Mesa Redonda, Jerez de la Frontera

I arrived 5 minutes before my reservation (9 pm) to find a dark restaurant  - sure enough 2 minutes later someone arrived, invited me inside, offered me a aperitif and then headed to the kitchen. I'm not sure which is worse, dining alone in a room filled with people or being the only person in the dining room - other people did start filtering in around 9:30. Started with lightly crusted jumbo scallops with shad roe(?) - the scallops very fresh and meaty, the roe offering this bass note. My favorite dish:   poached eggs wrapped around langostines served on top of crisp, shoe string potatoes (8.00E) - the rich egg yoke, the salty crispness of the potatoes, the firm flesh of the langostines - this dish sang for me.  For my main, de-boned ox tail in a Pedro Jimenez sauce with velvety smooth potatoes (12.00E) - the meat so tender. Dessert was some ice cream affair but the highlight was the Pedro Jeminiez they poured for me -   it was practically black, and when held to the light only pin pricks of deep ruby red light penetrated the glass.  And the dense intense bouquet expanded to huge proportions in my nose.  Add couple finos, 1/2 a bottle of wine, water, bread, olives, etc   - the total came to 46.92E.