By Ivo Henfling

Dany, my wife, and I were going to go to the oxcart parade in San Antonio de Escazu around lunchtime and I had seen this place that just opened about a month ago: "Plaza España".

Both Dany and I both enjoy the Spanish sausages and other Spanish food, so we decided to give it a try. We decided to go before the crowd would, so we were a little early, but that always gives you good service as they have nothing better to do and it gives me time to talk a bit to the owners. Costa Rica living is great, read all about it.

Though the restaurant is owned by several, great attention is being given by two of the partners, Alejandro, the maitre 'd is from Madrid and the other one is from San Sebastian, so we gave it a good shot at the menu. The girl in the photo is someone from the Spanish consulate, so I guess even Spaniards think it's great food. For those who speak Spanish can check these very good ratings on Tripadvisor. You'll see the ratings are given by Spaniards, they're all three very good. They've been open for only a month, so that's pretty good.

The food was as good at Dany and I had last time in a restaurant in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. For those who like their big hamburger with fries of just huge portions of food, this is not the place to go to. If you like good food and just enjoy a bottle of wine and good ambiance, I invite you to try it.

Even though it makes me sleepy, nothing better to go with Spanish food than some sangria. The bad part is that you need to drink the whole bottle but Dany and me never complained about that either. Good sangria, you should try.

Their menu really has only two main dishes. Its much more fun to try their menu "tapeando" which means its full of "smaller" dishes that you can get in two sizes, but its like samplers or snacks. That way, you can try a lot of different things on the menu and its more fun. Its also something you should try going with a group of friends: sangria and tapas. Dany and I are not big eaters, so tapeando is perfect to us as we will never have an appatizer, a main dish and a dessert. That is about twice as much food as we can handle.

Of course I took some pictures so I could give you an idea what it is all about. For many of you it is not customary to eat Spanish food, but there is always a first to everything.

First they invited us to a free appetizer: "mejillones en escabeche", which are pickled mussels, that were absolutely awesome if you like seafood. That was just a small appetizer, one each, to get us going.

Then Dany tried the "pulpo con patatas, estilo Gallego", which is octupus with potatoes, Galician style. I din't know but the maitre 'd said you eat octupus on wood and with wood. Dont we learn every day...  I liked it a lot as I like the octupus not too cooked but Dany likes them softer than me. Its that fine line of being perfect or almost perfect. In combination with the sangria, this is heaven.

I had the "Solomillo de cerdo en pan" a pork tenderloin on a muffin. This was smaller than I thought but once I took a bite, I knew I had to savour it and take small bites. I know people who would just do it all in one bite but those are the ones that order a triple combo in MCDonalds. The solomillo as absolutely awesome in taste and it was juicier than I have ever eaten a pork tenderloin. Dany helped me with a couple of bites.

Then I had the "Spanish chorizo" which is the Spanish pork sausage seasoned with paprika and  garlic and eaten in slices with heavy dark bread. The Spanish chorizo is eaten all over Spain and it made me remember the "Museo de Jamon", a famous place in Madrid where you hang at the bar and try hundreds of different hams, sausages and other Spanish meats, accompanied by bread and a beer or sangria.

To top it off, I had the famous "Tortilla española" which is like an egg omelet but done very specially, filled with potatoes and onions and accompanied by hunks of bread. My youngest sister in Las Palmas on the Canary Islands, makes an awesome tortilla española and this one was as good as if not better.

The service is outstanding and the food even better. Their prices are not bad at all. The different tapas and the carafe of sangria for the two of us was a total of ¢36,000 which is more or less $70. We'll be back soon and will take some friends for sure.

Its a pity they don't have a website "yet" but their phone number is 2228-1850 and their address is 200 west and 100 south from the Guardia Rural in San Antonio de Escazu. If you can't find the Guardia Rural, its 400 west and 100 south from the Catholic church in Escazu. They have plenty of parking and a "guachiman".

I hope you go try it soon, shoot me an email after you have gone and tell me your experiences.

Ivo Henfling, your Escazu and Santa Ana real estate specialist.

GoDutch Realty Costa Rica