Dining in Toledo

Dining in Europe > Toledo

It is easy to dine very well in Toledo. Because the province is the hunting centre of Spain (a hugely profitable business), game dishes are excellent. The highly sought-after red partridge is typical of Toledo cuisine. It is generally prepared in one of two ways: pickled and eaten cold, or a la toledana, cooked slowly with onion, garlic and bayleaf and eaten hot.

Large game such as venison, wild boar, fallow deer and roe buck all add to the appeal of Toledo cuisine. They are prepared in stews, or grilled with herbs like thyme and oregano, their aromas evoking the Spanish countryside.

As in other parts of Spain, it is traditional to have a glass of beer or wine with tapas before settling down to a leisurely two-hour lunch. You can enjoy your aperitif in the restaurant where you will be having your meal, or elsewhere.

Most of the cervecerías (pubs that mainly serve beer tapas) are found within the citys walled area, although there are other very good tapas bars outside the Historical Quarter. El Pasito, La Cepa Andaluza and La Cruz Blanca all belong to this category. Just this year the Provincial Hotels Association organised the Primeras Jornadas de la Tapa (a sort of tapa convention) that took place on two consecutive weekends. For 350 pesetas, in three different areas of the city (Historical Quarter, Santa Teresa and Avenida de Europa), you could try a dish of grilled venison, chorizo a la sidra (seasoned pork sausage in cider), cold cuts and Manchego cheese. The latter is made with sheeps milk from the La Mancha region. It is one of the treasures of Spanish gastronomy, and comes with a guarantee of origin.

Other tapas that you must try are cecina de venado - dried venison scented with oregano, and the now famous carcamusas - pork or veal served with tomato and peas; in Ludeña they really know how to prepare this to maximum effect. To try traditional Toledo cuisine, go to one of the old-established restaurants like Venta de Aires. In existence for a century, the speciality of the house is partridge a la toledana. You could also try Adolfo, where they have novel ways of preparing game, or Casa Aurelio with its long family tradition. The most well-known dishes are beans with partridge or hare, roast lamb or suckling pig, venison with mushrooms, grilled meats, pisto manchego, a stew made with tomato, peppers and onion, and pote, a salad with red peppers. Fresh fish cooked in various ways is also an option. Any dessert menu must include marzipan, a sweet made with almonds and sugar. Although its origin is disputed, it appears to be Arabic.

To accompany all these dishes, you must try one of the local wines, from either Toledo or Castilla-La Mancha. Between them, the two regions boast five brands with guarantee of origin: La Mancha, Valdepeñas, Méntrida, Almansa and Jumilla. The select wines of Dominio de Valdepusa deserve special mention also. They are made by the Marquis of Griñón on his Malpica de Tajo estate.

There are few restaurants in Toledo offering foreign cuisine. One of the only Italian restaurants, Mille Grazie, is very good, and Ándale is an entertaining Mexican restaurant. For a quick dinner, you can have pulgas, small rolls with a variety of different fillings. La Abadía prepares them splendidly.

From Thursday nights, the streets in the Historical Quarter are swarming with young university students drinking in the doorways of bars - a cause of frequent complaints by neighbouring residents. In Alfileritos Street, in the vicinity of the Alcázar, Plaza de Zocodover, Plaza de San Justo and Santo Tomé, young people gather in places like Tbeo, El Gallo, Pícaro, El Callejón del Gato and Garcilaso. They end their night in discotheques like La Ronda, Zaida and Sithons, the places that close latest.

Entertainment in Toledo

It must be said that the streets of Toledo are not very lively during the week, because few places remain open until the wee hours of the morning. Your best bet for midweek entertainment is a trip to the movies in either the Multicines María Cristina or the Multicines Mayoral. It is also worth checking out whether the Teatro de Rojas (Rojas Theatre) has any interesting cultural offerings.

Everything changes on Thursdays. This is the day when students from the Castilla-La Mancha University hold their faculty parties, so if you are out on this night you will come across a lot of university students.

We will start off our night in the district of Santa Teresa, in the Plaza de Cuba, an area of the city that is constantly growing. There are several cervecerías (pubs mainly serving beer and tapas) to choose from, the best being El Pasito, El Hórreo and Cruz Blanca. After this, you can stay in Santa Teresa and choose among several different options. For some quiet drinks in an exclusive establishment, there is La Embajada, located at the junction of Maestros Espaderos. In the same area you will find the only karaoke bar in Toledo, Fernandos, where they also have live shows. The following places have a more youthful atmosphere: Katanga, Straze, Público, Otto Max and Kaché. Modern music and young people are the essential ingredient of these pubs that usually stay open until about 4am.

The citys Historical Quarter has more to offer. Out of the wide selection of bars, don't miss Tbeo. Suited to all ages and musical tastes, it is nevertheless the meeting place of the citys modern bunch. Tbeo probably closes later than any other bar, so any time is a good time to go. Another great place to go is the spacious La Taberna de Garcilaso, where, if you're lucky, you will catch live music, magic and comedy shows. The Pícaro is similar. Its worth a visit for their well-presented cocktails alone.

Jazz and blues buffs should go for a drink at El Último, where they also have the occasional concert. La Chapinería, beside the cathedral clock door, is another classic Toledo joint, as is Camelot. The latter really goes for modern and yesteryear Spanish pop music. Two pubs in the Miradero shopping centre cater to fans of radical rock, the Rock'A and La Bruja. La Oficina has the widest and most original selection of drinks. All these bars charge reasonable prices, ranging from 500 or 600 pesetas for a glass of spirits.

For those who really like rocking it until late, Toledo has a small but varied and interesting selection of discotheques and after-hours bars. In the Historical Quarter is Grecos, where most late-nighters end up. It is a big place with music for all tastes where the dancing doesn't stop until the first rays of sun penetrate. Close by is Oberón, an after-hours joint recommended for fans of club and techno music generally. Also in the Historical Quarter is that doyen of discotheques, Sithons; they have had Toledo citizens dancing for over 30 years. Finally, outside the Historical Quarter is La Ronda, a disco with go-go dancers, striptease and lots of surprises.

For anyone with energy left to spare, you can always start over at the cervecerías in the district of Santa Teresa.

Translated by Gail Tagarro