A Memorable Meal

Summary

The author recounts an unexpectedly luxurious dining experience at Café Royalty in Cádiz, Spain, after a tiring day.

Abstract

After a disappointing start to their day in Cádiz, with the spa at the Senator Spa Hotel closed and a long, hunger-induced walk along the beach, the author and her daughter stumbled upon Café Royalty. Despite the initial frustration, they indulged in a 7-course degustation menu that was a highlight of their European trip, with the author particularly impressed by the quality of the food, the impeccable service, and the restaurant's ambiance, which contrasted with their usual budget-conscious travel style.

Opinions

The author initially felt disappointed and emotional due to the spa being closed and the long wait for dinner.
The exhausting walk and hunger negatively impacted the author's adventurous spirit, but the discovery of Café Royalty uplifted her mood.
The author found the restaurant's prices high but considered the 7-course degustation menu a worthwhile splurge.
The meal at Café Royalty was deemed exceptional and one of the best the author had ever experienced, especially notable during their European travels.
The service at the restaurant was described as impeccable, contributing to the overall memorable dining experience.

Food- an important part of the travel experience

One of the chandeliers. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

We were staying at the Senator Spa Hotel in Cádiz, a little bit of luxury after our hostel stay in Sevilla. All I wanted was a relaxing spa. Sorry, the spa is closed on Mondays. I could have cried.

I was overtired from too little sleep. Our room was beautiful and the bed was comfortable. I lay down and would have been asleep in seconds, but my daughter, Stacey, tempted me with Cádiz’s famous fresh fish on the beach, only a 1km walk. Yes, I can do it for fresh fish!

We reached the beach and found one restaurant open for dinner but not until 8 pm. I could have caught my own fish before then. It was December after all and off-peak tourist season. We kept walking and walking. Stacey was taking beautiful photos of the sunset, while I was bawling my eyes out. Hunger and tiredness had dampened what adventurous spirit I had.

If she happened to have focused her camera on me instead of the sunset, I could have used the video for an audition for Crybabies on Tour. It was all too much for me. On the plus side, I did get to visit the Portuguese star fort on the seafront.

After an hour and a half of walking, we finally found a restaurant open — Café Royalty. I dried my tears. I thought I may have fallen asleep and woken up in heaven. We travel on a tight budget so the photos will show you how special this was for us.

The antique cash register. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

Wow! Just wow! Photo by Stacey Mulcahy.

And it looked royal too, with prices to match. We chose the 7-course degustation menu for 60 euro. After eating cheese and ham for the past week, we were splurging tonight!

The degustation menu. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

Red Tuna Fillet with tomato vanilla flavoured steamed potato. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

Tuna tartar with salmon roe. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

Poached benedict egg with truffled creamy potato, baby beans, and Iberian ham. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy

Filet mignon, grilled with potato cake and millefeuille vegetables. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy.

Now you know why I couldn’t fit dessert in. Dessert wasn’t just one item, but four! Strawberry sorbet, which I had to sacrifice, but packed up the other three to take back to the hotel with me.

Dessert to take back to the hotel. Photo by Stacey Mulcahy. Cadiz

If you can’t imagine it, the meal was superb; exceptional in every way. The service was impeccable. The meal wasn’t rushed. Stacey even had 7 wines to match each course! After my exhausting walk, I only had water, in the most beautiful bottle, of course.

Dinner at the Café Royalty probably was one of the best meals I’ve ever had the pleasure of consuming in my entire life, and definitely topped the list of delicious meals of my 4-month European trip in 2019–2020. Take me back!