Andalusian Spanish tour: Los Almendros & Medina Azahara

There were a number of reasons why we reviewed the restaurant Los Almendros during our Halal food tour of Spain.

During our trip to the archaeological site Madina Azahra, we discovered that there was virtually nothing meaningfully Halal in the area other than this place in the El Brillante district of Córdoba.

Not only was this referenced in the Halal Córdoba guide book we were using, but the restaurant’s owner was passionate about accommodating for a Halal diet.

To this end, not only was there a separate Halal menu, but more importantly, the kitchen observed strict procedures to ensure that the Halal food was prepped and cooked separately so as to ensure no cross-contamination.

With the spacious restaurant offering indoor seating for over 100, there’s plenty more available outdoors, as well as a large children’s play.

Visiting the medieval palace of Madina Azahra

Although it takes 20 minutes to drive up to the archaeological remains of the early medieval palace of Madina Azahra, or Madinat al-Zahra, a bus ride there is also available for just €3.

And with the admission price of €1.50 including access to the museum, this beautiful archaeological complex on the outskirts of Cordoba showcases ruins amidst rolling hills.

Built by the first Umayyad Caliph of al-Andalus, Abd al-Rahman III, in the 10th century, we spent virtually the entire day exploring the fascinating remains and relics of a bygone era so integral to the history of Spain.

Bread and Olive €1.90

There really couldn’t be a better start to any meal than Spanish fresh bread coupled with olives from the land of olives.

Rac berenjenas miel (Fried egg plant with cane honey), €8.60

There was a good reason why this plate of deep-fried egg plant fingers was recommended to us.

This was a new flavour profile, with insanely addictive, ultra-crunchy fries being drizzled in a complementary sweet cane honey sauce.

Chuletas Cordero (Lamb Chops), €16

And before you ask, yes, these were Lamb Chops all for 16 Euros. Although unusual would be one word to capture our initial reaction, these ostensible bones did have some meat on them, albeit over charred.

For what it was worth, they were presented with some sliced chips and a chilli oil sauce. Make of this what you will.

The Classic Burger with Fries and Mojo Picon – Beef (150g), mesclun, tomato, caramelized onion, pickle, cheddar cheese, €9.20

With so many smashed burgers about in the UK, some of you may not even recall enjoying a proper hand-pressed beef patty.

Some of you smashed-patty addicts may not even remember this…

As you can imagine, this Classic Beef Burger with Fries and Mojo Picon was a welcome surprise.

That first bite into a thick piece of juicy, succulent, dense beef patty, which was satisfyingly pink on the inside, was utterly delightful.

Nestled in between a fluffy seeded, brioche bun, and topped with caramelised onions and melted cheddar cheese, this brought back good memories.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the inhouse chips which were paired with a Mojo Picon sauce that tasted just like homemade ketchup.

Potatoes with broken free-range eggs and peppers € 11.50

There’s a thin line between uniqueness and weirdness. These potatoes, which were topped with broken eggs (free-range or otherwise really wouldn’t have made a difference) and pan-fried peppers, left much to be desired.

Fried Cod & Chips, €10.50

By this stage, it was apparent to us that the Halal menu was dominated by the humble potato.

In any case, these thick nuggets of fried, breaded cod were perfectly executed, turning out nice and moist on the inside and crispy on the out.

As for their homemade chips, then despite the diligence in being handcut, they weren’t anything special.

Further still, this plate of fried food was screaming out for some tarter sauce or something.