FINE DINING - ALBERT'S ON THE PORT
Poster: Sam Jones 19/03/2008
Tucked away in the picturesque port of Cabopino, Albert’s has been something of a Costa institution for years. Known best for its flamboyant décor, live entertainment and attentive team of staff, it is one of those places where both residents and visitors return time and time again for the welcoming atmosphere. Fun-filled lunches or evenings can be enjoyed at leisure on the pleasant sun terrace or in the theatrical interior, where you cannot help but talk about the eclectic mix of unusual pieces and accessories.Albert’s has recently been taken over and the new owners have brought with them enthusiastic new management. Although the “Albert’s essence” remains the same, the main changes can be seen in the imaginative new menu created by head chef Patrick Taylor, whose experience in the fine dining world took him across the UK and to Dubai before he decided to settle in Spain. His attention to detail, quality and consistency means each dish from the creative seasonal menu arrives at the table beautifully presented and bursting with flavour. The extensive list of dishes caters for customers from breakfast through to dinner: breakfast ranges from a traditional full English to a healthy fruit platter, or the best bucks fizz; lunch offers a variety of dishes from a simple ploughman’s, tasty sandwiches and freshly prepared salads to homemade burgers, pasta dishes or natural smoked haddock with new potatoes, poached egg and mustard grain sauce. The dinner menu offers tempting starters such as char-grilled wild tiger prawns or goat’s cheese and caramelised red onion tartlet; and mouth-watering main courses including herb-crusted cod fillet, salt-baked sea bass, Argentinean steaks and calves liver with crispy bacon, spring onion and butter mash. A colleague and I were invited to sample this delectable new menu and, on every account, it did not disappoint. I opted for the daily specials – lightly toasted chapatti with mozzarella, Serrano ham, rocket and tomato all drizzled with olive oil, followed by a delicious homemade steak and ale pie – while my colleague chose char-grilled local asparagus with hollandaise, and organic salmon fishcakes served with steamed green beans, lemon butter sauce and chives. We both agreed they were the best fishcakes we had ever tasted. Sunday lunch at Albert’s remains as popular as ever, with a choice of roast sirloin of beef, whole shoulder of lamb, honey-glazed gammon and turkey, roast pork with crackling and homemade apple sauce or a fresh fish dish. Entertainment from a selection of the Coast’s leading entertainers adds a memorable touch to Sundays and makes Albert’s the perfect venue for celebrations and special occasions (live music can also be enjoyed each evening throughout the week). After 16 years well-established on the Coast, Albert’s has undergone some impressive changes but it’s pleasing to see that the restaurant’s spirit remains the same and that the winning formula of welcoming service, charming setting and enticing new menu will surely keep friends and customers returning for many more years.
