Arrels rates no1of 88 on Tripadvisor for moderately-priced restaurants in Alcoy, so already has a good reputation and it's necessary to reserve a table in advance. I was, therefore, surprised that my initial impression was of ample space between the tables, as if the owner wasn't maximising on his popularity. The restaurant is open for lunch every day except Monday and for dinner from Thursday to Saturday. There is a menú del día during the weekday lunchtimes, but as we went on a Saturday, were offered an á la carte or tasting menu. We chose the latter, which is often an opportunity to try unusual dishes.
Each course, except the main, was placed in the centre of the table for us to portion and share. We started with moist Spanish ham on a light crispbread and followed that by slices of seared tuna with a seaweed salad. Next was a spring roll of pork and vegetables accompanied by a sweet-spicy sauce. The tastes were exquisite and I was really enjoying the experience. My friend, a wine lover, had ordered a bottle of Las Ocho, a delicious red wine from the Requena region of Valencia and prepared with eight different types of grapes; we slowly savoured the tastes as we ate and drank.
Strips of pork belly with crisp crackling was our fourth dish and, as a good contrast, the next plate was thin slices of octopus on a bed of creamed potato blackened with the ink of the octopus. Our main course was creamy rice with cod and small pieces of raw cauliflower and beans, giving texture to the interesting combination. The dessert was, in fact, two dishes to share. One was a chocolate sponge filled with warm, rich chocolate, and the other was Rossegons, a Valencian sweet which I was to discover, is made from eggs, sugar and almonds. What a successful meal that was; certainly satisfying my desire to taste something different.
The tasting menu was 21€ per person, excluding drink, and was served by pleasant, attentive staff who were prepared to explain the dishes and give friendly advice. The restaurant advertises itself as offering a fusion of Mediterranean, Spanish and Asian foods and it certainly demonstrated that with our meal. It's definitely a restaurant that I'd recommend and, for the less adventurous, there is always the á la carte.
Arrels has a website www.restaurantarrels.com and a Facebook page. It is located at Calle Agres, 6, Alcoy; telephone 965 030 812.