Food critic
El Carnicero, a culinary experience where the meat takes centre stage
El Carnicero has been open for more than three decades and, until a few months ago, continued to offer cuisine with eclectic roots that was ... somewhat old-fashioned and designed more to satisfy a foreign clientele not particularly keen on culinary changes. The arrival of new owners and two executive chefs could turn the situation around and make this restaurant a meeting place not only for foreign diners, but also for a local clientele more interested in a modernised cuisine that doesn’t compromise its traditional identity. The venue certainly deserves it. There are few establishments in this part of the Costa del Sol that are as attractive, both inside and out, as El Carnicero, and if it also boasts a fine wine cellar, so much the better.
The arrival in the kitchen of two renowned chefs, Pablo Castillo and Fernando Alcalá - who have already demonstrated their creativity and innovative twists at Savor and Kava in Marbella respectively - is set to bring, or so many of us hope, a new lease of life to El Carnicero through traditional cuisine, but with a contemporary twist.
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El Carnicero
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Address: Marqués del Duero, 29. Estepona
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Telephone: 952 886 307
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At present, neither the current menu nor the new one due to be introduced this autumn and winter features many specialities in line with current culinary trends; rather, they display an excess of eclecticism. Among the most sought-after and popular dishes at El Carnicero, one classic stands out above all others: melon with ham; although here we must acknowledge and applaud the modern twist that has been given to this iconic dish from the 1970s. Colour versus flavour - that would be the definition in a nutshell - a situation that isn’t quite captured in another signature dish of the restaurant and of our entire coastline: prawns - though here they are king prawns - ‘al pil pil’. A sauce of oil and garlic, with a very balanced heat, but where the king prawns are slightly overcooked.
Where you really get to enjoy - or rather, where meat lovers really get to enjoy themselves - is in the charcoal-grilled meats section. Here, it is the cooking, together with the fire and the produce, that set the tone. One section features individual dishes, another offers stone-grilled meats (always for a minimum of two diners), premium Argentine meats, and a final section dedicated to ribeye steaks and Chateaubriands for two people.
Dishes that are well prepared in terms of doneness and texture, but which need to be updated
All the meat is of a high standard and is usually served cooked to the exact degree of doneness requested by the customer. This is where personal taste really comes into play, although some sound advice can make lunch or dinner a much more enjoyable experience. However, despite its name, El Carnicero is not just about meat; wine plays a key role and the restaurant’s wine cellar is well worth noting for the quantity and variety of wines it stocks, as well as the generally fair prices - with a few exceptions - found on the wine list.
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