ALICANTE - ALCOY - VENTA SANT JORDI

VENTA SANT JORDI

After a fantastic bike ride in and around the mountains near Alcoy, Howard Goldsmith of Alicante Sunshine Villas ends with a revisit for Sunday lunch at Venta Sant Jordi, 4 km short of Alcoy.

Venta Sant Jordi (St George) is our favourite; we haven't been there for a while. So, we looked forward to Sunday and were not disappointed.

The location is stunning. For motorbike lovers, it is on a wide corner, where you can watch the bikers take the corner with their bodies almost touching the road. In summer, you will often see many photographers there.

It is in the middle of the National Park Font Roja, and there are numerous walks you can take to get off the calories after your meal. Sant Jordi is a hotel and restaurant that serves a €12 menu del dia during the week and is often packed.

The restaurant has a traditional Spanish feel and lots of stone, and there is a massive terrace at the rear for warmer weather.

There are two menus at the weekend: one at €19 and one at €29. We have tried both and have always preferred the cheaper of the two, which is, we believe, exceptional value.

There are four starters served on the menu,

Pan con tomate with alioli and Russian salad.

Patatas bravas are not too spicy and beautifully crisp.

The star dish is strips of marinaded solomillo.

Two friends ordered more solomillo for the mains, and we also had bacalao (cod) cooked in a cream sauce.

My winter favourite is Gazpacho Manchego, which is not to be confused with the Andalusian cold soup.

This is a traditional, local, hearty rabbit or lamb stew based on special bread that cooks like small pasta sheets.

There is a desert platter of four different types,

all delicious.

After the meal, we moved to the terrace, found a table with some sunshine, and talked for an hour before asking for the bill, which came to just 104€ for the four of us. Once again, none of us drank alcohol, so be prepared to add to that if you enjoy a bottle or two of wine.

Please go and enjoy. The service is always excellent, and we are always warmly welcomed. As much food as possible is locally sourced, and the waiters are knowledgeable. English is spoken.

On a previous visit,

Venta Sant Jordi Alcoy

Yesterday, Ben (my son) and I went out on motorbikes. I have only ridden motorbikes for the last few years, starting with a 50cc scooter. I now have a Suzuki GSR 600, and Ben has a stunning Triumph Speed Triple. Don't worry if you are not into bikes; this is more about experiences and food than bikes. Both bikes are fast, and I mean breathtakingly quick: 0-60 without the need to change gear, more or less.

I like doodling along and taking in the scenery, while Ben loves pushing the bike and getting close to the road when cornering. His bike is built for this, and he rides well and not stupidly. Motorbiking with my son is something I could not have imagined in a million years, but Spain changes you, and the roads and scenery here are magnificent. Some of the scenery we saw yesterday was breathtaking as we climbed to 720m above sea level and up to 1025m near Alcoy.

The ride is primarily characterised by camaraderie with other bikers and food. Yesterday, we ended up at Venta Sant Jordi, 3km outside Alcoy, which had a better-class restaurant than we would typically choose.

There were two Menu Del Dia, one at €17.50 and the other at €29.99. We chose the cheaper one because the only difference we saw was the rib-eye, and we prefer solomillo.

A selection of starters included embutido (smoked ham) and cabra de queso (strong goats cheese),

along with croquetas of bacalao (cod) and jamón y queso (ham and cheese).

and an ensalada Rusa (Russian salad) con pan casero caliente (with hot homemade bread).

We chose the solomillo for the main course. It was cooked to perfection and tasted buttery with a hint of herbs. It was delicious.

Sadly, I didn't get a photo of the desserts before demolishing them, so I thought Ben had taken a picture. A very creamy cheesecake and a homemade coffee flan,

We had stunning food served in a lovely restaurant with excellent service. I imagine a similar meal in London would be £100 for two, and you wouldn't be disappointed.

Update:- We went back exactly one week later with three friends, and the food was as good, if not a touch better. We were warmly welcomed and clearly remembered from the previous week. The kitchen has a smoker, a man in the corner with a packet of Gitanes, and also smokes its own salmon, a speciality dish that we will order one day before our next meal.

The Chuleton at €40 per kilo is sensational.