On our jaunts today, we visited La Esquina Benejúzar after seeing them being mentioned on social media and have to say this is a great little find.
This was our first-ever visit to Benejúzar, and this quaint little town is a rabbit warren of back streets and one-way systems. Sat nav is ideal for finding your way around here, but if you’re heading for the Vega Fibre office, the town hall, or the church in the square, you’ll not go far wrong.
What We Had At La Esquina
Being as it was lunchtime, we opted for the menu del dia, which has plenty of choices for all three courses.
Drinks
These are included in the lunch menu, so I went for the beer, which is a bottle of Mahou, while Soph had a Coke. The Coke is bottled.
Salad and Bread
First, we were brought out the bread basket to have with the tuna salad. The bread was fresh, and there were also the breadsticks included, but no aioli was served. As we had eaten the bread while enjoying this salad we were offered more bread for our starters.
Starters
I had selected a goat cheese and ham starter, but sadly, it wasn’t available, so I went for the clams, totally forgetting Soph had ordered these too. These, however, were delicious with a nice amount of sauce which was perfect for mopping up with the bread.
Mains
It’s great when you see slow-cooked beef cheeks offered on a menu del dia, as this is a dish I really enjoy. The meat was so succulent it melted on the fork, and you didn’t even need a knife to cut it.
Soph went for the Secreto cut of pork, which, as well as being really nicely presented tasted as good as it looked.
Both our mains came with fries, and these were salted as they came out. One thing to remember here is if you are ordering the beef cheeks, save some bread to mop up the delicious juices from the plate.
Dessert
The lunch menu offers a choice of dessert or coffee, but while the waitress was running through the desserts on offer, I heard whiskey tarte being mentioned. I knew Soph would not choose that, so I decided to indulge in this. Soph went for the chocolate layer cake, which she described as ‘wonderfully indulgent!”
Coffee
I actually decided on a cup of coffee to finish off my lunch, and this was one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had in Spain. I have no idea why; maybe it was the blend or bean used, but it was really nice.
What We Liked at La Esquina Vega Baja
The food was delicious; the service was friendly and with a smile. There is plenty of choice on the lunch fixed-price menu, and the main menu is very competitively priced.
What Could Be Improved
Service was a little slow towards the end, but to be honest, unless you have an appointment to keep, this is not such an issue. It seems we visited on a day when there was a birthday party celebration on the go and we could hear the Spanish women yabbering away and laughing loudly, so a good time sounded to be had by all.
The young lady serving us was working the front of house on her own, never stopped, and coped very well.
How Much Did It Cost At La Esquina Benejúzar
Seeing as I had pushed the boat out for a coffee and Soph splashed the cash on a second Coke, we spent €28.20 in total.
The menu del dia is €12.50 per head ( a drink, bread, salad, 2 courses then a dessert or coffee ).
Coke is in a bottle and is €2.00 while my excellent coffee is just €1.20.
Would We Return To La Esquina
This is a resounding YES, based on the visit today. The food was the star of the show, but what we liked was the ambiance. You are sat outdoors in November, in the sun at 21c and although the restaurant was quite busy, the square was quiet. There’s no passing traffic here, so it is peaceful.
How To Find La Esquina Benejúzar
La Esquina Benejúzar is easyish to find.
If you head for the town hall or the church, you are there, so to speak.
Their address is: Pl. España, 2, 03390 Benejúzar, Alicante
Contact number 616 668 220
You can find them on Google maps too.
The parking is on street parking, where you can find it.
