There is no denying that there is a lot of good restaurants in Spain. From the pintxo bars of Logroño and San Sebastian, to the tapas bars side by side in Madrid’s historical centre, to Seville’s booming gastronomic tapas scene, the Spanish cuisine and restaurants that I visit as I travel around Spain are always varied. It keeps things interesting.
But no matter where in Spain I am, I get really excited to share my favourite places with people.
Sometimes, a little bit too excited. I will often find myself talking about a meal several days before we even arrive in the respective city, and every now and then I have to slap myself to remind myself to stop as it has happened more than once that I have hyped up a restaurant so much, only to arrive in the city and find out it is closed for holidays.
It’s not often that I find a restaurant that I absolutely insist that everyone I am with must come to. One that I will beg, persuade and plead that they must come along. I even pull out lines such as “if you don’t come, you are going to be really sad tomorrow when everyone is talking about how good it was.” One that they must throw away all their preconceptions of what tapas should be and sit back, relax, and enjoy the presentation of different dishes. And that restaurant is De Locos Tapas in Ronda.
De Locos Tapas is run by a lovely husband and wife couple, who just simply love what they do.
Guillermo is from the Basque Country in the north of Spain. He has spent time working in a Japanese restaurant and visits Morocco every year, so the influences in his are varied and really show through in his food. It’s not uncommon to find wasabi, couscous, and other such trimmings that are not typical Spanish fare. The dishes on the menu come and go, whether it be due to the season or simply because they have decided to experiment and try something new.
There is definitely no place like it in Ronda, a town which I would call somewhat stuffy in terms of cuisine, due to the many different restaurants all serving the same thing.
But it’s not just the food that sets De Locos Tapas apart.
For starters, Guillermo has a total of four (sometimes five or six, at a stretch) tables. There is an outside terrace and an upstairs dining room, but they are never in use at the same time. It’s one or the other (generally a summer/winter arrangement). And when you see the size of the kitchen, you understand why.
The food is prepared behind a small bar on the lower level of the building. Between the compact size of the workspace, and the fact that the man power is simply Guillermo, his wife, and sometimes another helper, there is only so much that can be done.
Given its small size and exceptional TripAdvisor rating, the tables are usually full before De Locos Tapas even officially opens for the evening.
But this aside, there is never any pressure to leave. Guillermo explains to every single table the 20+ dishes on the menu, and never hides his personality from his guests. This is hospitality at its finiest.
I truly love this place – did you get that already? – and although I have mentioned it here and there, I have never given De Locos Tapas the love it deserves on this blog. So with that in mind, here are my top ten tapas from the last two years that I have been visiting De Locos Tapas.
Mini Hamburger
“It’s like a burger, but one two bites and it’s gone.”
Guillermos description of this dish always makes me laugh.
If we were going to talk in popular terms we would call it a slider, but sliders are a concept that are still working their way into Spain’s restaurant culture. So for now, we will keep referring to it as a mini hamburger.
The thing I love is that De Locos has gone all out with the burger, making sure that everything comes pint sized, even the fried egg. Having grown up in Australia, I believe that fried egg DOES have a place on a burger.
The mini burger comes complete with a fried quails egg, fresh tomato and a small beef patty, all seasoned with a truffle sauce. So just like the description, one, two bites and it’s gone.
Pancetta
This is one that I haven’t personally tried myself, but as I write this C and I are travelling on the train from the Southern Highlands to Sydney, so I decided to include him in my brainstorming for this post. Like me, he has also frequented this place on a regular basis and is a trustworthy source for some different suggestions.
The Pancetta is possibly De Locos Tapas most popular dish, and Guillermo takes great pride in telling us he goes through about 15 to 20 kilograms of pork belly every week. The pork belly is slow cooked with a Teriyaki sauce, which throws away tradition and adds to the unique flavour. The result is a “melt in your mouth” piece of meat which causes food envy in those people who didn’t order it. Food envy… The bane of my existence.
Tuna Tataki
This is hands down my favourite dish at this restaurant. I genuinely get a little bit sad when tuna season is finished for the year and the tataki de atun is no more. The thin slices of tuna are ever so lightly seared, served up on a slate platter and garnished with a bit of seaweed. A couple of years ago they used to serve this with wasabi ice cream, but now this dish has grown up a little and is served with plain wasabi. Never fear, the molecular concoctions still find their way into other dishes.
Smoked Sardines
This is one of those dishes that you don’t just order for the flavour, you order to witness the work of art. I love seeing the look on peoples’ faces when this one gets served.
You see, it’s not just sardines. It’s sardines three ways. Almost like three for the price of one! The smoked sardine is served in three smaller pieces and spread around the slate platter with its three different offerings: tomato chutney. cheese, and tomato and basil sorbet. Tip: start with the light sorbet and work your way down to the cheese.
Basque Spider Crab
This is a relatively new addition to the tapas of De Locos Tapas, but is definitely worthy of a place in my top ten list. I used to think that Guillermo was preparing the spider crab in a special way, but on my last visit he made a great revelation about the dish.
“Nothing special.” said Guillermo, “it’s just a typical Basque recipe and we don’t do anything to it at all.”
The great thing is that even if you travel in Basque Country, the spider crab is not a typical thing that you find on every menu around town. This dish is a real treat, and best enjoyed with Guillermo’s personality and charm to go along with it.
Grilled Artichokes
I love artichokes. There is something about this simple vegetable which adds a distinct flavour and texture to any dish, but not only that, is incredibly good for you too. Although I have been known to devour a can of conserved artichokes in one sitting, to an ordinary human, artichokes on their own – conserved, grilled, or otherwise – may seem a little boring. But remember, nothing is De Locos is boring, so throw your previous preconceptions of tapas aside.
The grilled artichokes come served on a small bed of truffle cream (another thing that I am an absolute sucker for – truffles), some shavings of jamón iberico and a fried quails egg. Enjoy each component on its own, or daintily chop up small pieces of each ingredient and create a mouthful that can be enjoyed in one bite.
Barley Risotto
Risotto is something particularly un-Spanish and something that I find restaurants struggle to do well. Having spent majority of my life as a vegetarian, risotto was once upon a time – before the new age understanding of a meat free diet – something that was always the token veggie dish on the menu. I’ve eaten a lot of risottos and it’s fair to say I’m somewhat of a connoisseur.
Of course, the risotto at De Locos Tapas is set apart from the rest from the word “go”. Instead of using the typical risotto base of rice, barley wheat is the grain of the day. This small tapa of barely risotto is cooked with mushrooms (my favourite) but is not topped with any parmesan cheese as one would typically expect. That’s because this is where Guillermo gets creative, and serves the risotto with a small shot glass of home made parmesan ice cream.
I wouldn’t say that the texture of the ice-cream and the texture of the barely wheat necessarily go hand in hand. In fact, it’s fair to say that they don’t. But my new favourite way to eat this is to first eat a spoonful of risotto, and then eat a spoonful of parmesan ice cream. And repeat. Until both dishes are empty.
Goats Cheese and Fig Toast
This is a tapa which is in De Locos Tapas Hall of Fame. It’s sadly no longer on the menu, but I still remember it fondly.
Figs are something I love, but something I can’t seem to do well when I get into the kitchen. I have tried cooking with figs and creating a savoury dish with the sweet touch – failure. I have tried buying fresh figs and carefully carrying them home without damaging their sensitive skin, then chopping them up and eating them with coconut milk as a healthy breakfast – they just didn’t do it for me. So when I eat figs in a restaurant, it’s usually a memorable experience.
The toasts come on a piece of bread “about the size of an iPhone”, to use the explanation of Guillermo, and made for a tasty snack.
The toppings are varied – sardines, salmon, tuna, or pork, but my favourite was definitely the goats cheese and fig. There is something to be said for the creaminess of a good quality goats cheese, combined with the sweet fruity touch of figs, and finished off with something sweet. Who said you can’t enjoy something sweet as your dinner? I certainly didn’t.
Baby Broad Beans
This is another dish that sounds like it wouldn’t be much. After the first explanation of the menu, no one usually selects this dish. But before everyone gets too set in their decisions, I usually pipe in and suggest to give the poor little broad beans a chance.
De Locos Tapas might be a culinary experience with no thought spared for anything ordinary, but sometimes we just need to be reminded that simple is often best. This is, after all, the basis for much of the Spanish cuisine.
The small broad beans have a delicate flavour, and are lightly cooked in garlic and oil then served with the Spanish staple of jámon. Simple and effective. That’s all we really need in life.
Mussel Ceviche
This is the newest dish I have tried at De Locos, when I visited last time I’m pretty sure this was the most recent addition to the menu. So therefore, this is the baby of my top ten list.
Guillermo is all about presentation, and the mussels speak for themselves from the very first glance. Four mussels come served on a bed of crushed ice that is sitting in, wait for it, a plate made from a beer bottle cut in half. I mean, how cool is that?!
But aesthetics aside, the mussels are a fresh new addition to the menu, in every possible way. Here Guillermo uses an ingredient that I have never seen used at De Locos Tapas before. The mussels are dressed with a sauce of coconut milk, then chilli and seasonings to go along with it. So fresh and so good.
Gin and Tonic Sorbet
I realise that I have already done ten tapas, but I couldn’t forget to mention at least one of the desserts, particularly as this one is one of my favourite things in the world.
Just when you think the food couldn’t get even better, then comes the dessert menu. I’m not a huge dessert person (not eating gluten will do that to you) but when there is something light and flour free, my ears perk up.
Guillermo makes his own Gin and Tonic sorbet. I happen to love gin and I happen to love sorbet, so this dessert is my perfect storm. Once the sorbet is brought to the table, Guillermo dresses it up with some lemon zest and mixed ground pepper and the combination of sweet, citrus and pepper is the perfect light finish to a meal.
When you are in Ronda this place is not to be missed.
Maybe you will try some of the dishes you have just read about, maybe you will try something different. Perhaps you will try something that I haven’t even tried before. But no matter what you try, you can be sure that it will be served with freshness, flavour and personality. So sit back, relax and let De Locos Tapas present to you their own unique creations.
Fabiana says
That all looks amazing! I can’t wait until I get to Spain and start trying all of their amazing dishes.
Cyra says
Thanks! Yeah, the food in Spain is great. You must go! 🙂
Jolanta aka Casual Traveler says
I wish you wrote this post and I read it last year, when my family and I visited Ronda! Even though I had not paid much attention to restaurants, except for the one with awesome views, it’s fun reading about Ronda again!
Cyra says
Ahh, you’ll have to go back 😉 It is a great place!
abdul says
Tuna Tataki is it raw dish… i ve never had raw meat in my life would like try that soon..
pierre says
tuna taki is raw fish no meat and you should go to this place. all food is great. but make an reservation they only have a few tables….. It is worth the effort
Cyra says
It is certainly worth the effort. 🙂
Gran Canaria Local says
This place sounds amazing. And pretty vegetarian-friendly too. Thanks for the tip.
Cyra says
It’s quite vegetarian friendly! They are happy to remove jámon from dishes which instantly transforms a few of them. I have taken plenty of vegetarians there with no big worries. There is not a huge selection, but enough. I think last time I was there, there were the artichokes, broad beans, risotto, ajo blanco, and asparagus which could all be vegetarian options. No problem. Enjoy!