Pura Cepa Frigiliana Review: Stunning views and delicious Spanish food
Pura Cepa Frigiliana Review: Ibérico Pork, Jamón and Manchego in the Old Town
If you are looking for where to eat in Frigiliana for Spanish food, Ibérico pork and local wine, Pura Cepa is well worth adding to your list.
Frigiliana might be one of the prettiest white villages in Andalucía, but sightseeing around its steep cobbled streets soon works up an appetite. On our visit to Pura Cepa Frigiliana, we settled in for a some serious Spanish food, Jamón Ibérico de bellota, Manchego cheese, slow-cooked beef rib and secreto Ibérico pork, followed by Manchego cheesecake and lemon pie.
Pura Cepa Frigiliana Menu
Pura Cepa’s menu has plenty of Spanish influence, with a particular focus on Ibérico meats, Spanish cheeses, fish and wine.
There are smaller tapas-sized dishes alongside larger plates, making it somewhere that works equally well for a glass of wine and a few snacks or a longer lunch or dinner.
Naturally, we went for the longer option!
Jamón Ibérico de Bellota
We started with one of Spain’s great pleasures: Jamón Ibérico de bellota.
The ham is served with tomato toast and extra virgin olive oil, keeping everything refreshingly simple and allowing the jamón to do the talking.
Jamón Ibérico de bellota comes from acorn-fed Ibérico pigs and has that distinctive combination of rich savoury flavour and melting fat that makes it such a treat.
Alongside a glass of local wine, it’s a very good way to begin a meal in Andalucía.
Manchego Cheese
Next came the Manchego cheese, another Spanish classic and a natural partner for the jamón.
Firm, slightly nutty and full of flavour, Manchego is one of those cheeses that doesn’t need much fuss around it.
Ordering cheese and cured ham together also makes a good choice if you’re visiting Pura Cepa for drinks and want something to graze on rather than a full meal.
We, however, had much bigger plans.
Slow-Cooked Beef Rib
One of the highlights of the main courses was the confit beef rib, served with roasted potato and Padrón peppers.
Slow cooking is exactly what beef rib needs. It gives the fat and connective tissue time to break down, leaving the meat rich and tender. Which this certainly was.
The roasted potatoes made this a hearty dish while the Padrón peppers added a welcome green, slightly bitter contrast to the richness of the beef.
It is certainly one to consider if you are searching for the best meat dishes in Frigiliana or want something more substantial than tapas.
Secreto Ibérico Pork
Our other main course was the Secreto Ibérico cooked at a low temperature, served over rosemary potato.
Secreto is one of our favourite cuts of Ibérico pork. Taken from around the shoulder and loin area, it has plenty of marbling, which gives the meat a deep flavour and keeps it juicy when cooked.
Pura Cepa pairs it with smooth rosemary-infused potato, resulting in one of those simple combinations that works so well.
If you’ve never tried secreto before, this is a good opportunity to move beyond the more familiar Spanish pork dishes and discover another side of Ibérico pork in Andalucía.
Manchego Cheesecake
We couldn’t visit a restaurant serving so much Manchego without being intrigued by the Manchego cheesecake.
This Spanish twist on a familiar dessert using Manchego gives the cheesecake a more savoury, slightly tangy character than a conventional ccheesecakel.
It’s also a fitting dessert after a meal that has celebrated Spanish ingredients from beginning to end.
For cheese lovers in particular, the Manchego cheesecake at Pura Cepa Frigiliana is worth saving room for.
Lemon Pie
Our second dessert was the lemon pie.
After the richer flavours of beef, Ibérico pork and Manchego, this was a much fresher way to finish.
Sharp lemon works beautifully at the end of a substantial meal.
Ordering both desserts worked especially well: the Manchego cheesecake was creamy and rich, while the lemon pie delivered the zingy, fruity finish.
Is Pura Cepa Frigiliana Worth Visiting?
Pura Cepa is a good choice for anyone looking for Spanish food in Frigiliana with a strong emphasis on quality meat, cured ham and cheese.
Our meal covered several of the things we always want to eat when travelling in Spain: excellent Ibérico products, Manchego, slow-cooked meat and desserts with a little Spanish personality.
The Jamón Ibérico de bellota and Manchego were an ideal introduction, while the beef rib and secreto Ibérico provided two satisfyingly rich main courses.
And don’t skip dessert.
The Manchego cheesecake is the more unusual choice and particularly appealing if you’re a cheese fan, while the lemon pie with mango and passion fruit provides a lighter, sharper finale.
For visitors searching for where to eat in Frigiliana Old Town, restaurants serving Ibérico pork in Frigiliana or simply somewhere for a leisurely Spanish meal after exploring the village, Pura Cepa deserves a look.
Foodie Explorers Verdict
Pura Cepa Frigiliana delivers the sort of food we want to find in Andalucía – good Spanish produce treated simply and plenty of dishes worth sharing.
Come for the Ibérico ham and cheese, stay for the secreto pork and beef rib, and make sure someone at the table orders the Manchego cheesecake.
Actually, order the lemon pie as well. Sharing two desserts is surely one of the advantages of travelling as Foodie Explorers!
Where is Pura Cepa
Por la parte de atrás, C. Real, 13, 29788 Frigiliana, Málaga, Spain
