It was a fortuitous moment. We were walking along the castle walls of Vejer, an area we had not quite explored yet. And it started to rain. We sought cover under a gated doorway of the castle gates, and a couple of locals joined us.

They turned out to be the head waiter and sous chef of a restaurant around the corner aptly named, The Wall, El Muro. As we got to know Salva - who used to work in the local tourism office and had an abundance of useful tips - we learned about this special restaurant where a young local chef was cooking his mother's recipes.

We were totally enchanted by this place. The decor was light and bright yet intentional, the clientele clearly regulars - many seemed to personally know the foursome team of chef, sous chef, waiter and waitress - and the cuisine was simple and comforting, yet elegant and disciplined.

The recommendations of wine, local Cadiz white, Spanish red, and then dessert wine, were all impeccable.

We were not at all surprised to learn of a subsequent Michelin mention.

However, after visiting the restaurant a years after the first visit, we came away with one piece of warning: they do run out of their best selling items, and their best selling items are far superior to the less popular dishes on the menu. So even though the Spaniards dine late, don't be the last one to try to put in your order as you may end up with a very different experience.

Reservations required.

HOURS

Fri - Tues - 1 - 4 pm / 8 - 11 pm

Closed Wed and Thurs

Check with restaurant for updates

LOCATION

C. P.º de las Cobijadas, 1

CONTACT

https://elmurorestaurante.es

+34 648 78 34 68

LEAD-IN IMAGE

El Muro Vejer / Instagram; all other images by Wonder Shuffle