norte andaluza

Founded in 1943, Norte Andaluza was the kind of “de siempre” bar that many locals, like my friend Ana, fondly remember from their childhood. Recently refurbished – including a new menu and ultra-modern smartphone app ordering system – Ana told me that the place is better than ever. So of course I had to try it out.

We arrived on a busy Sunday, got a spot in the bar section of the L-shaped space and sat at one of the tall tables. The other section is more of a dining area but the same menu is available at both, as well as out on the terrace. I was keen to try out the app ordering system, which didn’t work at first because they’d forgotten to turn it on at the cash register, but after that it worked fine, though it seemed a bit odd not to be flagging down the barman.

What Nueva Andaluz seems to do best are their fried fish dishes, judging by the fact that just about every person was ordering them, and they all looked fabulous. The pavía turned out to be our favourite dish as well – and great value too. The grilled lomo al whisky was a bit dry, though the sauce was tasty, and the gnocchi with parmesan and truffle oil tasted of neither, just chewy blandness in an equally bland cream sauce. But we liked the ambiance and would definitely go back for more fritos. Wine list was nicely varied and well-priced.

Bread/Service Charge: 0€