I have never seen so many restaurant staff, and all constantly busy, but that was the case at El Tintero in El Palo, a beachfront chiringuito/restaurant with a very different approach to lunch.

The place is huge, outside and inside, and even now, the middle of September, the place was packed – and a queue of people were waiting to get in, including some larger groups I believe.

There is no menu as such at lunchtime, there is a different system and it works like this: The kitchen staff just cook away and the numerous waiters wander round with plates (raciones), shouting out what they have on offer, and if you like the look/sound of it, then you put up your hand and a plate is placed on your table. You continue to do this for as long as you wish.

We had: fried boquerones, octopus, squid rings, paella, king prawns (enormous critters) and clams. Meats and desserts are also available – soooo much to choose from.

Nothing is collected from your table. At the end of your meal, a waiter comes and quickly does your bill based upon the items (plates, bottles etc) on your table. Each type, shape, size of plate has an associated price, so easy peasy. You then pay on your way out.

It’s a large place, beachfront, it gets packed, it can be noisy, all part of what made it such an experience.

Interesting Factoid

In the beginning, El Tintero was actually built on the sand but, in their efforts to eat more but pay less, some of the locals would bury a few plates in the sand. Having discovered this, the owner decided to build a concrete floor so that there would be nowhere to hide the plates anymore. When preparing the area for the floor, workmen discovered around 4000 plates buried in the sand!

Once the concrete floor was in place, customers had to get a little more creative if they wanted to avoid paying for everything. Reportedly, a woman who was stopped on the way out because of the suspicious way she was walking, and the fact that liquid was dripping out of her bag and the folds of her dress, apparently had 14 plates hidden about her person… 

You can’t book, you just have to turn up. Well worth it, I must say.