Sotovento Cocktail bar and Restaurant

Started by jg, January 24, 2014, 10:57:02 AM

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jg

Located in the front of the monstrous white apartment block in front of the equally monstrous Cotillo Beach Hotel, this is a welcome addition to the eating and drinking facilities being conveniently situated between the bus terminal and the lagoons.
It is totally Italian and run by Italians so the menu very much reflects this. We ate here last night and it was still as good as it was last year with good sized portions properly prepared and reasonably priced compared with some other places. We will be eating there again this trip.
I can't speak for the quality of the cocktails as we didn't partake, but the nes going out looked good.
JG

MinRich

Sounds good , may have to try there when we go back in a few weeks :)

SoCal

#2
Hope it is better than it was a couple years ago. Just because it is run by Italians does not insure the food is good.

My experience: at best, something I could whip up at home.
At worst: Chef Boyardee. 

So a second try appears to be worth it. JG, is there a particular dish you can recommend?
Biking and beaches - total freedom

TripleH

Went there last year and had the special off the board, which wasnt too bad. The following week we went with friends that we bumped into who hadnt been there before. We ordered some pasta dish and guess what? we were served the special, which wasnt what we ordered! Normally I would have sent it back but being as we were with people I didnt, although our friends did enjoy the dish. Would not go back there now.

jg

We had decent service when we went.
The latest meal was garlic prawns starter followed by the veal escallops in lemon sauce and the only criticism I have is that the portions were a bit on the large side.
I can't comment on any pasts dishes on the island as that tends to be what I cook when we don't dine out, so we avoid it in restaurants.
JG

SoCal

#5
2014 experience. Note - I went in very hungry and food always tastes better when one is hungry. (BBC science posting.) 

Vino rosso della casa is a poor selection on their part. Nearly tasteless. I left most of it.  Gamberi e funghi (prawns and mushrooms) was pretty good. It needed more garlic.  The special, a ravioli of cheese and grappa was pretty much cheese ravioli. At least there were prawns. Not a good sign when the server hands   cayenne pepper. Either she or he thinks you have no taste or suspects the food lacks flavoring. I felt it was more of the latter.  It lacked flavoring compared to what I have taste elsewhere on the island.

Service - fast. Technically, I couldn't complain, but there was something unpleasing about it. Both female servers were far too energetic - essentially inauthentic. My Italian is barely adequate and yet I became quite irritated at listening them - especially the older server. It was like listening to them speak Italian with a Texas accent. Americans would characterize the servers as "red necks" or "trailer trash". 

In the end, they could not figure out how to use their charge machine with an American credit card which requires only a signature and I was required to pay cash. At no other establishment has this happened.   

So not a great experience compared to Azzurro, which served a beef and mushroom dish the other night which was heavenly. But it was a tad less expensive.

Updated to more accurately reflect experience.
Biking and beaches - total freedom

MinRich

Unbelievable that any credit card company still issues signature only credit cards and not chip and pin !

You wouldn't be able to use it in most places in the UK either

SoCal

#7
Quote from: MinRich on April 08, 2014, 09:31:11 AM
Unbelievable that any credit card company still issues signature only credit cards and not chip and pin !

You wouldn't be able to use it in most places in the UK either

Since all places in Spain on this trip with the exception of Sottovento accepted the card without a pin, your statement has no statistical support. As long as the issuing bank requires only a signature, the credit card is accepted- even in the UK. In this case, the people can't work the machine. Nowhere else has there been a problem.

US banks have looked into adding the pin system. As of yet, they have found that the annoyance and cost of including a pin isn't justified in order to combat unauthorized charges.  In short, it simply isn't worth it given how few people try to steal from the system - even with the famed Target fiasco.

Maybe the UK is different.
Biking and beaches - total freedom

SoCal

When I ate here, I noted my wine was nearly tasteless. Interestingly, a reviewer on Trip Advisor commented that they were sure their wine was cut with water.

I really want to like this place. It is local, has a nice view and seemed to have an interesting menu. 
Biking and beaches - total freedom

SoCal

A revisit to this popular El Cotillo establishment.

The atmosphere is spectacular at night if you look west and north and the service is excellent* - efficient, pleasant. But the food is worse than I remember. Two dishes, a pasta with salmon and a mixed fried seafood dish were not only unmemorable for quality, but so overly salty it is not clear if they can be saved.  I have brought most of both home and I think the pasta dish can be saved since the pasta itself is reasonably tasting.  Whatever criticism Casa Rustica has for being overly salty, they are no match for Sottovento. The mixed fried seafood dish included sliced squid which must be completely frozen and the anchovies were dry.  Maybe others can find tasty food here, but for me, this place is now completely off limits. What a waste of money. (And despite all of Spain and Italy being able read my credit card, their machine could not.)

* there is one really annoying aspect to the service. It is fine as long as she doesn't open her mouth.
Biking and beaches - total freedom

mark09


concerned cat

Called for a late afternoon drink whilst out on the bikes. We were quickly given a drinks menu then nothing for 15 minutes. We left. Any thoughts of dining disappeared there & then. We won't be returning.