This restaurant is located at the foot of the N-340 road, in the district of El Colorado, belonging to the municipality of Conil de la Frontera. Melchor still retains the name “venta”, which makes it characteristic.
Ventas are very typical in the province of Cadiz, generally located on roads. Throughout its history, ventas have offered food and lodging services to travelers.
Joaquina and Melchor created Venta Melchor in 1960 for the relief and rest of travelers traveling on the national highway. It is characterized by its traditional, home-cooked, family-style food, always linked to spoon dishes, with vegetables, meat and fresh fish from the area.
In addition, the restaurant has as its motto “a pot of truths”, as a way of affirming that all its dishes are made with the best ingredients.
Currently, Venta Melchor has become a reference restaurant in the province of Cadiz. Its interior surprises with its white decoration and attention to detail.
Going straight into its menu, its starters include the marinated sardine on a salmorejo base, the pheasant and pickled vegetable salad, the wild partridge pâté with leek preserve and the red shrimp and estuary shrimp fritters. Not to mention the homemade sausage of roe, shrimp and squid with aioli in its ink.
There is a specific section dedicated to tuna from the almadraba, as it could not be otherwise. Its tartar stands out, I am not going to reveal its preparation to you, it will be a surprise, it will surprise you, I have never tried it this way. Its cook Petri Benítez uses red tuna from the almadraba like no other, and creates amazing dishes, such as the fifth symphony of red tuna.
It has its traditional spoon dishes such as Naveros chickpeas with Retinto oxtail and cabbage with green beans, pumpkin, peas and its pringá.
From the sea we highlight the squid stuffed with seafood and the Conil donkey in homemade tomato fritada.
From the meat, the Retinto oxtail in red wine, the Janda veal cheeks stewed with boletus, the wild partridge with onions in Pedro Ximénez and the Iberian San Jacobo, the traditional payoyo cheese.
For dessert we highlight the rice pudding mousse with pine nuts from the Roche pasture, you can’t leave there without trying them.
It has a wine list from the area, if you like white wine I recommend trying the Batalla de la Barrosa, it is a Sauvignon Blanc from the Sanatorio Winery, and it is also very well priced.
At the end, they will offer you an invitation to one of their homemade liqueurs, be sure to try the limonchelo and the licorice one… amazing, for lovers of this type of liqueur.
I was really looking forward to visiting this restaurant, and the wait has been worth it.
I recommend you make a reservation, it can only be done by WhatsApp, I’ll leave you the phone number 673 237 274, you’ll like it.