Segovia Restaurants

Having walked up and down the many hills, our appetite were definitely growing. Having visited before, my unofficial guide knew this little hamburger joint and was quite willing to show me. Sometimes, a bit of home is a welcomed change.

The menus are quite simple to understand and you ingredients are clearly listed. Additional ingredients can be added for ~0.5Eur/each. Order and pay at the bar, but your food will find its way to the table. The service is not that great, but then again, you're not paying for great service.

Favorite Dish: The restaurant has some sandwiches and other things like hot dogs or combination plates. But their namesake it the reason to come.

The hamburger patties are not that large, but they are tender enough. Layer the burger with the typical lettuce, tomato, onion, sauces, fried egg, bacon... you get the idea.

El Bernardino is located on the left hand side of the main street leading to the Plaza Mayor, Calle Cervantes, which becomes Calle Juan Bravo. There is a famous viewpoint next to the restaurant. The outside appearance is impressive but don't let appearances fool you. The restaurant specializes, like most of the Segovian restaurants, in roast suckling pig and grilled lamb. Although the price is slightly lower than more famous spots like El Duque, just a few doors down the street, or Cándido, near the Aqueduct, the quality and service are debatable.

We started out badly when the waiters ignored us, not even looking in our direction. Eventually a nice young man stopped and asked if we had ordered, excusing himself for thinking that we had already ordered, even though we had the menus in our hand. My wife ordered the more expensive menu for 24 euros, called a menu de degustación, or connoisseur's menu. It consisted of white beans (favas) as a first course and suckling pig as the second course. I ordered gazpacho and trout for 15 euros. The favas were passable but the suckling pig was a smallish slab of fat thrown on the plate with no attempt to make it look halfway attractive, no red pepper or slice of lettuce, or a few fried potatoes. Nothing. My gazpacho came in tiny cup and the waiter promised to bring the accompanyment--the chopped tomatoes, green onions and yellow onions. I had almost finished when they arrived, once again the waiter thinking that they had already brought them to me. The trout was edible, certainly nothing special. Then came dessert. For the gourmet menu my wife got a scoop of vanilla icecream and a rather standard cakelike preparation. Mine, for the price of the menu, was better quality, as I at least got flan.

Favorite Dish: I enjoyed the water.

Lovely place, awful food, cold, tinned and quite simply badly seasoned. For the price they charge go somewhere else. This is a general phenomenon in all Paradores in Spain, someone has obviously said save money, or make more money so they have started with their restaurantes, it is a pity because beforehand it was a treat to eat in a parador, now it is substandard, a waste of money, and more importantly a waste of time.

Well, I don't know about anybody else but I don't like complaining but when I do it is usually because I can't eat something, and in this case it was fish that was completley burnt, I complained, they looked at me and continued about their business, of course I was a 'guiri' and only there for a few days so they didn't care one bit. I didn't say anything else, I don't make a fuss but I do not forget so here I am not recommending this restaurant, it treats people really badly, charges a lot, and has food of substandard. This is my opinion online as my opinion to the waiters and owner didn't matter one bit.

Had a 'romantic meal' here. The setting is wonderful but the food is very standard and the prices are not. I asked for dessert the 'fruta del tiempo' and I got a bruised banana and apple!!! Pleeeaseee, at these prices.......

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You will surely see the local performance of cutting the suckling pig only by hitting it with the edge of a dish. We saw it at Jose Maria, where we were taken for the first time by local politicians (experts, I presume). A delicious meal, repeated several times, without local company.

I went to Segovia for the first time in 2002, and after that I've been there at least once a year. Jose Maria became my natural restaurant. And its location, a few meters from the cathedral turns the way to and from the restaurant into a very pleasant walk.

Favorite Dish: Matanza, judiones, cochinillo

The Plaza Mayor at Segovia has a great market (I was there on a Thursday), but the resturaunts were expensive for a day trip to Segovia. After visiting San Martin church, I ate at the Resturaunt Bar San Martin. For thirteen euros you get a three course meal and wine or bottled water that was very delicious. A bonus is the small square with church, statue, and people watching outside.

Favorite Dish: The meat medallions in wine sauce was great.

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As we were walking up the main avenue that leads to the Aqueduct, we caught a whiff of the delicious aromas that were emanating from Casa Amado, a tiny little restaurant located just a few feet away from Segovia's most famous monument. We decided to sit at a table on the sunny sidewalk patio and order a light lunch while soaking up the atmosphere. I ordered a dish of ham and artichokes (alcachofas salteadas con jamon), and although it might not sound like anything special, it actually was one of the best meals I've had at a restaurant in Spain - so full of flavour, and it also went remarkably well with the light rose wine I ordered :o) The staff was friendly and efficient, and the hour we spent chatting and people-watching is one of my favourite memories from my day in Segovia!