As with José Andrés other Jaleo, this one highlights the spirit and flavors of Spain, showcasing the rich regional diversity of Spanish cuisine. I had been lucky enough to have been at Jaleo for its opening in Washington, DC many years ago so I was looking forward to experiencing his food and service again.

It didn’t disappoint.

We started with perfect cocktails. I ordered their Jerez Old Fashion with Contradiction Bourbon, Spanish Solera brandy, a touch of cinnamon and fernet bitters ($15), one of the best Old Fashions I’ve experienced. My friends enjoyed their Agua de Sevilla with Bourbon, cava and pineapple flavored with sage and orange bitters ($15).


Our starters included his not-to-be-missed Patatas bravas. The heavenly fried potatoes come in a spicy tomato sauce drizzled with aioli ($12) and their tomato bread (Pan con tomate), toasted slices of crispy bread brushed with fresh tomato ($12).

We followed that with yummy Spanish cheeses and one cured meat. When our cheeses were delivered, the server began to describe the three kinds of cheese. We were a bit bewildered as it was missing the Valdeón (D.O. Leon), the intensely flavored blue cheese of pasteurized cow and goat milk. When asked, he said, they were out. Luckily our fabulous waitress Paula walked by at that time and mentioned that she had put aside that final serving for us!

the server then brought out the platter with the three cheeses we had ordered including the Valdeón that was paired with raisins and Pedro Ximénez compressed pears. Their traditional unpasteurized Queso Manchego (D.O. La Mancha) came paired with Moscatel compressed apples while the semi-soft “The drunken goat” cheese immersed in red wine came paired with honey, rosemary and pinenuts.

For our cured meat, we sampled the sobrassada ibérica con miel, a spreadable cured sausage from Mallorca made with Ibérico pork and Spanish pimentón that same served with honeycomb and toasted bread ($15). Delicious, but way too rich for my aging stomach!

We were full — but couldn’t resist ordering their Gambas a la Zahara, head-on shrimp, with garlic and extra virgin olive oil ($29) served  in a hot  skillet.

I highly recommend heading to Jaleo for food and service extraordinaire.

Jaleo by José Andrés
1482 E Buena Vista Dr
Orlando, FL 32830
(321) 348-3211
jaleo.com