The first time our friend Graeme came to visit us here we met him at the airport and he followed us home in his hire car. We chuckled to ourselves as we wound our way ever higher, up from the coast and into the hills, wondering what his first impressions would be of this wildly beautiful place. On (finally) parking up at the house and getting out of the car, he stood taking in the spectacular surroundings, then turned to us to ask: ‘Are you two on the run or something?’
Our view from home #NoFilter
It can seem a little out of the way here, especially when you’ve just arrived from a big city with its plethora of bars and eateries. It’s the kind of place where you’re more likely to casually drop the sentence ‘quick darling, come and look at the amazing light on the mountains’ into conversation rather than ‘we really ought to check out that new Japanese. It’s getting some great reviews.’ But contrary to expectation, there are a number of fine dining establishments tucked away in them there hills where you can simultaneously gaze in awe upon the mountain scenery whilst mentally composing your next gastronomic review for TripAdvisor.
‘Helados de Invierno’ – winter icecreams. A sweet and savoury cheese sensation with a marmite-y tang to the topping.
On Saturday we visited one such restaurant, conveniently located just 5 kilometres from our little hideaway. Los Llaureles in Torazo is both a Casa Rural with attractive accommodation and a restaurant offering a seasonal, seven-course tasting menu. The dining room has stone-built walls, high wooden roof beams and floor to ceiling windows to take in the panoramic views that make a gorgeous backdrop to their beautifully presented dishes. We went in the evening – the novelty of having a babysitter for the night far outweighing the beauty of the views for us. If you’re less inured to spectacular Asturian views than we are you may prefer to book for lunch, although we found the winter evening atmosphere suitably inviting and sophisticated with subtle lighting and a blazing log-burning stove.
This layered salad puts a contemporary twist on the classic Mediterranean romesco sauce
The menu is not cheap, at 28€ per person plus drinks, but then it’s not your standard fabada-or-fish menú fare. It’s somewhere to go for that special celebration or that one blow-out night on your holiday and it doesn’t disappoint. From the atmosphere to the views to the food, it’s all delightful. The dishes are small but perfectly formed, each one a taste sensation toying with different flavours and textures. Your waiter explains each creation as he serves it, detailing the ingredients and the best way of eating it – whether that be plunging in through layers with a spoon or stirring first with a fork. Very helpful when you’re feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the array of silver cutlery in varying shapes and sizes! Highly recommended.
