Parador de Zafra Restaurant

A table in the Feria castle

The restaurant is inside the alcázar of the Dukes of Feria, the nine-tower castle-palace that the first count began in 1437 and which is now the Parador de Zafra. You enter from the Plaza Corazón de María, five minutes' walk from the Plaza Grande, and it is open to everyone, with no need to be a guest. Paradores presents it as dehesa cooking: Badajoz dishes made with produce from the countryside, such as wild asparagus, cardoons, desert truffles or mushrooms, and plenty of Iberian pork.

Desert truffles, Torta de Barros and caldereta

The autumn and winter menu published by Paradores starts with acorn-fed Iberian ham (€14 for a half, €26 for a full portion), local cheeses with bird's-fig jam, Extremaduran Iberian cured meats, Aceuchal garlic soup with Iberian jowl (€17), golden salt cod à la portuguesa (€15), scrambled eggs with desert truffles, octopus and ham (€22) and shepherd's migas with a farmyard egg (€17). For the main course, Extremaduran lamb caldereta with thyme potatoes (€24), grilled Iberian tenderloin with sweet potato and Torta de Barros (€26), Iberian pluma in Villuercas honey (€28), retinto beef tenderloin (€29) or shoulder of lamb with Matanegra sauce (€32).

In the seasonal section there are Valencia del Ventoso chickpeas with pringá (€18), pumpkin and boletus cream (€16), venison confit in lard (€23) and fish between €23 and €26, from sea bass to hake. The zorongollo, here with Iberian loin in a crock and a farmyard egg, costs €15. For dessert, Paradores mentions the corazones de obispo from the convent of the Poor Clares, Almoharín figs on cream, acorn tart and técula mécula. Bread and oil are charged at €2.40 per person.

Opening hours with no closing day

Lunch from 13:30 to 16:00 and dinner from 20:30 to 23:00, every day. Breakfast is from 7:30 to 11:00 and the café is open from 11:00 to midnight, in case you arrive outside mealtimes. Since it also serves on Sunday and Monday, it is the one the Sunday in Zafra plan suggests for lunch. Book on 924 554 540, at [email protected] or on the Paradores website.

Dogs are not allowed in Paradores restaurants. If you stay in the building, the Parador de Zafra listing describes the rooms; the history of the building, with its marble patio and the Sala Dorada, is in the alcázar of the Dukes of Feria listing.