This week’s review is something special, I’ll admit right up front that this restaurant is my favourite in the region. And I don’t think it’s just me being overly bias towards a restaurant run by a couple who have become, over the past eighteen months, very good friends. I say that because this restaurant has attracted more positive reviews than any other restaurant on our website and has also recorded the most page ‘hits’. So let me introduce you to Coté Jardin. Located in Benimar II, that’s the commercial centre at the top of the hill. Straight up from Rojales’s cemetery, not the dead centre of town though.

 

Forget any of your preconceived thoughts and ideas about French restaurants, if you have them, Coté Jardin breaks the mould. From the moment you are greeted by either Ludi or Virginia to your farewells at the end of the evening you will feel as though you were special. This is a family run restaurant where families can come to enjoy superb food prepared and presented with passion. Chef Julien visually captivates you whilst performing the art of balancing both taste and texture, the result is always magical.

 

There is a new menu for this summer. If you are a regular don’t worry the old favourites are still there. But now augmented by new exciting dishes, and a set price menu. I have come to trust Julien’s skill as a chef, such that I will try any dish he prepares! For example I would not normally choose ratatouille however I challenge you not to like his ‘ratatouille et son crumble au chèvre’. That’s ratatouille with a goats cheese crumble to the likes of you and me. Brilliant!
Now the following is a warning. Stop! Don’t continue to read this article if you do not want to be tempted! We’ll meet again next week…

 

For those of you who are still with me, I’m going to take you on a tour of what I consider the creme de la creme of gastronomy. I’ll start with ‘tourte aux chamigñons’, this puff pastry pie of mushrooms, garlic and parsley is sublime, be careful though if you order this starter you’ll want it again and again! Or maybe ‘moules marinière’, you’ll never see this dish presented better, a work of art!

 

Oh and here’s something I keep meaning to mention when writing these reviews, it’s always worth trying a restaurant’s house wine. The house wine is generally a good indicator of a restaurant’s quality. We choose nothing else at Coté Jardin.

 

I always find it difficult to select my choice of main course here and so it is again when trying to pick one or two possibilities for you to consider. Julien creates a fantastic veal stew which, and yes I have to say this, is vealy, vealy good! But probably I would tend to choose one of the fish dishes. As the son of a butcher I came to the wondrous variation of all things fishy late in life. Living as we do on the coast, it would have been a travesty not to have experimented. Try the swordfish, these steaks are both moist and tender, laced with garlic and guaranteed to get your juices flowing. Ask to have saute potatoes with these, perfect! In all the times we have eaten at Coté Jardin I don’t think we have ever had the same vegetables twice. How does he do that?

 

And then to the desserts! Where to start… Others have waxed lyrical about the crème brulée and it is exceptional, while others hardly ever stray far from the selection of crêpes. This is where I would normally dally. But beware there are generally chef’s specials to consider I would like to try to describe one such dish I fell in love with last Monday. Hands up all chocolate lovers. Let me see that’s one, two, three… hundred or so of you! This was described as chocolate custard with brandy. Well let me tell you, it was actually the devil’s dessert. Rich but not sickly, smooth and completely and utterly delicious. Ten out of ten!

 

I really hope you try this restaurant they deserve your patronage. Go and share their love affair with food, I’m sure you will be more than welcome and completely satisfied.

Commercial Centre Benimar II, Calle Agata, Rojales Hills, 0321. Tel No. 966 712 444