La Hierbita Restaurant

We went to this restaurant since it was recommended in my travel guide, and everything I had read about it was wonderful. It is in a centric and pedestrian area, close to the Guimerá Theater.

We had had a full day sightseeing and we ended up dining quite late, so the place was full (there was a waiting line), so we had to wait a while, but we stayed in the bar drinking something meanwhile. It is a traditional restaurant that has been active since 1893.

The restaurant is found in a typical house from the Canary Islands, with two floors. In the first floor you find the bar and a few tables, and the dining room is in the back. From there you access the patio and the stairs that take you to the second floor, where there are many small dining rooms. They have maintained the house's original structure, so the rooms are small.

This was one of the worst restaurant experiences we have ever had.

From the moment we arrived, the attitude of the staff made us feel extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome, as if we were being judged. We visited with our two young children (aged 5 and 3), hoping for a simple meal, but the atmosphere was so unpleasant that even our child became distressed and asked to leave shortly after sitting down.

Without any explanation, bread and two sauces were placed on our table. There was no indication that these were not complimentary, nor any effort to inform us of what they contained. This is particularly concerning, as customers may have allergies or dietary restrictions. Before deciding to leave, I tried a small amount of the bread with one of the sauces, and later became unwell and vomited after returning home. Whether intentional or not, serving unidentified food without any explanation is irresponsible and potentially dangerous.

This restaurant is located at the beginning of the city's business area. It is undoubtedly an essential place to try local food with a touch of imagination. The smallest potatoes we had tried, and innumerable delicious dishes that taste better when shared.

The lower dining room is quite normal, but in the upper floor there are tables distributed among the ancient rooms of the house, if you can't sit there be sure to go take a look.