The name means sunset in Spanish, and you can see why they picked it. Make no mistake: if you fancy sundowners and some delicious tapas to wind your day down, Puesta del Sol is a mighty fine place to do it.
The venue juts out into the Gulf on a rocky outcrop that keeps you just low enough to the water to hear the creek waves lapping about you as you chow down on some perfectly fresh seafood. And, on that front, the ceviches in particular deliver. Arriving in cute little glass jars packed with delicate chunks of shrimp and sea bass, doused in a heady tomato sauce that’s cut through with a zing of lime and a welly of coriander, they are the perfect accompaniment to the traditional Spanish mixed drinks also available.
As for what the menu claims are ‘Fire-Grilled Steak Bites’, don’t believe a word of it. On top of our already not-inconsiderable order, we add some of those expecting a couple of meaty little morsels. What we get is a mammoth sliced steak on a wooden board, sat alongside some lovely, lightly toasted and garlicked ciabatta and a dollop of vivid, vibrant and saucy salsa verde. And if you think we’re complaining about any of the above, you couldn’t be more wrong. Suited people in office blocks all around the world may carp on endlessly about the need to under-promise and over-deliver, but whoever is here in the kitchen obviously got the same memo, too.
If we’ve got a gripe, we are all too aware that it’s an old man’s one, and it’s that, in a bid to ram home its chilled out, hang out vibe, the tables are a little low, which means a lot of leaning forward (not easy when you’ve eaten this much). But, really, that’s the only one.
Oh, the guacamole is great, too. And the olives are the size of your head.
The bill (for two)
1x crispy croquettes Dhs55
1x guacamole Dhs60
1x ceviche Acapulco style Dhs65
1x grilled octopus Dhs85
1x fire-grilled steak bites Dhs95
1x fried baby squid Dhs50
Total Dhs410
The bottom line
A lovely spot for tapas and sundowners.
