"Coming from Greece and being very keen and frequent seafood eaters, we possess the ability to distinguish good seafood and this is an excellent place for those who give attention to what really matters. That is, fresh materials, authentic non-pretentious atmosphere and friendly and efficient service. The place is family run with Fernando himself being at the forefront of overlooking things. Fernando’s personal care together with the rest of the family’s effort is truly reflected on the standard and quality of the food and the service. The family also owns a sizable fishing boat which gives them a truly invaluable advantage. That of controlling the quality and freshness of their prime materials. We discovered this place and all the background once we were taken there by very good local friends, Joana and Sergi, who happen to know the place and Fernando. Our friends are equally passionate about good top-quality food. The restaurant itself is simple, contemporary and very well kept. It’s authenticity stems from the fact that it is preferred by the locals, another sign of its quality. The atmosphere is relaxed and at times on the noisy side, as locals tend to get excited over good company and food. We started our meal with the traditional bread, mashed fresh tomato and garlic olive-oil sauce, which come complimentary and they were fresh and delicious. Our standard local salad was also very fresh and tasty. There were four of us, myself, my wife and our Spanish friends and we wanted to have the opportunity to taste several things. We therefore shared numerous dishes. We started off with fried calamari, which were very, very tasty and golden crispy fried. We moved on to steamed mussels which again were very fresh, full inside and very nicely cooked in their natural juices, lemon and some onion. Absolutely delicious!!! The third dish was “Gamba de Denia”, that is, Denian red shrimps. These rank top among shrimps across restaurants and are renowned for their taste. Most importantly, the ones we had were correctly cooked, grilled with care ensuring that they remained moist and succulent. They were simply heavenly!!! Our meal continued with grilled langoustines cut across in half and therefore easier to eat. I wish I could convey the smell and the taste. We were nearly in tears of pleasure by then, but the enjoyment was far from over!!! The langoustines gave their turn to two small sized lobsters, which were alive while we were choosing our fish for the main course. The smell, the taste and the texture reflected freshness but also a high degree of respect and knowledge, on how you truly need to handle this prime seafood material. We thought that the gastronomic delight would climax with the fish we ordered as a main dish but we were totally wrong. The fish was indeed superb in quality and taste. Fernando was all this time coming by our table to see if everything was ok and expressed real interest in ensuring we were comfortable with the food. Yet what I found really striking, was the fact that when our fish was cooked and ready, Fernando cleaned the bones and served it himself. I know this is normal and happens in many fish restaurants and even by owners. Yet what really made the difference to me, was Fernando’s concentration, love and commitment, while cleaning the fish. This was indeed striking, as you could easily see that this was a person who knew well the anatomy of every fish and most importantly, this was a person who truly loved his job!!! I shall refrain from describing the fish’s taste as you might think I might be exaggerating. But far from that, the taste was simply divine. We were almost in tears of joy when the homemade mango sorbet landed on our table. Can’t say enough about its taste and texture. It was just the right thing to take away the seafood taste from our pallets. And by the time we thought that was it, there can’t be more, four champagne glasses with a dark red liquid came to our table. Just one sip was enough to appreciate the age and delicate taste of this magnificent unique wine. A 20+ years desert wine, a Pedro Ximenez Tradicion from Jerez. Simply indescribable!!! You have to definitely try it. I shall end my description of this experience here. I shall only tell you that we asked to see Fernando and as he approached our table, we stood up, we raised our glasses, took a sip and we applauded him for such a fantastic seafood gastronomic experience we had. We of course did not miss the opportunity to take pictures with him. The bill came and it was way too logical for the type of food and the joy we had. We are definitely going to remember this meal for years and we definitely are going to come back to Denia and to the Fernando restaurant. It is indeed a top-notch seafood eatery."
