The Cellar at the Oryx Rotana hotel has flown Chef Angel Zapata from Barcelona to create magic for their special Spanish week menu (until 10^th December, 2016).

The night started off with Chef Zapata telling us what he will prepare for the evening in his attempt to give us a taste of Spain.

For drinks we decided to go for their traditional Spanish Sangrias. The “Very Berry Sangria” was sweet, strong and excellent on the tongue while the “Red/White Spicy Sangria were both delicious but a bit too spicy for my liking.

We were then offered a very interesting cod fish with cheese, wrapped around grilled red pepper served with squid sauce; this melted in our mouths as it was so tender and yet full of exciting flavors.

The Tapas platter consisted of crabmeat salad on grilled toast, garlic shrimps, “patatas bravas” and a cheesy deep-fried arancini; every single element reminded me of the traditional tapas bars in the buzzing streets of Madrid.

The highlight of the night was the traditional Valencia style Paella Gambas, so so so good! The portions were perfect to taste and I’m so glad there was not too much food (the quantity was perfect).

Thereafter, chef presented us with a delightful plate of deserts which consisted of an Opera cake, Cheese Mousse covered with Cranberry Coulis, Crema Catalana (a Spanish style Creme Brûlée), and my favourite of them all, the Arroz con leche, which a Spanish rice pudding. Chef Zapata also taught us all how to drink wine directly from the decanter (the Spanish way) and it was hilarious to see everyone try, spill and laugh.

The e-commerce manager, Ahmad Khair, was kind enough to give us company and tell us more about the restaurant. I love the feel of The Cellar; it’s romantic, rustic and yet so chic; the play of lights and candles create a perfect balance and give a warm ambience to the restaurant.

Highly recommend the Spanish nights at The Cellar with Chef Zapata and if not, the regular cellar menu is also quite interesting.

This was a bloggers event where we were invited to dine and try their new Spanish week.

Spanish week program and prices: 

X’Press Lunch and Dinner (Daily)
3 course set menu (starters/main/dessert) for QR 95 (Lunch) and QR 150 (Dinner)

Dish of the Day (Daily)
Chef Angel Zapata will create a special Spanish dish of the day (make sure you enquire before reservation)

Pintxos (Every Wednesday Evening 7 PM – 11 PM)
3 Pintxos (small bites traditionally in skewers – similar to tapas) with Sangria for QR 65

Tapas Degustation Menu (Thursday  night 7 PM – 11 PM)
5 Tapas – QR 85 (per person)
10 Tapas – QR 160 (per person)

Chef Angel Zapata’s Gourmet Cooking Class and Lunch
Dec 12 – Spanish Menu Cooking Class (9 am – 12 pm) followed by lunch for QR 150

Spanish Tapas Galore (Tuesday and Saturday night 7 pm – 11 pm)
Unlimited tapas – QR 190
Unlimited tapas and selected wines – QR 320