La Cigrona (Sort of)

Despite its great location, in the Plaza del Negrito, where public drinking water first came to Valencia, I had never gone into this place, thinking it was a soup kitchen.

It may well have been, as it belongs to something called the Hermandades del Trabajo. It still does, but they’ve rented the space to the owner of La Cigrona restaurant.

Were I interested in marketing, I would point out that they don’t go out of their way to entice punters to enter, with a tiny sign outside. Perhaps the severe owners clipped their wings, but at least that means the place won’t become too popular too soon and get spoilt.

Tuesdays to Fridays there’s a 10€ menu which rises to 12 weekends and holidays. It’s a spartan menu with only three options per course, which can go either way depending on the choices and your preferences.

The day I was there, a Thursday, there was a delicious haddock and shrimp mousse with tartar sauce and a few drupelets of caviar (drupelets is actually a real word although it usually refers to the individual blobs (an uglier description) of a blackberry).

Wednesdays are Puchero days for those who like a serious nap after lunch, and Sundays have a special rice dish. The second course also offer a rice dish, but I went for the sirloin, which came with chips, which I never eat at home.

The place is sparsely decorated, perhaps they haven’t got around to putting stuff on the walls yet.

The house win is Las Camelias, a very acceptable Galician red.

The menu includes extra virgin olive oil and what they describe as artisan bread, which was alright.

It could quite possibly the quietest restaurant in Valencia, with no noisy or humming machines or TV, which means you can clearly hear the conversations at any part of the restaurant, even from the second dining room at the rear. Perhaps the ghost of the previous format lingers on.

Linen tablecloths and serviettes add a nice touch and there are shiny, happy bathrooms that positively glow. Full points to the cleaning staff.