šŗ RESTAURANT PRESENTATION: WHY HAS BELIN BECOME ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE MEETING PLACES IN PUERTO DE MOGĆN?
There are restaurants you visit once while you are on holiday, and then there are places that gradually become part of everyday life.
For several of us who live here in Puerto de MogƔn, Restaurante Belin Vistamar has become one of those places.
A morning coffee. A quick lunch between work and meetings. A couple of drinks with friends in the afternoon. Or getting dressed up a little and going back for dinner.
And there are several reasons why we keep returning. šŗ
š First of all, THAT location
Belin sits directly on the beachfront promenade, and particularly in the late afternoon, it really is a lovely place to be.
You have the beach immediately in front of you, the sea beyond it, people strolling along the promenade and that relaxed Puerto de MogƔn atmosphere around you.
They have also recently given the restaurant a bit of a facelift with new furniture, and I think it looks really good.
It has become a bit of a meeting place for us.
š¹ And I need to tell you about the drinksā¦
One of the reasons we often end up here in the afternoon is the value.
They regularly have very good drink offers, including a pint for ā¬2.50 and cocktails for ā¬5. ( 16.00-18.00 )
And those cocktails arenāt something I recommend simply because theyāre inexpensive.
Their PiƱa Colada is genuinely one of the best I have had in a very long time. Creamy, cold and dangerously easy to drink. šš
Those of you who remember Samās PiƱa Coladas at Zoo Bar will understand that Iām setting the bar rather high when I say that.
š½ļø THREE COURSES + A DRINK FOR ā¬15.90?
This is another reason Belin deserves mentioning.
Their daytime Menu del DĆa costs ā¬15.90, and it is available until 17:00.
You choose a first course, a main course and a dessert, and a soft drink, bottle of water, beer or glass of wine is included.
For your first course, there are choices such as gazpacho, Caesar salad, garlic mushrooms, tuna with tomato and onion, or Russian salad.
Then you can choose between dishes including fried sardines, grilled fish with Canarian potatoes, pork chop, steak and chips, grilled chicken or Bolognese pasta.
Finish with ice cream, Greek yoghurt or vanilla flan.
ā¬15.90 for three courses and a drink, sitting directly opposite Playa de MogĆ”n.
It is difficult to argue with the value of that.
š But what do I actually order?
Now we come to one of my favourites.
The ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach, served with butter and sage sauce - ā¬16.50.
Oh my goodness. Have a roll with it - dipp it the butter and sage sauce ā¦yummy
It sounds simple, and visually it isnāt necessarily the dish that screams for attention.
But I absolutely love it.
Butter, sage, ricotta and spinach. Sometimes simple combinations are exactly what you want.
š¶ļø Perfect for sharing
We also quite often order a few dishes for the table.
The PadrĆ³n peppers (ā¬9) are lovely, as are the croquettes and fried cheese with blueberry jam.
And then there is something very simple that I always notice.
The bread arrives warm.
Add their aioli, and somehow the bread basket starts disappearing rather quickly. š
If you want to make more of a meal from the tapas, they also offer a Chefās Mixed Tapas selection for ā¬22 per person, minimum two people.
š„ And then there are the paellasā¦
If there is one part of the menu Belin seems particularly known for, it is probably the paella.
And there isnāt just one.
Vegetable paella starts at ā¬18 per person, meat paella ā¬21, black paella made with MogĆ”n squid ink ā¬24, seafood paella ā¬23 and mixed paella ā¬25.
Then things become rather more adventurous.
There is lobster paella at ā¬32 per person, seafood and fresh fish paella at ā¬28, seafood and crayfish at ā¬29, and even a meat paella with Chateaubriand or T-bone steak at ā¬32.
Paellas are for a minimum of two people.
š Fresh fish right by the sea
Being where we are, fish and seafood naturally occupy a large part of the menu too.
There is fresh fish of the day at market price, grilled salmon, tuna tataki, fish tacos, fried fish and mixed fish and seafood grills.
And if seafood isnāt your thing, the menu goes in practically the opposite direction too, with fillet steak, Black Angus rib-eye, Chateaubriand, lamb, chicken, pork, veal and burgers.
There are vegetarian and vegan choices as well, plus sourdough Pinsa Romana-style pizzas.
So yes, the menu is very extensive.
And that can be both a strength and something worth mentioning. When a restaurant offers everything from paella and fresh fish to steak, pasta and pizza, not every person is necessarily going to love every single dish equally.
That is also reflected in the reviews. Most are very positive, while some guests have found individual dishes less impressive.
Which brings me to something important about these presentations.
šŗ The people behind a busy restaurant
One thing I have really noticed after spending more time here is just how hard this team works.
Long days, a busy terrace, people constantly arriving, drinks going out, food going out, tables turning over.
Alessio, who manages the restaurant and is also involved in the ownership, is extremely attentive.
And then there is Alex.
I sometimes watch him and wonder how one person can seemingly be in six places at once. š He is constantly moving, completely focused, serving, clearing, checking tables and then disappearing somewhere before appearing again two seconds later.
The rest of the team are all welcoming, attentive and professional.
It is easy to sit at a table on holiday and forget how much work is happening around you.
ā What do other guests think?
Belin has built a strong reputation online, with a rating of around 4.2 out of 5 from hundreds of Google reviews, and it has also received Tripadvisor Travellersā Choice recognition.
There is plenty of praise for the location, friendly staff, paella, fresh fish and value for money.
But because I want these Restaurant Presentations to be balanced, I also read the criticism.
Some guests report slower or less organised service when the terrace becomes extremely busy, and there are mixed opinions about some individual dishes.
And there is one criticism I actually understand very well.
š¤ The one thing I would personally change
The people standing outside encouraging passers-by to come into restaurants.
This isnāt unique to Belin. You see it at a number of restaurants in tourist areas, and I understand perfectly well why businesses do it.
But personally, I donāt like it.
In fact, for quite a long time it actually stopped me from going into Belin.
Puerto de MogƔn receives enormous numbers of visitors, and Belin already has one of the best locations imaginable, directly opposite the beach. I personally think the location, menu and restaurant should be allowed to sell themselves.
That is simply my preference, and other people may not be bothered by it at all.
And clearly, it didnāt stop me forever. š
Because once I actually started spending time there, I discovered a place that has become one of our regular meeting points.
šŗ So what exactly is a Restaurant Presentation?
You may have noticed that I am deliberately no longer calling these posts restaurant reviews.
I donāt arrive with a checklist.
I donāt award points for the napkins, count how many minutes it takes for someone to bring my drink or pretend that one dinner makes me a professional restaurant critic.
Instead, I want to take you inside places in Puerto de MogƔn.
Show you what they look like, show you the menu and prices, tell you what I have eaten, introduce you to some of the people behind them and share my own experiences.
And sometimes, as with Belin, that experience isnāt based on one evening at all.
It is based on many coffees, lunches, afternoon drinks and dinners.
As always, this is my personal experience. Have a look at Google and Tripadvisor too, read what other guests have experienced, and then make up your own mind.
But for me?
Belin has become one of those places where somebody sends a message saying:
āShall we meet for a drink?ā
ā¦and somehow we all know where we might end up. ššŗ
š PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Belin Restaurante Vistamar
š Avenida Varadero 7, Playa de MogĆ”n
Right on the beachfront promenade, overlooking Playa de MogƔn.
š Reservations: I recommend booking if you particularly want a front-row table overlooking the beach, especially for dinner.
š©āš»Website : restaurantebelin (com) inkl reservation and menus
Elisabeth šŗ
Belin Restaurante Alessio Fabbri
Comments