January: cafes and restaurants in the old part of town

The welcoming interior of Corredera 55, one of the Califa group.

January

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I’m lucky enough to live in Vejer de la Frontera in the Province of Cadiz. In 2011, I published a book about the town: Vejer de la Frontera: a History.

Plenty of people visit Vejer in the summer, but the town is beautiful all year round. You can have a great time in the winter, you just need to plan a little bit more.

In this blog, I’m going to record, month by month, what is happening in Vejer and I’ll try to give you plenty of notice so that if you’re in town, you’ll be able to join  in with our events.

Your most important tool is the free map which you can get from the Tourist office by the car park or the office of the Convento San Francisco as well as most other hotels. Use it to work out where you’re going and plan your stay.

January is a very quiet month. Christmas is over and after the excitement of the New Year and the Majestades parade on January 6th, many shops and restaurants are closed. If you visit this month, you’ll see Vejer in its most unspoiled, ‘Spanish’ guise. Although the town is quiet, there’s always something going on somewhere. Most of the time you’ll eat in the cafes and restaurants used by local people. And though I wouldn’t advise swimming in the sea, we have many beautiful days when the sun is very warm throughout the afternoon. In fact, the weather in January is often better than later in the Spring. These days are perfect for walks on the beach and exploring our local ‘senderos’ or footpaths, as well as many other interesting activities.

Restaurants, cafes

Later in the year, Vejer will become a veritable diners' paradise, with many interesting places to eat, but in January, though there's plenty of choice, most eateries are local and traditional. I’m going to begin by giving details of the places which are open in January, followed by some information about possible activities. By the way, including these places in the blog doesn't imply a recommendation, though I've eaten in all of them without ill-effects, and generally enjoyed every mouthful. I hope this will be useful and that you will enjoy your time in Vejer.

In the old part of town:

Asador Al-Andaluz (Juan Bueno 17). A traditional grill, open all day at the weekend.

Bar Conejita (Bellido 1, opposite the English Bookshop on Juan Relinque) A small, traditional bar which sells good local ham and fish, tapas and raciones. Closed on Mondays.
Bar Trafalgar (Trafalgar 18). A small and highly idiosyncratic bar with a maritime ambience, this bar also acts as an unofficial arts' centre. A very reasonably priced Sunday lunch is served from 1.30 p.m.

Cafe Bar El Parque (Los Remedios 41c) A walk through the Parque Los Remedios brings you to this small but versatile café which serves traditional Spanish meals and snacks. Open all day – closed on Tuesday.

Café-Bar Peneque on the Plaza de España, is open every day except Sunday for drinks, meals and tapas. (Plaza de España 27)
Café-Bar Yogurt (Manuel Torres 19) This side-street bar doesn't serve food, only crisps and snacks, but if you don't like the coffee, the proprietor, Antonio, won't insist on payment. (Actually, it's excellent). If you find your way there, as you watch football on the bar TV, you can reflect on the fact that the progressive mayor of Vejer, Manuel Torres, was brutally murdered in the patio of the house opposite in  1869. It doesn't get more Spanish than this.

Cafeteria Da Pino (Los Molinos on the corner of Los Remedios and Avenida Andalucía) serves pizza and other Italian food. Open all day, every day except Wednesday. They also deliver pizza (956451244).

Cafetéria-Restaurante La Posada (Los Remedios 19) A spacious family restaurant, open for lunch and dinner every day.
Corredera 55, at the same address, open from 12 pm every day except Wednesday.
El Casino, Corredera 51, open daily.

El Aljibe (San Francisco, on the corner with Juan Relinque) Busy small restaurant which serves tapas and raciones. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.

El Convento San Francisco (La Plazuela 6) In winter the beating heart of the town, the cafetería is open all day, seven days a week. Here you will see local groups holding informal meetings, teachers giving classes and people just meeting for a chat. Serves tapas and light meals.

El Mercado San Francisco (San Francisco, opposite the theatre). This gorgeous converted marketplace now sells tapas and sushi. Open 11.oo – 16.30 and 19.00-01.00 every day.

El Ratito (Sagasta 6) Local dishes. Open for lunch and dinner  every day except Thursday.

La Bodequita (Arco de la Segur) A popular bar which serves tapas. Open all day in winter.

La Pastelería Galvan (Plazuela Juan Bueno, opposite the Tabac). One of Vejer’s well-kept secrets, this cake-shop has an upstairs seating area with stunning views. Open daily 10-2 and 5-10.

La Taverna del Conil (La Corredera 11) serves a traditional Spanish menú. Open every day for lunch.

Los Quatros Gatos (La Corredera) is a stylish bistro with an inventive menú. Open on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday from 1-7. http://losquatrogatos.com/inicio.html

Meson el Palenque (San Francisco, opposite the theatre) Predominantly a fish restaurant selling traditional dishes. Open for lunch and dinner: closed on Monday.
Meson Judería (Judería 1) Open for lunch and dinner - it's terrace has extraordinary views out towards the coast.

Meson Pepe Julian (Juan Relinque 7) A hugely popular traditional restaurant open every day for lunch and dinner.
Peña Flamenca Aquilar de Vejer (Rosario 29). Flamenco shows are rare during the winter, but you can buy lunch or dinner here every day in the beautiful setting of an old baroque church.

Valvatida (Juan Relinque 3) A well-priced and popular small restaurant with some interesting food. Open Friday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Vina y Mar (Ntra. Sra de la Oliva 8) Popular high-quality restaurant in the centre of the old town. Open on Friday and Saturday evening and on Saturday for lunch.
Meson El Kundi café (Los Remedios 49)  opposite the tourist office. Open at 7 a.m. every day, this welcoming establishment is the first place in town to open its doors to the public, and a real life-saver if you arrive early in the morning.