Tuesday lunch continued..............

This philosophy suits us well. We would do the same if the same quality and variety of fresh produce was easily available locally in Swindon, without going through countless middlemen and therefore increasing the price beyond what becomes “simple.” That is why such simple treatment works best at the source. Of course we find the best we can locally and try not to spoil it in the cooking.

Arturo’s is an unprepossessing place from the outside – an aluminium door with a small sign on the wall outside leads in to a single room with a small bar to the right and a few fishing and bullfighting pictures adorning the otherwise plain yellow painted walls. There is no pretence at being anything other than a neighbourhood restaurant, there to feed people.

Lunch is available between 1.00 and 5.00pm (evening opening 8.00 to midnight.) We arrived at around 3 and found the 12 or so tables full, with the bar heaving with people waiting or eating. You will gather that lunch is taken late in the South of Spain. Some will have finished their day’s work and be set for a long lunch, followed by a long siesta - others may have more to do – it depends what business you’re in, and how much you have to deal with the rest of Northern Europe. We ordered a beer and were given a number (deli-style) to wait for a table.

About 25 minutes later, we started with a plate of fresh cooked gambas in their shells – probably cooked in seawater that morning on the boat. Soft, sweet and wonderful. This was quickly followed by a the “Fritura Mixta” – pot luck of very lightly battered and very lightly fried fish. We had boquerones, chocos (chunks of cuttlefish), puntillitas, (whole tiny baby squid about the size of the last joint of your little finger) salmonetitos (tiny red mullet), as well as chunks of bacalao and merluza. Accompanied by a salad of chunks of tasty tomatoes, liberally scattered with garlic and good olive oil, this is the perfect lunch, washed down with a half bottle of manzanilla. We could well have stopped there...

But those little puntillitas were so good we wanted more. Then we spotted the two workmen on the table next to us with a plate of Almejas (clams, which came cooked with garlic and finely chopped jamon, their juices slightly thickened with oil. Not to be missed, you’ll agree, and another half bottle required…