The chances that you would randomly come across Cervecería Daniel’s are pretty low. This little restaurant is tucked away between three parks (the Turia, the Viveros and the Monforte) and hidden among the towering apartment buildings of the Plaza de la Legión Española. Despite having lived close by for years, we only discovered it after taking a shortcut to the Avenida de Blasco Ibáñez. And we’ve been returning ever since.
We love lunch places like Daniel’s, which are so integrated into the life of the neighborhood, that it seems as though they must have always existed. It’s the kind of local spot where all kinds of people coming together… Construction workers sitting next to office workers in suits, and a group of older ladies who’ve probably been getting together for lunch since they were young. The only thing all these people have in common is that they’re probably regulars at Daniel’s. And then there are the random two foreigners, of course, but hey: we’re regulars, too.
We’ve been coming to Daniel’s sporadically for years. Recently, they updated the restaurant, offering a much lighter dining area inside while holding onto the terrace, which is where we normally pefer to sit. And despite the prices going up a bit, we also noticed how busy it was. Daniel’s is clearly doing something right.
On this particular day we ordered and shared with each other:
Mike
- Ensalada con Caballa
- Salmonetes a la Andaluza
- Tarta de Abuela
Juergen
- Arroz al Horno
- Chuletas de Lomo
- Tiramisu
We placed our order and shortly after we received two glasses of red wine and a bread basket (both included in the lunch special). While waiting for our first dish, we looked at the decor, it’s much brighter than before and we love the stocked tapas bar, which is an indication that their almuerzo must be excellent as well. We took a mental note to return for that, some morning in the future.
Once the first plates arrived, Jürgen’s Arroz al Horno was a healthy portion and tasted great, but Mike’s Ensalada con Caballa was the showstopper: a beautifully presented salad with mackerel, and served with encurtidos (picked vegetables). Mike felt like having even more fish today and ordered Salmonetes a la Andaluza for his second plate: small red mullets covered with flour then deep fried to crispy perfection. The juicy Chuletas de Lomo (pork chops) were prepared a la plancha (pan fried) and served with french fries.
After all this food, you’d think there’s no way we could eat even more, but somehow we always find room for dessert. Both the Tarta de Abuela, a butter cookie layered cake with vanilla pudding and ganache on top, and the Tiramisu were both made in house.
For a fun day out, we recommend visiting the Viveros Gardens before lunch, heading over to Daniel’s and then finding a quiet bench at the Monforte Gardens for a sneaky siesta!
Cervecería Daniel’s
