Asador El Nogal

We stopped in this unprepossessing town looking for lunch after a morning visit to the nearby church Santa Maria de Melque. Low expectations were more than exceeded by the careful preparation, attentive service and high quality offered by El Nogal. The chef proposed several tapas prepared from fresh, seasonal ingredients (hors carte), along with a very good asparagus-based amuse gueule. We did not sample any of what are presumably the specialties of the house (cordero asado, cochinillo, and other asador staples), but our sampling of salads and hot dishes showed a high standard. If you are driving out on the A-5, this is a great place to stop over for lunch and worth the detour.