Location Location Location, sitting high on the hotel terrace one looks right down toward the coast at Gibraltar, and I suspect on a really clear day, the North African coast. The hotel is well signposted in the small streets of the village down narrow streets of Spanish homes opening straight onto the street. Unless you are staying at the hotel I would suggest you park at the first available slot and enjoy a stroll through the town to the hotel and restaurant. Gaucin is an excellent trip out from Ronda or forty minutes or so from the coastal towns of Algeciras and Estepona.

So enough about the location lets get to the good bit. Say hello to James Duckett the chef in charge. Looking more like a cheery prop forward on a tour of Spain, perhaps the new crew cut did it. James has developed a healthy fresh menu based on the local produce and techniques. James has been about a bit traveling through France Holland and Australia after learning his trade in London. How do I know this? Well, because James came and chatted to us after we grunted our approval through a number of courses. He is what you want from a young chef: passionate, engaging, and (my wife says) handsome.

So what did it for me? Well a three course dinner that simply hit all my buttons. The starter was a cerviche of prawns and scallops, looking salsa like on the plate, infused with lime coriander and a dollop of avocado cream. The main and the winner for me was a Squid ink risotto with salt cod and prawns. Now I am a risotto fan – I have eaten them in Italy, Croatia and where they take a real pride in perfection, Barcelona, but this was perfection. Salt cod can be tough to take, but flaked lightly into the risotto this was heaven. Smooth creamy flavours washed down with an excellent Sauvignon Blanc from northern Spain, a real treat. And for pud, and this is what brought me back a few days later with parents in tow, were caramelised figs with an almond crust and vanilla ice cream. Heaven.

Take a look at www.casablanca-gaucin.com