Cul de la LleonaThis restaurant is situated in a little quiet street typical of the Barri Vell in Girona. It can be literally translated as "The lioness's bottom." It is so named because of a statue nearby at the St. Feliu Square which features exactly that, a lioness clinging onto a column showing invitingly her bottom. It is said that for those who want to become a true citizen in Girona, they will have to kiss the lioness's bottom. After doing this duty, they will never leave the city or even if they leave it, they will certainly come back. In order to facilitate this performance, a few steps were installed beside the column so that visitors could reach the lioness with more ease. However, the steps have been removed since the threat of the swine flu became prominent, so as to prevent the virus from spreading through the lioness's bum. The statue now at the square is not the original one, which has been safely kept in the Museum of Arts in Girona.
The entrance of the restaurant is subdue and unassuming. Inside the space is small and when it is full it is not easy to pass by. However, the food makes it worth its while. There are tables upstairs also, but it is far more interesting and cosy to be downstairs.
I passed by the restaurant one day and went inside to get their card, immediately I was struck by the aroma of spices. It felt warm and inviting. It is advertised as a Moroccan restaurant. At luncheon there is a set menu, and it is that that I tried.
There was only one waiter and he was extremely friendly and welcoming. The service was surprisingly fast and effiicient considering the shortness of hands. In this sense, the organisation was perfect.
At the beginning, two types of olives were served, and both were very good. For starter my partner and I had the same, escalivada wrapped with a thin slice of smoked salmon.
It was delicious and very well presented. While sometimes food in Spanish restaurants can be too salty, this dish was just right.
For second, I had roast chicken with spices. The preserved lemon added a very pleasant contrast to the different flavours which combined harmoniously and endowed the dish with a rich variety of taste.
My partner tried something different, which was soupy rice (arròs caldós) with rabbit and mushroom. Though it was a more typical local dish, the rice was rightly done without being mashy, and the taste enhanced with the use of spices was exquisite.
There was a tagine of tuna on the menu which we missed somehow, but it looked very good when served at other tables.
Mango Soup
FlanFor dessert I had a tasty mango soup with berries ice-cream, and my partner had flan, which was thicker and coarser than the usual ones.
We had a bottle of white house wine which was included in the menu.
The interesting thing was the mint tea. It had a very pleasant flavour and the presentation was attractive. I asked about the ingredients and was given some to take with me! It was a mixture of Maria Luisa, mint, cadamon, anise, star anise, chamomile and clove.It costed a little over 30 euros for two set menus and coffee and tea.
It is a non-smoking restaurant, which is still rare despite the implementation of the new tabacco law in Spain. However, there is no problem for smokers to go outside and satisfy their cravings.
It is a wonderful little restaurant, both food- and service-wise; and I will definitely go back for dinner and try more typical Moroccan dishes!
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