Judería Valle del Jerte Restaurant

Restaurante Judería is on calle Federico Bajo in Cabezuela del Valle, right beside the church of San Miguel Arcángel, in the old quarter that has been a historic-artistic site since 1998. The house is also a hotel. In the kitchen is chef Juanjo Flores, who starts from Extremaduran recipes and valley produce and gives them a modern technique, and on the menu those dishes sit alongside more informal ones.

In the shade of San Miguel

The church beside the restaurant was built over the old synagogue, in the part of the village where the Jewish community lived until 1492, and that is where the name comes from. The valley tourist office's listing gives it a dining room and a separate bar, a terrace, a fireplace, a private room and high chairs, 47 seats and wheelchair access. It is a one-fork restaurant, registration R-CC-000625.

The menu: revolconas, Iberian pork and cherry

The main menu publishes prices. To start there is beef carpaccio (€17), grilled foie gras mousse (€15) and a tartare of tomato, avocado and smoked salmon (€16), as well as two salads, one a warm goat's cheese roll (€14). The local section is the most typical of the valley: a board of four Extremaduran cheeses (€18), patatas revolconas with La Vera PDO paprika and crispy pork belly (€12) and field-fed Iberian ham cured at 1,180 m in Piornal (€20 for a 120 g portion).

Among the meats, the acorn-fed Iberian abanico is served carved with the house sweet-and-sour cherry sauce (€22); there is also Iberian pluma (€24), pork tenderloin (€18), a half-kilo beef entrecôte (€25) and slow-cooked ribs (€22). Among the fish, grilled queen scallops with garlic and lemon (€3 each, minimum six), cod (€21), sea bass (€19) or octopus legs (€24). The homemade desserts cost €6.50, among them a cheesecake with valley cherry jam. Bread is charged separately, at €1.50.

In season, the website announces special menus starring the cherry and the chestnut, and it currently has Christmas sharing menus published.

Gastrobar with dogs, dining room with fireplace

The house advertises itself as pet-friendly: in the gastrobar area you can eat with your dog. For the dining room, ask when booking. The valley tourist office's listing says it does not admit animals, so if you come with a dog, confirm by phone where they can seat you.

Booking, with no published hours

The website does not publish opening hours or closing days. Book by phone, on 927 472 530 or 626 279 243, by WhatsApp from the website itself or with its table booking form. In the cherry blossom season the tourist office advises visiting the valley midweek because of the crowds; if you go at a weekend, call first.

The restaurant has no car park of its own. Leave the car down below, outside the old quarter, and walk up: a stroll around the old Jewish quarter, the church and the Cherry Museum is a few steps away and fits in before lunch. The tourist office is at the entrance to the village.