La Almunia del Valle

Eating

Extensive buffet breakfasts offer the odd surprise: sliced fresh tomatoes, delicious home-made orange and lemon cake and ensainmadas, something like a croissant. Dip your bread into olive oil or pop some butter on it instead. You’ll also get cereal, home-baked toasted rolls, fresh OJ, yoghurt, lots of fruit, a cafetiere of coffee and a selection of teas. It’s all served on stylish white crockery on crisp white table cloths with proper linen napkins.

Three-course dinners are available, but you need to arrange this in advance. Patricia loves to cook and goes to the market in Granada every day. She cooks simple dishes with lots of flavour - loads of fish, chorizo and crepes, terrines, steamed vegetables, and Piononos, a sweet, local, alcohol-soaked pudding. Some vegetables come from the garden (beans, artichokes and tomatoes), as do castanas (chestnuts) in autumn, figs in summer and oodles of cherries in May and June. Our dinner was light and tasty - bacon and egg terrine followed by grilled Dorada served with potato salad, then caramel cheesecake. Coffee is served in the sitting room. You can head out onto the roof terrace, but some guests prefer to stay put and chat. You can also get a good brandy.

Monachil has a couple of restaurants, where you can get something simple. La Canteena’s not bad for meat, but if you want a slap-up dinner, you’ll have to head into Granada. Try Los Diamantes or Casa Julio for tapas, or Los Santanderinos for fantastic fish. Manuel and Patricia will point you in the right direction.