María Mandiles

Valencia is a small, very calm city and has lots of things to see. When it comes to food, I have found one of my favourite eateries in the city centre. On my first day here, I came across the beautiful María Mandiles restaurant a little after having visited Las Torres de Serranos (which are located very close by). We found ourselves walking through the centre, already very tired and hungry, when we suddenly saw a restaurant with a very peculiar design that we instantly fell in love with. The first thing that will make you want to go in will be how unusual it looks from a distance, as the neighbouring houses and businesses maintain little of the historic city centre's architectural style, which has light and very uniform colours. While, on the other hand, the pink colour of the restaurant and the peculiar awning, which not all buildings have, immediately stands out and catches your attention.

(Exterior view of the restaurant from the table that we ate at)

The decor

The way in which María Mandiles is designed is one of the best things about the restaurant. It's decorated very much in its own style which is a little bit difficult to put into words: a little bit quaint, a little bit feminine, and, on many an occasion, I felt like I was inside a doll's house. This design prevails both inside and out, as there is a little square in front of the restaurant where they have put chairs, tables and parasols, meaning that there is also the possibility of enjoying your meal outdoors.

The word "mandil" is used to refer to pretty much any item made from fabric and is commonly worn when cooking, especially by older people, as it can prevent their clothes from getting dirty; the only thing that would get dirty would be the apron itself. In my home country, this really reminds us of our families, as both mothers and grandmothers alike usually wear aprons when cooking every single day, which ultimately creates a sense of both belonging and shock upon finding a place that alludes to something so personal and cultural. The feeling that the restaurant's service and design evokes is very moving, as we all have that typical little grandmother who would make really tasty food and would force us to eat it all when we visited her.

(Decor of the tables situated inside the restaurant)

The restaurant is decorated with lots of flowers on each table, as well as pink tablecloths, which is María Mandiles' trademark colour. The walls are painted a colour that falls between pink and purple, and you will find some paintings that are made of different type of fabric prints, which all commonly linked with the appearance of very colourful flowers or figures in each one. In all honesty, this style of decor makes the restaurant seem quite feminine, but I love it! The chairs located inside the restaurant seem to be made of wood, just like the coat stands where you will be able to hang up your bags or other personal belongings.

Outside the restaurant, the menu is printed in a larger font, so that you can decide what you want to eat beforehand and work out what best fits your budget.

(The restaurant's menu printed and hung outside the restaurant)

The till area has a style that really reminded of my house, as the little details are very typical in Latin American culture, like the fruit baskets, as well as some clay pots and pans. However, what surprised me the most is that these are also typical of some neighbourhoods in Salamanca too.

(The till area)

There isn't much to say about the toilets, as they are very clean and are in keeping with the style of the restaurant's decor. And, let me just tell you now, it's not very common to find clean toilets in Spain.

(Toilets)

Why is the restaurant called "María Mandiles"?

The owner of María Mandiles comes from Salamanca and he gave the restaurant this aforementioned name because the old women who would leave their houses with their aprons on were known as María Mandiles. Carlos is a designer (as if you wouldn't have expected it) and he told us that the inspiration of this restaurant came from the French mime comic, "The Triplets of Belleville". There is supposedly a reason behind each detail being there, including the collage of remnants that is exhibited as a canvas on the wall.

(Interior decor)

Now for the best news of all... everything that you see as part of the restaurant's decor is on sale, which includes the paintings, sculptures, tablecloths and ornaments! All you have to do is ask the staff for information about the relevant item and they will give you the corresponding prices.

The food

María Mandiles considers itself to be a restaurant that serves authentic, homemade food, and part of its slogan or motto states: "Que como el oficio del tejer, cuida con esmero cada detalle de su producto, cada punto en su mandil. " [translating in English as, "Like the craft of weaving, every detail of your meal is painstakingly taken care of, like each stitch of an apron". ]

If you come to the restaurant as part of a group, they have special menus to cater for you all, although you will also be able to look at their menu online before visiting, or through their Android mobile app, which will soon be available to download.

The secret to their homemade taste and the freshness of the restaurant's food comes down to the ingredients being bought in local shops and markets, so they are contributing to the economy of both the local area and, above all, of the country as a whole.

At María Mandiles, they serve sweet as well as savoury food. Amongst the savoury items on the menu, you will be able to enjoy things like montaditos [small sandwiches], salads and tapas, and if you want to enjoy a tasty dessert, you can order one of the restaurant's specialities, like the chocolate brownie, cheesecake or tiramisu.

With regards to drinks, you won't be disappointed either because they offer a huge variety of cocktails, flavoured daiquiris, juices, shakes, sangria (both classic and with cava), and the traditional Valencian water, horchata.

The day that we went to the restaurant, we opted for the menu of the day, which, back then, consisted of a really delicious paella valenciana. Every day, the restaurant has the tradition of having a special meal "of the day" that is constantly changing.

(Exterior decor)

Description of my meal

It took around ten minutes for my paella valenciana to be served to me (which is something that I didn't love... ), but as soon as I tried it, I realised that each minute that I had to wait had been worth it because it was delicious. It was well presented, which ultimately made it even more appetising, and I have to confirm what the restaurant says time and time again... the food really does have a homemade taste about it!

(Paella Valenciana)

Mind you, if you want something to accompany your paella (like bread, for example), you will have to factor in the additional cost of 1. 50€ for the bread basket.

Prices

The menu of the day cost 6. 50€, the tapas were in the range of 4€, and the salads fluctuated in price between 7€ and 9€. The famous and extremely delicious desserts cost 5. 50€.

On average, the soft drinks cost around 2€, whereas sparkling wines and bottles of red and white were a little bit more expensive; ranging between 12€ and 20€.

If you like drinking tap water, you're in luck because it is free.

Opening hours

What's better than enjoying all that María Mandiles has to offer at any point during the day! That's right, the restaurant is open all the time, as it is supposed that you can go to your grandmother's house whenever you want: in the morning for breakfast, in the afternoon for something sweet, and at night for a drink. It doesn't matter what time you go at, as they will always serve you with the biggest of smiles.

How do you get there?

María Mandiles is located very close to the most central part of the city - a point of reference would be Las Torres de Serranos.

It's not very recommendable to travel there by metro, as you will have to walk a lot after alighting at the nearest station. However, so that you know, the closest metro station is Alameda.

Personally, I recommend travelling there by bike or on foot, as it is the best way to get to know Valencia as a city whilst, at the same time, exercising and looking after the environment. There are lots of docking stations where you can rent bikes from the city's bicycle sharing scheme (Valenbisi).

If you want to travel by bus, you can take any of the following services: 115a, 115c, 115e, 115f or 120. All of these routes will drop you off pretty much in front of Las Torres de Serranos. From there, you have to walk along Carrer del Comte de Trénor, take a right at the fork to head down Carrer de Roteros before turning right and continuing on until you meet the Parroquía de la Santisima Cruz. María Mandiles will be on the corner, but it's next to the church where you will find the outdoor seating area, so you will know if you are travelling in the right direction from a fair distance away.

Recommendations:

• Everything about our visit was incredible. The only thing that I would say is that if you are feeling really hungry, this restaurant probably isn't the place for you. Once you arrive there, you must bear in mind that you will have around a five minute wait before you order and then another 10 to 15 minutes on top of that for your meal to be served.