El Llar de la Campana

The auspicious association of Manuel Bobes and Nacho Manzano has yet to bear its finest fruits. With every passing day they demonstrate a greater gastronomic commitment at this restaurant. So what has changed since last year? Well, without altering the foundation of fine product and regional cuisine that the restaurant is known for, they have incorporated a higher number of modern haute cuisine dishes. Intelligent, developed dishes are now offered which raise the culinary bar without excessively complicating the experience for the guests. The garlic soup enriched with a few refined, colorful touches is a clear example of how to distinguish a product without changing the substance of the dish. Of course, there are other, more ambitious proposals like the cucumber juice accompanied by sardines with Parmigiano-Reggiano and green pepper ice cream, which seems to be inspired by gazpacho – truly exquisite, refreshing and imaginative, championing the valor of simplicity. The foie gras terrine with green apple gelatin and mushroom ice cream is an exaltation of product, rigorous in its execution, rich in nuances and marvelously well staged – all characteristics that are constant with the establishment. The most brilliant moment came with the cod tripe, delicately infused with the vegetation water of roasted red peppers, with smoked scallions and cumin lentils. Let there be no doubt, this dish is mandatory, urging you to indulge yourself with utter abandon.

In fact, there are so many new and achieved dishes here that it’s easy to forget the house classics that made this restaurant one of the most successful culinary institutions in all of Spain:
the octopus salad, tender and wild, with ceps – St. George’s mushroom in springtime – and green asparagus… immaculate and impeccably dressed; the delicious corn cakes magnificently accompanied by fresh foie gras and ham… Also imported from Arriondas, two recipes with a product that made Casa Marcial famous: the pitu de Caleya (small Asturian chicken) stewed in the traditional way or with rice; both options are wonderful. The char-grilled turbot boasts intrinsic excellence and a precise roasting over the embers: succulent, gelatinous, juicy… immense. The feast then turned to a tasting of three of the first specialties that gave this establishment a name: the fabada (Asturian bean stew), the cod pil-pil with grilled vegetables and the beef chop, all of which have found their way into the respective sections of this guide, and for good reason.