Eduardos La Finca

Before Elliot Wright moved back home he had been successfully running La Finca de Eduardo’s for almost 7 years.

“The restaurant was part of me and I hated to move away but my wife and I took the decision to go back to UK to see how life would suit the family.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all that we had hoped for.”
“We initially went back to Dundrum in Ireland from where we moved to the UK and although we planned to take a bistro our hearts were always over here, with the two Eduardo’s restaurants in Spain.

But I was pleased that we got away. It allowed us to have time as a family to think and to refocus on what we wanted out of life. Going away often freshens up the mind an that was certainly the case with me. It let us to take a step back and look at the future.

It also allowed me to look around at what my family and my friends were doing in UK, to learn from them, to take some of their ideas and to start to develop them alongside my own.”

“If things didn’t work out in UK the intention was always to come back to Spain and take over the management of Eduardo’s Villamartin and as such it was with that in mind that i began to plan ahead.”

“It was also while I was back in UK that I met Jamie Sankey. Jamie was a chef who had successfully trained with Nigel Howarth, the Michelin Star chef at Northcote Manor. After effectively running the kitchen for Nigel, Jamie moved to his own place in the Channel Isles where his restaurant won the ‘Pub Diner of the Year’ award, so he was well equipped, an extremely well qualified chef, one who took his food particularly seriously and one who, at the time I am pleased to say, was looking for another challenge.”

“Over the weeks we became very good friends and after we found that we shared many of the same passions and ideas for food it just seemed a natural step that Jamie would come back to Spain with me and help to develop my vision for Eduardo’s.”

“In the past the restaurant always had a very good reputation but, at the time, it was perceived as being a little too pricey for many of the region’s permanent residents, a large majority of whom live on fixed incomes, and who were not in a position to afford expensive nights out.

We looked at the menu which we spent a great deal of time refashioning. Jamie is very creative with cuisine and he introduced a number of new dishes which are an amazing combination of art and taste, dishes that he knew would be popular with the clientele that we hoped to attract, and as a result the new price structure is now such that you can order a main course for as little as €6.95.

A two course set menu will cost you just €3 more and you can eat a full three course dinner at a price that will rival any other restaurant in the area, just €12.95. The important thing that happened was that the thought pattern changed. Rather than close down during the winter months we now want to attract more local custom, which will enable us to trade throughout the whole year.”

“As well as reinforcing the excellent service and food in the restaurant we have also completely changed the entertainment programme, introducing such established Costa Blanca favourites as Nick Gold, Andy McBride, Luke Wider and Kevin Tyler.

And we will also be bringing out acts from the UK. Indeed next month, one of London’s leading cabaret stars, Mark Stratford, will be singing in the restaurant. Mark packs out venue’s wherever he goes and last time he visited Eduardo’s the seats were more in demand than for a Wembley Cup final.”

“So, going away actually did me a lot of favours. It allowed me to refocus my mind and it also introduced me to Jamie, a chef with a very bright future and perhaps, at this point in time, the very best chef in the area.”

“What I would say to everyone out there is that we are changing things around and we now think that we have got just about the right blend so if you haven’t tried the restaurant for a while come back and have a look at us once again.”

“Similarly, if you have never been to Eduardo’s, I guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised. Try the food that we have got on offer, see the service; see the affordable prices and the ambience.  With stunning views of the Villamartin Plaza, carefully crafted cuisine, served up in an atmosphere of formal elegance, you are just not going to get a better meal or entertainment than at the Costa Blanca’s finest restaurant.”

Although I had been to the restaurant on a number of previous occasions I was particularly looking forward to my overdue return, going along and trying the new menu with my wife, seeing just how much of an influence Elliot might have made in his few short weeks in charge. And once again I was pleasantly surprised; thrilled by its usual high standards, creative food, sleek service and aesthetically-pleasing dining room and terrace.

I found that, in addition to the introduction of a number of new dishes, the tried-and-tested theme still continued on the menu, which, continues to observe the less-is-more rule of good gastronomy with the focus on quality rather than quantity.

My wife had the Chicken Liver Parfait which was complemented by homemade bread while I started with the soup of the day, a deliciously light leek and potato creation that proved a delightful beginning.

For the main course I chose Twice Cooked  Pork Belly served with apple puree, black pudding pommes puree and a cider and mustard jus. The pork was cooked to perfection, coming with a welcome addition of a chunky portion of crackling, although it quickly disappeared across the table. My wife opted for the Whole Baked Dorada cooked in sea salt.

After moving the salt to the side of the plate the fish was found to be exquisitely cooked, tastefully light and fresh, and complemented by a side order of fresh vegetables. We both declined the sweet, for no other reason than we were pleasantly full, but the selection of homemade desserts was extremely difficult to forgo.

Throughout the evening, the service was exceptional. A delightful maitre ’d, kept abreast of all proceedings while a young and willing waitress earned top marks, by being attentive and polished throughout.

The entertainment too was first class. We visited on Wednesday evening when Nick Gold was the man with the mike. One of the best things about Nick is not only his ability to sing, but also his capacity to entertain.

He has a wonderful voice with such an amazing range and on the night his efforts were truly appreciated. During a short break in proceedings Nick told me how much he enjoyed appearing at Eduardo’s. “The audience are always very appreciative of what I do and the reaction I inevitably get is always approving”.

Prior to leaving at the end of a very pleasant evening Elliot was also very complimentary about Leanne and Jodie, the maitre’d’s at Eduardo’s and La Finca de Eduardo’s. “I don’t know what I ever did without them” he said. The two restaurants run like absolute clockwork, due in no small way to the effort and the hard work that they both put in, dealing with every little detail and leaving nothing to chance. I am very lucky to have them both.”

“But while I was away and looking for greener pastures I always knew that when I did come back Eduardo’s would still be the same, successful restaurant that it has always been, because, despite the occasional difficulty that we all experience in life and in business from time to time, the one thing that keeps coming back to mind might well be only a cliché, but it is absolutely true.

While form is only temporary, class is permanent and that’s exactly what you have at Eduardo’s Restaurant.”

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