The restaurant Pelayo Gastro Trinquet has won the first prize in the Tapas d’Ací contest, which every year recognizes the best tapa of the Comunitat Valenciana. A bunyol of smoked all i pebre, blowtorched eel, roasted garlic cream, sliced almonds and suquet, conceived by chef Pablo Margós, was the winning recipe, which can already be tasted in this restaurant for 5 euros.
In the contest, organized by the Confederación Empresarial de Hostelería y Turismo de la Comunidad Valenciana (CONHOSTUR) with the collaboration of Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, competed 59 other restaurants from the provinces of Valencia, Castellón and Alicante, whose tapas can still be tasted until next Sunday, May 25 for 5 euros and accompanied by a beer or glass of Valencian wine.
In addition, from next week, the winning tapa will be available in the other two restaurants of Gastro Trinquet Group in Valencia: Vaqueta Gastro Mercat (Carrer de Sant Ferran, 22) and Casa Baldo 1915 (C/Ribera, 5). The selling price in these restaurants will be 5.50 euros, as confirmed by the group to this media.
The jury that voted for this dish was chaired by Cuchita Lluch (member of the Royal Academy of Gastronomy), accompanied by Rubén Miralles (Rubén Miralles Restaurant, 1 Sol Repsol), Marta Devesa (Hogar del Pescador Restaurant, 1 Sol Repsol), and Javier Vega (Memoria Gustativa Restaurant, 1 Sol Repsol).
For the final verdict, criteria such as presentation, creativity, sensory values and the use of local products and proximity have been valued.
The cathedral of the pilota
Pelayo Gastro Trinquet is located inside the historic Pelayo Trinquet, known as the “Cathedral of Valencian Pilota” in the neighborhood of La Roqueta.
The trinquet, inaugurated in 1868, is the oldest indoor sports venue in Europe and a benchmark for the indigenous Valencian sport, pilota.
In 2017, the gastronomic space Pelayo Gastro Trinquet was inaugurated, which fuses sporting tradition with Valencian cuisine. The stadium can be seen from inside the restaurant.