If you’re looking for a quality meal out and not penny-pinching, then you must try Browns Cocktail and Gastro Bar La Zenia. During the hot summer months, I’m not really a Sunday roast type of guy, but every now and again, as the temperatures are dropping, something comes onto the radar that looks nice. A friend of ours had mentioned this place, so we felt it needed exploring.
It’s easy to find, and there’s plenty of parking close by.
The interior is trendy, not garish, and very clean and tidy. The restrooms were spotless, too, which is always another bonus.
What We Had
For our drinks, I went with a pint of beer, and Soph went for a mocktail as she was driving. As you can see, the pint was served in a tall pilsner, which made it a little different from the norm. The cocktail was refreshing and perfectly mixed, making a nice change from standard soft drinks for the designated driver!
We were both served homemade kalamata olive & seed bread with butter. This was exceptional! In fact, I was cheeky and asked for another piece for myself. This bread was so light, with the taste of the kalamata olives and rock salt being perfectly balanced.
For our starters, I went with red curry mussels; as you’ve seen from my reviews, I’m a fan of curry so this was too tempting to pass by. Soph chose the truffled mushrooms & coddled hen egg. The mussels were flavoursome, the Thai curry broth was really good, and came with a piece of toasted bread. The truffled mushrooms were also tasty, though Soph mentioned that it would have been even better if the yolk was runny rather than hard.
For our mains, we both went for the roast Angus beef entrecote, served with tasty pork fat potatoes, cauliflower cheese, mixed vegetables, fresh horseradish remoulade, and homemade Yorkshire pudding.
The Yorkshire puddings were exceptional, and coming from Yorkshire, this is high praise indeed! The portion size was just right, the gravy was full of taste, the beef, although a little under as to how I normally like it, was succulent. The meat had taste! There was just enough of the fabulous gravy without needing more or the plate swimming in it.
Desserts. Soph went for the sticky date & apricot pudding, which came with toffee sauce & mascarpone ice cream, which she really enjoyed. It was very sweet and rich, but the portion size was perfect to enjoy without feeling it was too much. The pudding had a nice texture and great taste.
I had the peanut & caramel cheesecake & dulce de leche ice cream, and the only words to describe this was it was rich and reminded me of a deconstructed Snickers bar but with better ingredients.
What We Liked
The food was the star of the show, from start to finish. Everything was seasoned perfectly.
We also thought that the service was friendly and polite; it was a leisurely lunch perfect for a Sunday.
What Could Be Improved At Browns Cocktail and Gastro Bar La Zenia
It would have been nice to have had a finger bowl for my starter of the mussels and an additional bowl to place the empty shells in, though the side plate worked for this.
From the restaurant’s perspective, there were opportunities for increased revenue. Soph had an empty glass halfway through the meal, and though she didn’t feel a desperate need for another drink, had it been offered, then she would have probably accepted. Likewise, once we had finished dessert, there was no offer of coffee or liqueur, which could have been the perfect end to the meal.
Sure, if we wanted these, we could have asked, and I’m sure they would have been excellent, but sometimes you need just a little prompting or upselling to order these types of extras.
How Much Did It Cost?
At a total of €62.80, this may put some people off, but we thought this was good value for money, as literally is restaurant quality food and not your shop-bought Aunt Bessies Yorkshire puddings or microwaved vegetables.
Would We Return To Browns Cocktail Bar La Zenia
Yes, absolutely. There’s not a lot more to add to this, but based on the meal we had this weekend, we would be back to Browns Cocktail and Gastro Bar try one of their other menus.
How To Find Browns Cocktail Bar La Zenia
You can either just come straight down the AP7 and pay the tolls.
Coming down the AP7 take exit 763 toward La Zenia/Orihuela Costa.
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto C. Ópalo
Turn right onto Ctra. de Villamartín
Go through 1 roundabout
The destination will be on the right.
Or avoiding the tolls
Take AP-7, CV-940 and AP-7 to Av. de Denia
Continue to C. Saturno
4 min (2.3 km)
Take Calle Sta. Rufina and N-332 to Ctra. de Villamartín
8 min (4.3 km)
Browns Cocktail And Gastro Bar
Ctra. de Villamartín, 1, Num Puerta 19, 03189 La Zenia, Alicante, Spain
Phone
+34 679 493 874
Address
Ctra de Villamartin, 1, Num Puerta 19.
03189 La Zenia, Alicante.
