Absolutely love this place. So friendly and always good to meet people. Well done Alan and Gayle for making this my favourite bar on the island canaries earth.
[map]?=28.683541113394895,%20-14.01097930877188=19=El Toston=hybrid[/map]
Always a great welcome, worth getting out from El Caleton for warm welcome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/106851022701754/ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/106851022701754/)
Have a look :)
We always visit El Toston , its excellent :-*
We got Alan & Gayle's usual warm welcome when we went for our usual first nigh tmeal and drinks.
This must be one of the few British owned places that doesn't try to be little britain. Well used by some locals and various nationalities as well as the wristband brigade from Cotillo Beach Hotel.
A good selection of mostly local drinks, well stocked spirits and Gayle's lovely cooking.
Must admit we didn't drink there as many times as usual, but that's simply because we had more early nights, though that made us miss out on some of the social scene.
Excellent views of the old harbour and sunsets above the Mirador restaurant, which didn't look so busy this year.
A must visit place.
We regard it as compulsory to check in with Alan and Gayle as soon as we get there to find out what is occurring.
If they can't answer a question about something to do with the El Cotillo area then there is always somebody else who can.
If you are going to El Cotillo, try El Toston first. You will very quickly find that it is the best bar in The village and possibly on Fuerte!
See you in February Alan & Gayle 8)
Soooo looking forward to seeing Gayle and Alan after three years+
Take care see you soon!
CG
It's such a pity that El Toston is up for sale! :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
CG
It is a pity , but it hasn't sold yet , so still worth going for Gayles lovely grub :)
It has been up for sale for over a year now and will stay that way for another couple of years, probably until the economy picks up enough for Alan to get a sensible price.
Wrong jg. El Toston has been sold and the new owners take over in March. Will miss Alan and Gayle behind the bar immensely, absolutely perfect hosts.
Thats sad news , will spoil our holidays not seeing them :(
Who is the new owner and what do they have planned for El Toston ? We are out in March hopefully it will be similar to what Alan and Gayle have established , it would be foolish to change it ?
Quote from: MinRich on January 26, 2014, 12:30:21 PM
Thats sad news , will spoil our holidays not seeing them :(
Who is the new owner and what do they have planned for El Toston ? We are out in March hopefully it will be similar to what Alan and Gayle have established , it would be foolish to change it ?
I believe they are a lovely couple taking over, Mel and Steve. As you say hopefully not too many changes
Sorry to hear that Are they staying on the island and just moving on or going back to the uk?
They are staying in Cotillo.
Hi all,
This is Mel and Matt Hurst, with Steve to follow! We will be the new owners of El Toston from March 2014! :)
Our aim is to continue running the bar in a similar way to Alan & Gayle, keeping the music flowing whenever possible! We'll keep some tried, tested and popular things and add some new ones too. We hope everyone will come on by and say hi! We look forward to meeting you all!
Quote from: M&MS2014 on January 26, 2014, 20:56:04 PM
Hi all,
This is Mel and Matt Hurst, with Steve to follow! We will be the new owners of El Toston from March 2014! :)
Our aim is to continue running the bar in a similar way to Alan & Gayle, keeping the music flowing whenever possible! We'll keep some tried, tested and popular things and add some new ones too. We hope everyone will come on by and say hi! We look forward to meeting you all!
Looking forward to meeting you in May.
Thank you for correcting my out-of-date information.
Here's hoping Mel, Matt and Steve succeed in keeping it the same - only more so.
Good luck Mel, Matt and Steve in your new venture at El Toston Bar.
It will be sad to see Alan And Gayle leave and we shall be over to say farewell to them in 2 weeks time.
It is a lovely bar and holds memories of good times. I'm sure there will be loads more nights to remember (or not!) depending on the booze volume!
Quote from: M&MS2014 on January 26, 2014, 20:56:04 PM
Hi all,
This is Mel and Matt Hurst, with Steve to follow! We will be the new owners of El Toston from March 2014! :)
Our aim is to continue running the bar in a similar way to Alan & Gayle, keeping the music flowing whenever possible! We'll keep some tried, tested and popular things and add some new ones too. We hope everyone will come on by and say hi! We look forward to meeting you all!
Hi All!
So sorry to see Alan and Gayle leaving El Toston we will miss them very much, but looking forward to meeting you on the 12th March.
Kindest Regards
Champlain Girl
Quote from: M&MS2014 on January 26, 2014, 20:56:04 PM
Hi all,
This is Mel and Matt Hurst, with Steve to follow! We will be the new owners of El Toston from March 2014! :)
Our aim is to continue running the bar in a similar way to Alan & Gayle, keeping the music flowing whenever possible! We'll keep some tried, tested and popular things and add some new ones too. We hope everyone will come on by and say hi! We look forward to meeting you all!
Mel, Matt and Steve!
Wishing you all the very best in your new venture, hopefully we will meet up with you, what day do you actually take over?
Regards
Champlain Girl
Quote from: Champlain Girl on January 31, 2014, 08:27:09 AM
Quote from: M&MS2014 on January 26, 2014, 20:56:04 PM
Hi all,
This is Mel and Matt Hurst, with Steve to follow! We will be the new owners of El Toston from March 2014! :)
Our aim is to continue running the bar in a similar way to Alan & Gayle, keeping the music flowing whenever possible! We'll keep some tried, tested and popular things and add some new ones too. We hope everyone will come on by and say hi! We look forward to meeting you all!
Hi All!
So sorry to see Alan and Gayle leaving El Toston we will miss them very much, but looking forward to meeting you on the 12th March.
Kindest Regards
Champlain Girl
Might see you then , we're in Cotillo 5th - 19th March , can't come soon enough :)
Yes see you there MinRich, we are there for a week! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
CG
Been chatting on email with Gayle and in her own words see you at El Toston on the other side of the bar. They are not leaving the area and are now going to have more time to enjoy themselves.
So look forward to meeting old friends at end of March and also Gayle and Alan at El Toston as well as the new owners.
Nothing stays the same but not to say change is a bad thing. I certainly wish the new owners Mell, Matt and Steve lots of success, they have big boots to fill and wish Gayle and Alan lots of happiness for the future.
Sorry will miss you Rich and also CG.
I see on Facebook that Alan and Gayle are leaving on Friday 28th Febuary, wishing them all the very best for their retirement, sorry we won't be there! enjoy both of you! :) :) :) :) :) :)
CG
Hi all thank you all for your kind words, we have enjoyed our 10 years at the bar and in Cotillo, we have met over the last 10 years so many nice people and we now look forward to having a drink with you all on the right side of the bar without having to jump up and serve, we are looking forward to taking life a little slower, we would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your continued support over such a long period and to wish the new owners a great future in such a lovely place it has served us well, we will still live here but it is now time for us to enjoy what we now consider our home and get to see more of the Island and know as much as you all do. Thanks for your support. xxx
This is shut till 15th march
I feel sure I read somewhere the bar was open :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
CG
Deffo shut until 15 March......the posting you saw was someone who was confused and thought people were asking if the TOSTON was open ( The Tower overlooking the South Beach )
Simples !!!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
CG
Hi all,
Matt here :) Yes El Toston is closed up until tomorrow, Saturday 15th - we're getting in stock etc for opening up the Bar in time for the Six Nations. Our plan is to open the bar only until we settle in more and plan to kick this all off (excuse the pun!) with the matches on the 15th, opening up the bar from 11am through the day. We will have things like sandwiches and chips available to munch on but larger meals we're holding off - mainly due to the bulk of our equipment still on it's way in shipping!
Gayle and Alan are still around, and hopefully will continue to be - they're diamonds and have been great in helping us settle in!
When I know what our plans are for opening time beyond the 15th before we really get ourselves like Gayle and Alan have, I shall post on up for you all to be kept in the loop :)
Hope to see most, if not all, at the Bar at some point in the (near?) future!
Matt
Hope you will be open next Thursday as we arrive then. Tell Gayle and Alan look forward to buying them a drink or two.
Danny
Any updates on Toston?
Triple H
We were there three weeks ago and Mel and Mat were running El Toston. They were doing sandwiches etc, but as we were going they put a menu board up. They are on Facebook, so you can always ask Mat how things are?
CG
:D Had a couple of drinks and a very tasty jug of sangria in this bar so it is most definitely OPEN :D
Toston now advertises Sunday roast beef starting at noon for 8.50 euro.
Quote from: SoCal on April 21, 2014, 18:20:31 PM
Toston now advertises Sunday roast beef starting at noon for 8.50 euro.
SoCal - Hope they cook it as you like it, with freshly prepared vegetables.
Hola All!
Apologies for the lack of updates, I must admit the forum has slipped my mind!
We're back up and running with the opening times as follows:
Tuesday through Friday 12pm (or thereabouts depending on how busy the village is!)-12am (closing 2am on the Friday), Saturday and Sunday 10am - 2am. As previously, we're closed on Mondays and until the trade in the village picks up a little more we're not opening earlier in the mornings Tues-Fri.
We have our menu up and running which is, in most respects, similar to that which Alan and Gayle ran but we've tweaked a few things, dropped others, and added some of our own. The Thursday Lamb, for instance, is not being ran as we wish to put our own mark on things. We do the Roast still, but not EVERY Sunday - we're only doing this on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month. We've also added a bit more of an extensive Cocktails menu for those who are a tad adventurous! ;)
Quote from: westhamrule on April 20, 2014, 21:43:32 PM
:D Had a couple of drinks and a very tasty jug of sangria in this bar so it is most definitely OPEN :D
Glad the Sangria went down ok! Recipe came from a Master! - Alan himself!
The bar has also gone through a bit of a re-paint too - the posters are gone, and new décor is on the walls as the music wasn't our taste - plus we wanted to put our own mark on the bar. Music nights are still to go on though! We had our first music night held on Good Friday, and we'll be having music the 3rd Friday of each month as a definite. Any others will be a bonus depending on who's in the village and wants to strum along!
I -think- that's the majority of updates so far! We're having a new website built which is currently under construction so bear with us (www.eltostonbar.com (http://www.eltostonbar.com)) so we'll have direct control to keep there better updated ourselves, and as ChamplainGirl said below, we are on facebook which is updated as and when too - www.facebook.com/ElTostonBar (http://www.facebook.com/ElTostonBar)
Any questions, do ask away and I'll do my best! Or if you wish, drop me an email on matt@eltostonbar.com
Cheers!
Matt
P.S: Roast is with fresh veg, indeedy! Roast Potatoes too!
Hi again all,
just to keep you all in the loop, the below was just posted to our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ElTostonBar (http://www.facebook.com/ElTostonBar))
QuoteEl Toston Bar 2 mins ago·
2 months already?!?!
We have a slight alteration to the opening/closing times for the week of Monday 12th through Sunday 18th May, as follows:
MONDAY - CLOSED, WEDNESDAY CLOSED
Tuesday and Thursday - 5pm to 12am
Friday - 5pm to 2am
Saturday and Sunday - 10am to 3pm, 5pm to 2am
Thereafter our hours will be 10am -> 3pm, 5pm -> 12am on Tuesdays through Thursdays (inclusive), and 10am -> 3pm, 5pm -> 2am on Fridays through Sundays (inclusive), closing Mondays as normal.
A bit odd not to do Sunday Roasts every Sunday ?
I would think it would confuse many customers as to what sunday in the month it was ?
Just my input but your appeal is to generally English Customers , or is that changing too ?
Quote from: MinRich on May 07, 2014, 09:31:45 AM
A bit odd not to do Sunday Roasts every Sunday ?
I would think it would confuse many customers as to what sunday in the month it was ?
Just my input but your appeal is to generally English Customers , or is that changing too ?
Menu still appealing towards the English, yep - its similar to Alan and Gayle's in content. Luckily, in regards to the Sunday Roast, we do advertise when the Roasts are available so should help people to know when it is - we'll update here for sure, and Facebook and our new website (when launched in the upcoming few weeks) will make it clear... plus people can always get in touch if they wish to know! Easy peasy lemon squeezy :)
Went in on Saturday night for a drink and to decide where/what we would eat. Only us two and another couple in the place around 7.30pm. They were finishing a meal when we arrived. We sat on the patio and when we were served asked for a mojito. We were told they don't do this drink so we ordered a sangria and a small beer.
Once this arrived that was it service wise. We were not offered a menu or asked if we wanted to eat or if the drinks were ok etc, in fact the next time i saw anyone was when i went to the bar to pay for the drinks. Britains got talent was on the TV and the staff were watching this saying they hoped some good acts were on.
We went and had a meal somewhere else as we couldn't compete with BGT. When we left the bar was empty.
Oh, dear! We're very sorry to hear your visit was a disappointment. We do have a quite extensive cocktail menu, 23 in fact, so, as you can understand, some do not make the final list!
Although not a big fan myself of BGT, our customers at the bar at that time asked if we could put it on so we agreed. It was over soon, and they left happy that we could indulge them.
I, myself, did check that you were both enjoying your drinks but I did not take a menu out at that time as you had not been there that long.
I hope you had a pleasant meal at wherever you ended up and apologise again for your disappointment.
Quote from: bevlos on May 20, 2014, 20:11:35 PM
Went in on Saturday night for a drink and to decide where/what we would eat. Only us two and another couple in the place around 7.30pm. They were finishing a meal when we arrived. We sat on the patio and when we were served asked for a mojito. We were told they don't do this drink so we ordered a sangria and a small beer.
Once this arrived that was it service wise. We were not offered a menu or asked if we wanted to eat or if the drinks were ok etc, in fact the next time i saw anyone was when i went to the bar to pay for the drinks. Britains got talent was on the TV and the staff were watching this saying they hoped some good acts were on.
We went and had a meal somewhere else as we couldn't compete with BGT. When we left the bar was empty.
You should have stayed at home , you only seem to moan about the place anyway - 11 years on a forum and 25 posts too !
Thanks for the feedback minrich (legend??) i thought forums were a place to comment freely on your experiences and to ask questions (my mistake) as for moaning about the place get your facts right! I can and will comment how i like when i like simples!
If you care to look i have just commented how good a meal i had in Lajares and the great experiences i have had with pluscar...if it's good i will say so if it's not i will say so.
You may not like my opinion or you may have different tastes/opinions to me but get over it that's life! As to the number of posts since i joined, sorry i did not know you had to write a certain amount per week/month, i tend to look each day at whats going on a contribute if i want to.
The Chinese is a place we use regularly as is El Toston , never have we recieved anything but good quality service and food at both places . Too many people take notice of bad posts on forums rather than good posts and hence a response to your negativity . El Toston has new people running it and the last thing they need is people posting bad things about them . They need support as we all do in our new jobs and if you had wanted a menu , you could have asked for one and that would told them you wanted to eat , they have alot of people visit who do not eat there . They will learn from this experience i am sure but it will have more of a negative effect on their business than positive after your post .
Just criticism is worthless , being constructive at the same time is of great value , thinking before you post is important . If all we received was negative comments about our work we would all get very down and some would give up
@bevlos - feel free to post what ever you desire. Leave it to the reader to decide whether your contribution has value or not. Everyone does not have the same experiences, hence the importance of making the contribution. In the end, the reader can decide what probability he or she will have a positive experience at the establishment. In addition, some features of an establishment might be valued higher by one person than another. For example, El Horno has great meat, but a worthless view, while La Marisma has good wines, an unbeatable location and view, but I haven't found the food worth ordering. Hence I tend to write long-winded (or as Americans would call them, "British prose" ;) ) contributions so that the reader can decide which feature he or she values the most.
M&MS2014 provided an excellent response which makes me inclined to visit the new El Toston - especially if there is some live music such as Jose Blanco's flamenco guitar playing. In general, I have little interest in a British bar or a Chinese restaurant on a Spanish / European island. The only reasons I have visited one is based on the recommendations of the forum members and for entertainment purposes.
Quote from: MinRich on May 22, 2014, 09:22:53 AM
The Chinese is a place we use regularly as is El Toston , never have we recieved anything but good quality service and food at both places . Too many people take notice of bad posts on forums rather than good posts and hence a response to your negativity . El Toston has new people running it and the last thing they need is people posting bad things about them . They need support as we all do in our new jobs and if you had wanted a menu , you could have asked for one and that would told them you wanted to eat , they have alot of people visit who do not eat there . They will learn from this experience i am sure but it will have more of a negative effect on their business than positive after your post .
Just criticism is worthless , being constructive at the same time is of great value , thinking before you post is important . If all we received was negative comments about our work we would all get very down and some would give up
I can't see that Bevlos made any comment or criticism, just stated what happened on their visit, without judgement, which was perfectly fair.
If businesses receive negative comments, they should take it as an opportunity to reappraise themselves and consider whether those comments were justified and, if so, act upon them. Without fair, but negative they may never see what they're doing 'wrong' and never improve their service (and profits)
M&MS2014, the owners, gave a fair reply to the post.
Personally, if a host seemed to me, to be more interested in watching TV with a small group, than 'working the room', I'd be thinking carefully about whether I want to give them any more of my money. Maybe give them another chance.
El Cotillo is startlingly well endowed with eateries, for it's size and position, so competition for custom is fierce.
First time I have heard of "an extensive cocktail list, 23 in fact " and it does not include
a Mojito !!!
Well done Bevios with your comments , you are entitled to your views , they were obviously taken on board by the new owners . Would be interesting to hear your comments after a second visit , who knows ,Mojito's may have made the list .
truth is the new owners have a hard act to follow. They will learn by their mistakes and will probably have to change things around and promote what does well and scrub out what doesn't. Running a bar /restaurant in El Cotillo can't be an easy ride. Look forward to giving them a try when next over.
Quote from: stedge on May 23, 2014, 19:11:47 PM
truth is the new owners have a hard act to follow. They will learn by their mistakes and will probably have to change things around and promote what does well and scrub out what doesn't. Running a bar /restaurant in El Cotillo can't be an easy ride. Look forward to giving them a try when next over.
As we all will - I do draw the line at Flintstones in Corralejo, though.
<<I one wrote a long review... but the website deleted it and any other long winded post one has ever made...>>
Quote from: SoCal on June 06, 2014, 13:53:56 PM
A short review of El Toston – the breakfast experience.
<good stuff snipped>
But I assure you this - you can keep your brown sauce. It must be an acquired taste. ;)
Conversely, feel the same about tomato ketchup but I like brown sauce.
Is El Toston sticking to the rigid closing time of midnight during the week?
As usual El Toston was our first port of call when we got to El Cotillo. By this time, I'd been up for 36hours, so I didn't want to give an opinion straight away.
Yes, redecorated and spruced up, but not really changed. New people are perfectly pleasant and keen.
Well stocked bar, menu a decent, safe range, nothing overly ambitious. We really cannot remember what we ate, but we were perfectly pleased with it. Did call in for a drink another night and they're doing decent trade, so good luck to them, we wish them well.
I hope this does not sound like 'damning with faint praise'. It's a good bar with good food. A good gathering place of an evening.
10 weeks to go until we are at El toston. 8)
Were in El Cotillo for 2 weeks , went to El Toston for an evening meal and they were closed !
Can't remember what day but was between 14-28 March.
Never went there when Alan and Gayle ran it and it was shut .
Quote from: MinRich on March 31, 2015, 10:36:21 AM
Were in El Cotillo for 2 weeks , went to El Toston for an evening meal and they were closed !
Can't remember what day but was between 14-28 March.
Never went there when Alan and Gayle ran it and it was shut .
As I understand it the new opening days are the a=same as when Alan and Gayle were there - at least that's how it seemed to me.
Quote from: jg on March 31, 2015, 21:04:51 PM
Quote from: MinRich on March 31, 2015, 10:36:21 AM
Were in El Cotillo for 2 weeks , went to El Toston for an evening meal and they were closed !
Can't remember what day but was between 14-28 March.
Never went there when Alan and Gayle ran it and it was shut .
As I understand it the new opening days are the a=same as when Alan and Gayle were there - at least that's how it seemed to me.
Yes shut on Mondays , but this wasn't a Monday ! We have been there three times now since Alan left and its been shut every time ! Won't be going back .
This is probably going to be classed as heresy, but here goes.... We've visited El Toston twice on our various hols, admittedly both times were under the previous owners. The first time, the place was empty, brightly lit, little or no atmosphere & Eastenders was playing on the telly by the bar, we had one drink & left. We gave it the benefit of the doubt & tried it again on our next trip, pretty much the same. Not really the kind of place we seek out when abroad, or at home for that matter ::) We'll have a walk past in October & see if 'owts changed. I'm not saying it's a bad place, just not our taste that's all. There are bars with better atmosphere & service to be had, Ferrets for starters.
Quote from: Dave Diggler on September 29, 2015, 14:13:02 PM
This is probably going to be classed as heresy, but here goes.... We've visited El Toston twice on our various hols, admittedly both times were under the previous owners. The first time, the place was empty, brightly lit, little or no atmosphere & Eastenders was playing on the telly by the bar, we had one drink & left. We gave it the benefit of the doubt & tried it again on our next trip, pretty much the same. Not really the kind of place we seek out when abroad, or at home for that matter ::) We'll have a walk past in October & see if 'owts changed. I'm not saying it's a bad place, just not our taste that's all. There are bars with better atmosphere & service to be had, Ferrets for starters.
Are they grilled or fried? ;D
went in for a breakfast a couple of weeks ago. Breakfast ok, nobody else in there and the guy serving who i assume was the owner seemed very withdrawn. No attempt to strike up a conversation other than ordering and paying. In a place like Cotillo you need to be a bit more welcoming and show a bit of character to get repeat business. Most of the other establishments seemed to be doing ok. Tosten was empty on the few occasions we passed by.
Quote from: Deso on September 29, 2015, 18:10:36 PM
Quote from: Dave Diggler on September 29, 2015, 14:13:02 PM
This is probably going to be classed as heresy, but here goes.... We've visited El Toston twice on our various hols, admittedly both times were under the previous owners. The first time, the place was empty, brightly lit, little or no atmosphere & Eastenders was playing on the telly by the bar, we had one drink & left. We gave it the benefit of the doubt & tried it again on our next trip, pretty much the same. Not really the kind of place we seek out when abroad, or at home for that matter ::) We'll have a walk past in October & see if 'owts changed. I'm not saying it's a bad place, just not our taste that's all. There are bars with better atmosphere & service to be had, Ferrets for starters.
Are they grilled or fried? ;D
stuffed & wrapped in bacon, with melted butter dripping off their little noses :P
So, you are posting negative comments based on what someone else has told you (gossip) rather than trying it for yourself.
We have been going to "El Toston" bar since we moved here 10 years ago. Yes it has changed ownership and the new owners have had every obstacle put in their way but, guess what, they are making a success of it.
Cotillo is a difficult place to run a bar. August is total wipeout with people from Gran Canaria (Alan and Gayle used to close for a month). But this year they kept open, apart from the last week of "Fiesta" with live music every Friday as well.
They have changed the menu to be a bit more cosmopolitan, rather than "Brits abroad" and are attracting people of different nationalities.
The last time we were there for a music night, the bar was really buzzing.
There is live music every Friday and, during December and January, open mike folk nights.
The TV is never on when we have been in.
One lesson that we have learned living here is to only believe, at the most 50% of what people tell you.
Try it for yourself. You never know, you may actually enjoy it.
Anyone here at the moment, try the live music tonight.
Chris
Didn't assume anything. Your words:
"Thought we would try El Toston but too many negative verbal reports" So you obviously didn't try it this time.
You say that "you think" that you tried it 3 times since Alan and Gayle left but it was shut. When was this?
They, like every other bar, post their opening times on the outside so, if it was shut the first time it seems pointless going back when they are shut again.
Anyway, they can't please everyone. The majority that go there seem to enjoy it.
Watched many a footie match in there while supping a pint or two over the years. You must stick to live music night if you've never seen the tv on.
Think i saw soap operas going a few times too. But didn't take much notice as i hate them.
As for comments being gossip i thought this was a review site where truthful experiences of particular bars/restaurants were encouraged. If you cant post the negative along with the positive its a waste of time for everyone other than the bar owners. It might just as well be a business advertisement. The problem has always been there on this forum, as what one person regards as a review, another person regards as being slander.
For this site to be of any use at all to anyone other than the ex pats who regularly frequent these places and are friends with the owners, you must be able to post a bad experience along with the good without being jumped on.
For some reason, the posts that I aswered have been deleted.
The point that I made was that he/she was making negative comments based on gossip rather than their own experience.
There are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from. If you don't like one, that is your personal view. They can't please everyone.
By the way, I have been in on many occasions since the new owners took over and no TV. I Know that they have some rugby and possibly football but they advertise in advance so, if you are not interested, you can go elsewhere.
As you say there are lots of bars and restaurants to choose from. Thats the whole reason for having reviews, so it gives people a fighting chance of managing to fit in the ones that might suit them in a week or fortnight. Its why tripadvisor and the like are so popular for information. Unfortunately we don't all live there and most aren't privy to the knowledge you have of local places.
Personally i have no problem with a TV on the go in a bar. If i didn't like what was on i'd ignore it. It doesn't stop conversation .
Gossip is opinions of others , some of us are intelligent enough to separate fact from fiction too and make judgements on what we believe and what we don't . Why do we have review sites like tripadvisor or similar ? I deleted the posts as you fail to see or hear what others are saying.
Any opinion is only any use after you have calibrated the other person's preferences against your own.
To quote GBS in his maxims for revolutionaries: Do not do unto others as you would they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.
If you took that maxim literally you would have to shut down the whole forum as virtually every post is an opinion of some kind. Its best left for who it was intended...revolutionaries.
As said before reviews are for those intelligent enough to decipher anothers opinion and form one of their own.
The first law of fora:- If someone doesn't agree with you, they're obviously wrong ::)
We went back to El Toston around 9-9.30 one evening, during our El Cotillo week (first week of October). One group of about 8 sat on the terrace, nobody sat inside. The barman, who we guess to be the son in the owning family was walking to the bar in front of us. He went behind the bar, wrote a bill, tidied some glasses etc and had a wipe round before acknowledging us. His service was basic, no greeting, just what would you like?, no attempt to engage. Paid at the bar, then we sat outside. One of the sitting group had an acoustic guitar, and they had a bit of a sing-along, quite fun.
For us, when we're on holiday venue, location, view, atmosphere are most important. Maybe we just went on an off-day, but we were less impressed than last year. The view is still good.
This was our experience on only one visit, but it was enough to turn us off. Unfairly, perhaps, but many others make equally quick judgements as well. There are several other bars in town, so in our opinion, they need to raise their game. Whenever we walk past the seahorse, it's always busy, so it must suit a lot of people.
it certainly suits the local bar flies.
Just got back from a week in Cotillo, we poked our noses in at El Toston & carried on walking (well, walked back down the steps ::)) & tried the Coyote Bar next door. El Toston just doesn't look....inviting :-[
When we went, there was one other person sat in the corner of the terrace - Dear old Martin, still wearing his short shorts. He hasn't been out for a couple of years, he's struggling a bit, physically, but it was good to have a chat. Nice to see that he got back to the place he loves.