El Paradise Beach - Ayamonte

The problems started when we tried to book the table for ourselves and two friends for 9.00PM on a Saturday evening. We were told we could not have the table until 9.30 and that we must vacate it by 11.00 as they had other bookings. I said that would be OK as long as the service was efficient. We arrived on time and were shewn to our table. There were no menus, only a Q code at the far end of the table which was almost in accessible from the other end. I will be honest – I hate Q code menus but I decided to persevere. None of us could get the code to work, so I asked if they had a “proper” menu. One of the senior waiters came over with a tablet and also could not get the code to work. Eventually, our phones and his tablet sprung to life, and the menus appeared on screen. Menus are intended to inform a diner of the choices available, where they fit in the evolving evening and prices. Their menu was very confusing. We all live in Spain and we know that Spanish food does not always fit well in the traditional starter main and pudding categories, but this was a list of dishes, with no indication of size, sharing potential or possible course. As a result, we over ordered on our entry course and two of us under ordered on our main (we did not order a dessert as later events meant that we were running out of time on our allotted hour and a half) We were persuaded to order the bread and humus while we struggled with our meal choices. Half way through it one of us discovered a long auburn hair in the humus. We complained, politely, and the staff said they would bring a fresh order. By now we were 20 minutes into our hour and a half. Fresh plates and cutlery arrived but no bread and humus. We asked again and eventually it arrived. We ordered our main courses and they duly arrive, two were what I would describe as starter portions and the other two would have served either a healthy eater or two careful eaters. By now we were getting more and more disappointed and time was moving on. We ordered a second bottle of wine to have a relaxed end to our meal. Part way through it one of the members of staff reminded us that the table was required for another reservation in ten minutes time but we could finish our drinks at another table outside on the beach edge. We did not point out that the inadequate hygiene and slow Q code response had robbed us of our allotted time but we did linger longer than they liked, just to prove a point. We then vacated our table, went to the outside area and discovered there were no tables available. Eventually they cleared a reserved table and allow us to finish our drinks in a more relaxed manner. We will not be returning to this restaurant. Putting the hygiene issue to one side (it shouldn’t happen but it does), the restaurant seems to be designed to work for the comfort of the staff and not the customer. The trendy menu and rushed attitude do not sit well in Spain where “relaxed” is a way of life.

An afternoon lunch in a beachside restaurant on a sunny Saturday Exciting menu with a wide range of international dishes. Attentive staff and great surroundings. Well recommended

El Paradise is at a great location. Nicely laid out inside and out. Food is lovely. Sit inside or outside. Staff smiled a lot. And were attentive. William was outstanding. He was Very friendly and helpful. Only thing I’d suggest to the management is let customers add gratuity tips to the bill and then pay that via card. Not everyone has cash these days. I recommended this cafe restaurant. We enjoyed our visit.

A pleasant surprise. a very cozy place good attention and very well prepared dishes

A menu very different from the rest of the places of the area, very rich dishes, attentive service, a pleasant place and cared for by the beach