El Arco. Good team. Great place.

This relatively new and unpretentious bistro in Antequera town centre is going from strength to strength. The combination of forward thinking management and a committed staff team is working well, and it has already won accolades from local clientele.

Of note, in addition to its established appealing menu, it is now serving the best paella in town. This observation is based not on any personal expertise in the craft of paella making, but on the number of Antequeran families regularly turning up for the weekend servings (it is wise to reserve a table now as it sells out quickly).
It is cooked in front of the terrace, and it is intriguing to watch Paco, the specialist paella chef, calmly stirring in the ingredients over a period of some two hours prior to serving. The aroma is great, and the purposefully-staggered introduction of flavourings is a modest education in the art of paella preparation.
The gas-fired cooking pan looks like a pre-war tin washing up bowl, but the result is amazing. Rice is cooked al dente – so many paellas I have tasted have lovely flavours but overly-cooked rice – and a good level of marisco and carne.
Paco has a few secrets up his sleeve, but smilingly keeps these confidential, saying deferentially that his wife `taught me everything!´

But paella or not, El Arco touches the spot. There is nothing complicated about the menu. It offers good food, thoughtfully purchased, professionally prepared and served nicely, with customer satisfaction being the primary objective.

Discussion with the proprietor, Javier, reveals that refurbishment plans are afoot for 2010, based on the revenue generated by an already-loyal customer base. The existing Moorish tiling and basic wall decoration do it for me, but inherent Spanish aspirations to modernity will no doubt move it on a step in the next few months. (I have put in a personal plea to Javier not to make it too `space age´.) Once the warmer climes have returned, you would want to dine on the rambling terrace in any case, as it has one of the loveliest locations in the town.

We are going through the cold season so bring a jacket, but give this place a try. At the value for money end of the dining scale, it is hard to beat, and the personnel are excellent.
Paco on paella, `José the Jamon´, Melanie Maitre `d´ (who recently required six stitches in her hand after flunking lessons from José on the finesse of jamon carving). Floor staff include jocular Juani, cool Carmen, and nerveless Natalie, with tough Toni in kitchen.

Good team. Great place.