My favorite restaurant in Playa Blanca - Almacén de la Sal

[Josie]

Playa Blanca has changed enormously since my first visit over 10 years ago when there was no marina, very few hotels and you could still drive along Calle Limones but one thing has remained unchanged for me and my husband, our favorite restaurant is still Almacén de la Sal.

The name of the restaurant means Salt Store and it is located right in the middle of the village sea front by the life guard station facing the beach.  It is housed in one of the few original buildings in Playa Blanca which it shares with the Kings Head and used to be the warehouse where salt was stored for the fishing industry.  The building was restored in 1996 and has a lovely atmosphere due to the high ceiling with an old boat hanging from it and a mezzanine level where diners (including smokers) can look down on the main part of the restaurant below and have a good view of the pianist or other musicians playing live music most evenings.  There is also an outside eating area with great people watching potential.  Almacén de la Sal is open every day except Tuesday.

The Maitre d, José, is very friendly and the waiters are all very professional and smartly dressed.  The speciality is Galician food from the north of Spain but there are also lots of Canarian and international dishes and the fresh fish and shellfish are highly recommended.  The prices are a little higher than some of the other restaurants but still excellent value compared with the UK and the portions are large.

One of my particular favorite dishes is for a starter, avocado salad with anchovies which comes on a bed of crushed tomatoes and also includes prawns.  The contrasting textures and flavours work really well.  Another good starter is fish soup which is served from an individual tureen and includes mussels in their shells.  A friend recommends the gazpacho which the waiter creates from the individual ingredients at your table.  For main courses we often share a Chateaubriand - fillet steak for two sliced in front of you and served with bearnaise sauce,  jacket potatoes filled with garlic flavoured sour cream and veggies.  That is good value at €17 a head.  Grilled sea bass is another of my favorites which is cooked off the bone and comes with Canarian potatoes and mojo and usually has lovely chunks of almost caramelised garlic on top.  If you're a garlic hater I'm sure they would cook it without garlic but it's definitely more Spanish (or Canarian) that way.

If you still have room for dessert the waiters do some great show cooking with crepes suzettes, flambéed bananas or flambéed strawberries (which are lovely).

If you just want a snack there are lots of reasonably priced dishes such as lasagne or other types of pasta. They also offer a light lunch menu.  The wine list is extensive but not over priced.

We have tried almost every new restaurant that has opened in Playa Blanca and there are some very good ones but we still keep coming back to Almacén de la Sal.  If you haven't tried it, you should!

Josie

[✈ Elle ☀]

Fantastic review Josie - thanks for all the info!

Flooey xx

[Celtygirl]

Mmmmmmmmm - sounds good - want some now!!!!!!!

[Josie]

It's not just me - have bought a new Canaries guidebook and it is still one of only 3 recommended restaurants in Playa Blanca.

By the way flambéed strawberries may sound strange but after they are doused in various types of alcohol, sugar etc they taste bl**dy brilliant.  My friend Raquel from the well known developer's office on the sea front thought we'd try them as an experiment and she chose well!

J xx

[Alan]

Which were the other two Josie?

[Josie]

I'll let you know when I find out where I've put it!

We're in the middle of a big spring tidy up of the house!

J x

[Flash]

Hi Josie, we liked that restaurant too, the only shortcoming being the pianist the night we were there - as Eric Morecame would have said - all the right notes just not in the right order!!

[Bernie Bobcat]

Decided to use the advice I got on "canary nightlife" last night and had a trip to Almacen de la Sal. I had the worst French Onion Soup I have ever tasted in my life but the rest of the meal was devine, so still would be inclined to return.

Would recommend the fillet steak kebab. Excellent and very good value, and I have to agree that the flambeed strawberries were tip top!

[Flash]

Josie, you could be the new Jay Rayner, if only you knew your onions 

[Josie]

Who's Jay Rayner?

Sorry - too much effort to Google him.

Glad you like the restaurant Bernadette.  i just love the atmosphere though the food sometimes varies in quality as you have found.

Josie x

[✈ Elle ☀]

Hi Bernadette - great to see you popping in again. Shame about the soup, but very glad the rest was good for you.

Flooey xx

[Josie]

Which were the other two Josie?

Sorry about the delay Bart

The Lonely Planet Guide published Oct 2007 recommends the following restaurants in Playa Blanca:



Restaurante Casa José

El Mano

Almacen de la Sal


J x

[Bernie Bobcat]

Hi again

For anyone readying these posts on Almacen de la Sal, I just wanted to add to what I had posted previously. If you are thinking about going there the fillet steak kebab is the business, and the strawberries flambee were delicious!

Bernadette

[Josie]

Hmm................just decided to have the strawberries again next time!

Glad to hear you had a good hol Bernadette.

Josie x

[lolly]

If you like Amalcen have you tried Restaurante El Golfo? (big blue one on the right at the beginning of El Golfo) It is run by Roberto & Alfredo who were waiters at Amalcen and also Inaki who was Amalcen's chef for over 10 years. Their seafood paella for 2 is excellent - includes half a lobster each together with very large prawns. The actual seafood comes up on a separate plate. No cheap but very good.