the centuries before being converted into this successful restaurant. You dine in an elegant setting of yesterday with gilded mirrors, wrought-iron, stained-glass windows depicting biblical themes, and stone arches -- a very medieval atmosphere. You might begin with rape -- in this case an ensalada de rape (monkfish salad) -- with little red pimientos. The chef does an excellent capon salad as well. Duck pâté is another tantalizing appetizer. The house specialty is milk-fed lamb cooked to tender perfection in a wood oven. The bonito tuna is among the best fish offerings; it's marinated in sea salt before being lightly sautéed in virgin olive oil.