The owners, Raphaël and Michèle are still happily serving the diners, and are now helped by their daughter. I'd written before that the restaurant looked busy, not with people, but with an abundance of photos, ornaments - especially ducks - and jaunty red table covers over patterned tablecloths that emphasised the inviting ambiance, as if visiting a French aunt for dinner. It represented an element of Alsace in El Campello. Nothing appeared to have changed and it was like going back in time.
Just as 10 years ago, Michèle greeted us in a friendly manner, handed us the menus and said that she was happy to speak French or Spanish, but her English was limited to 'goodbye', 'goodnight' and 'I love you'. So her English hadn't improved, but why should it? There was an interesting choice on both the à la carte and menú del día and we decided on the latter at 15€ for 3 courses including bread and a drink. This is only 1€ more than 10 years ago and probably reflects the unfortunate impact of the economic downturn. My wife opted for Brie on toast with raspberry and salad, followed by lamb shank, and I started with avocado and prawns in sauce with salad and the same main course.
The attractively presented starters were generous in size and delicious and we complimented ourselves on our choice. As we were eating, a few more diners came in and we noted that they were all British. The daughter, with sufficient English-language skills, took their orders, but I wondered why French, German of Spanish people weren't attracted to the place; 10 years ago I'd commented on the international clientele.
The lamb shank in a dark gravy, accompanied by peas, an onion and tomato mix and a large dish of chipped potatoes looked good, but the meat was disappointingly dry; as if it had been overcooked, cooled and reheated. When I later looked at my original article, I'd also had lamb shank and it had been delicious. In fact, then we'd told Michèle and she'd told us in French that her husband 'cooked with love'. I hope now that the love isn't running dry, too!
For dessert, my wife chose chocolate and pear tart and I had a creamy cheesecake. It was unfortunate that the tart had a soggy base, which was indicative that it had been stored for too long. Perhaps the large choice of desserts should be reduced, so as to ensure that they stay fresh.
In all, a slightly disappointing visit, which I hope was just an 'off day'. Maybe Raphaël and Michèle need to remind themselves that their client base in El Campello is limited and they should work on that special 'love' ingredient, so that they can always offer the standard that I know they're capable of.
If you'd like to try the restaurant for yourself, La Petite Alsace is at C/Bartolome 109 in El Campello near Alicante. Reservations can be made on 965 634 410.