Ubeda’s Finest Restaurant

by Rachel L Webb

Relics were everywhere, I don’t like to live in the past but here in this intriguingly unique bar/restaurant/museum/hotel that we had stumbled across in the heart of Jaén province, Andalucía, is a junkies delight. This is an Aladdin’s cave crammed with junk and relics and it caught my soul.

Having seen the Renaissance monuments and followed guidebook trails  hubby and I took a casual stroll away from Ubeda’s tourist centre. We walked down an unremarkable, in fact rather dingy back street away from the impressive Renaissance buildings and were stopped in our tracks.

We became rooted to the spot, our eyes glued to a white 3 story façade on the narrow street. Adornments festooned, from agricultural implements to ceramic bowls, from street level to rooftop, we looked at each other, mouths open, eyes alight and without words were almost propelled towards the doorway.

We found ourselves inside a cosy bar with dim lights; I could have taken off my shoes and lounged contentedly in a chair, a haven. Mock old wall decorations with very real implements crammed into every nook and centimetre of space.

No high-ceilings or glitter here, more like entering a cave where your eyes need to adjust to the light, but also take in the incredibility of what we had stumbled across.

The dark wooden panel ceiling and wonderfully smelling bar made me feel at home. There was stuff everywhere, hanging, nailed and tied to every surface, with the odd bit of homely dust to add to my comfort.

Behind the bar a large hatch showing the restaurant kitchen, with an enormous open grill fired with scented wood emitted sumptuous smells, cracklings and hissings combined with stomach yearning vapours met us.

The hustle and bustle of lunch preparations was well under way.

Through a sloping passageway, lined floor to ceiling with wine bottles and past the ever-open kitchen door, an enormous patio opened up with cartwheel chandeliers and a vast skylight window.

Is it a restaurant or museum? Well actually it’s both, this is the dining area festooned with an agricultural past, shouting tough times and hard work. But that doesn’t stop me sinking into a chair - completely relaxed.

Every other table and chair was occupied, family groups of three and four generations bantered, ate and drank while arms flailed dramatically animating their words.

I had entered another world and was not prepared to leave until I too had been fed and watered uniquely. Like a child on Christmas morning I didn’t know where to start I wanted it all, to taste it all and see it all - now.

The best meal in the most amazing museum restaurant we’ve ever experienced and we’ll return, next time to stay in this remarkable place.

Because it is also a hotel, to give it its full title - Posada de Úbeda, Museo/restaurante  de Agricola, a large mouthful to go with an even more impressive place.

I have it bookmarked and I will definitely go back. Ubeda the Renaissance town was fascinating- but this place really outshone the tourist zone for me.

Photo’s by Rachel L Webb
www.andalucia-for-holidays.com