Last Updated on October 28, 2023

Gastronomy in the Heart of  a Medieval City

There are certain restaurants that linger long in the memory. Some due to the cuisine, others because of the service or the setting. The dining room at Parador de Cuenca, in eastern Spain, combines all three. Invited to review lunch at this historic hotel, I lost no time in booking a ticket on the fast train from Madrid. Cuenca is a medieval town on a hilltop in the province of Castilla-La Mancha, an hour’s travel by train from Madrid. It is renowned for its hanging houses – Casas Colgadas – which cling to cliffs that plunge straight down into a gorge far below. One crosses the canyon, known as La Hoz del Huécar, on a swinging bridge – not for those with vertigo perhaps – to access the Parador. From this side of the gorge, there is a magnificent view of the houses that cling to the cliffs and lovely walks into the extraordinary hills with fascinating rock formations.

Paradores are state-run hotels in Spain located in buildings of historic significance, often monasteries, convents, palaces and restored castles. There are 96 of these dotted around the country and their restaurants are known for showcasing the cuisine of the region within which each is located. In Cuenca, we were treated to a round-the-region tour of wine, cheese and meats including some items I had never heard of previously let alone eaten.

The Parador de Cuenca – built in 1523 as the monastery of San Pablo – is an imposing building as befits a monastic environment – it has a Gothic church alongside – and is built from the same honey-coloured stone as the rest of this beautiful, cobble-stoned town. Once inside, the atmosphere is tranquil. The lobby opens onto the cloisters where, around a fountain, guests can have coffee or a drink and a nibble from the bar. For those who prefer to sit indoors, comfortable sofas line the walls of the four sides of the cloisters with views of the courtyard. The restaurant is located off a corner of the cloister in what was once the monk’s refectory. I wondered whether they ever enjoyed the sort of meal that we looked forward to on perusing the menu.

The room was large, with a tiled mural on the far wall depicting feasting and musical themes. The floor retained the traditional rustic, ceramic tiles while a long side wall was painted dove blue and decorated with attractive mirrors and artwork. Overhead hung enormous wooden chandeliers. It was a most impressive space with tables set with white linen. It put me in mind of the dining hall in Oxbridge colleges, the sort of place depicted in the Harry Potter movies.

The menu comprised two sections –  one a regional menu and the other a gastronomic menu with creative twists on dishes more widely available in Spain. Putting ourselves in the most capable hands of a superb server, we were guided towards the regional offerings which we were very keen to sample. Our server not only suggested which dishes we might wish to try but also brought a couple of white wines and later a red for us to sample per glass as we had requested.  A large basket of bread was offered for our inspection and selection of either a rustic white or wholemeal wedge. This was accompanied by a grassy and peppery Spanish olive oil for dipping.

The chefs assembled two tasting boards. The first contained a small bowl of a typical Spanish dish – roasted strips of red pepper, arugula, and tuna belly. What lifted this simple and colourful salad from the ordinary was not only the quality of the few ingredients, but the scattering of red pearls which tasted of redcurrant. They were deliciously refreshing and playful too.

Next was a selection of three Manchego cheeses decorated with dried banana and apricot – La Mancha being the province where this noble cheese – one of the best Spanish cheeses in my view – is made. Each of these – goat and sheep – tasted so distinctly different from the next. My favourite of these was the cheese pressed with edible flowers.

Last was a millefeuille of mashed potato and cod with wakame and tobiko roe. This was delightfully creative. The millefeuille took the form of two black crackers (sesame and charcoal) which I assume was meant to resemble a squid ink cracker which chimed with the theme of the sea in the other ingredients. Nestled between these two crackers was a lozenge of potato puree, beaten with bacalao (the Spanish have turned bacalao into a culinary art form). This smooth puree was topped with bright green strips of wakame which in turn was topped with bright orange tobiko (flying fish) roe. This dish was not only wonderfully constructed, and visually appealing with textural contrast, but it was also interesting to eat as it elevated a Spanish speciality by giving it a playful twist.

The second tasting board contained three warm items. First, there was pavias de bacalao fritas – salted dried cod given the tempura treatment with a dark beer batter. These bites were served with purple garlic alioli for dipping.  Ham croquettes were dainty, and light with a satisfying flavour of jamon. Finally a traditional dish totally new to me and a local delicacy – zarajos chips – a crunchy, meaty crisp made from the casings of suckling lamb. The casings – which I imagine might otherwise be used for enclosing sausages – are boiled, dried and then fried. Here they were served with a fig jam. This was a most intriguing way to enjoy offal and had a very distinct lamb flavour.

Along with the starters I enjoyed a glass of Finca Antigua Viura sobre lias organico, 2022, D.O. La Mancha. This organic wine is aged on the lees and has an intense rich flavour.  My husband tried a glass of Puente de Rus Sauvignon Blanc, D.O.P La Mancha which was fruity and light. We were offered a selection of three of the main courses to try – fish, seafood and meat.

Turbot was served on a romesco sauce – the wonderful Spanish invention of roasted tomatoes and peppers, almonds, garlic and vinegar. The fish was beautifully cooked if slightly oversalted for my taste. The octopus was cooked and grilled with a sweet soy demiglace and served with creamy roast potato. It looked very appealing and was very tender with the demiglace adding a flavour boost and balancing the sweet and salty profile of the dish. Shoulder of suckling lamb, roasted in the traditional way with its own juice is a dish we have enjoyed in other regions of Spain and remains one of my favourites. Here it had been slow-cooked for 12 hours and was as tender as could be. It was beautifully seasoned, and the skin rubbed with herb oil including rosemary and thyme. Unlike back home where one might have a few sprigs of rosemary in the lamb, here the skin was covered in herbs and was utterly delicious. It was served on a bed of sliced potatoes.

With the main course, we enjoyed a glass of Finca Antigua Crianza Syrah 2019, D.O.  La Mancha.

We were clearly not in need of dessert at this stage but we did try a small serving of three items. First, there was a finger of sweet cheesecake topped with roasted sunflower seeds and caramel in a raspberry sauce. Alongside was a glass of Resoli melon jelly with dragon fruit and lime kombucha foam, topped with popping candy.  Resoli is a local liqueur associated with Cuenca. Once again this showed the creativity in the Parador kitchen. Lastly, and my favourite, a scoop of Manchego cheese ice cream served with a chunky honey jelly.

A coffee and mint tea were served with pistachio truffles. Glasses of Resoli as a digestif were offered on a lovely plate of chocolate and dried fruit.  By the time we rose from this sumptuous meal, it was all we could do to stagger to the cloister courtyard and sink into one of the chairs to aid digestion. Fortunately, we had worked up a pre-prandial appetite in the hills above the parador before our arrival.

 

Lunch at Parador de Cuenca was a wonderful mix of history, environment, terroir and gastronomy. It is certainly a destination restaurant and one worth putting on the travel list. Not only can you stay over at the Parador if you wish, but you can eat well and enjoy a memorable town. We spent the day in Cuenca and were reluctant to leave for the late train back to Madrid especially as it was the opening night of the fiesta of San Mateo – an annual, week-long celebration in Cuenca. Anyone who has been fortunate to experience a small-town fiesta will know that the spirit, the noise, the crowds and the fun are not to be missed. Cuenca boasts a host of fascinating sights and a great collection of museums as well as an impressive cathedral and many monasteries and churches.

Parador de Cuenca,
Subida a San Pablo,
 s/n 16001 Cuenca
Spain