L’Andana: El Palmar

El Palmar is known as the cradle of paella as well as the birthplace of all i pebre, made from local eels.

In December it certainly earns its reputation as an island, when the many rice fields are full of water and there are fewer clients trying to get a table at their favourite restaurant.

There are many to choose from, and several, like L’Andana are long, old fisherman’s houses with terraces at either end; in this case, on the main square and over-looking one of the canals.

The choice is overwhelming, but as we arrived early, we went for one on the eastern side, with its terrace in the sun and protected from the western winds blowing in from icy, central Spain, or possibly Moscow.

There were two set menus, at 16 and 21 euros, both offering three shared starters and then a choice of rice dishes.

The 21€ menu also offered a drink and bread with freshly grated tomato and all i olli.

The first starter was a goat cheese salad, and there may well have been goat’s cheese in there somewhere, it was hard to tell with so many other ingredients, including boiled egg and potato, carrot, paté and guindillas (a mild green chilli) as well as all the usual salad suspects.

The grilled fish was also very varied and not just the small anchovies which usually predominate.

The battered squid was not my cup of tea, nor my battered squid, too much batter and colouring, but we were inviting one of my sons and so had to take a beating on that one. We could have had esgarraet (roasted cod with peppers and aubergine), but at least we talked them out of the patatas bravas.

For the main course we chose two different rice dishes to share, a shellfish meloso (more like a risotto with ample sauce) and a senyoret, so named because the shrimps are peeled so as not to impose hard labour upon the gentry.

There was also a dessert, with a choice of home made tarts, which my wife assured me were excellent while I sneakily concealed a second bottle of wine.

By half past three the sun was almost gone from our side of the island, and the cold was kicking in, and so we went and recklessly, after two bottles of wine, bought a rather fetching second home, as one does on any given Sunday.

L’Andana can be found on the extremely competitive Plaça Sequiota 7, or round the back on the canal, where mid-morning cyclists descend and order huge steak and chip butties.