Top of your list when looking for a good restaurant are things like quality, value for money, good service and then a welcoming atmosphere. That is just the top and when you put it together it's quite a lot, which is why many places fail to meet our expectations. Going from the Egg roundabout in San Antonio down Avenida Doctor Fleming you'll eventually stumble upon a restaurant that does all of these and does them very well. It's name: Can Gust, a place which people, once they know it go again and again.
The place is owned and run by Argentinian couple Gustavo Castro and Andrea Pisano, who like many chefs before them always dreamed of having their own place. Between them they have worked at some very well reputed spots like Mint Lounge, Meson Abad, Villa Mercedes and La Cava. Here they are doing their own thing: the place is cosy yet stylish and has a real homely feeling – this is the point: you should almost feel as if you are in your own living or rather dining room and you get just that.
Carefully selected produce
Here you get market food that is very carefully selected. Andrea says, “Gustavo is almost obsessive about the meat,” which is no surprise with the owners hailing from Argentina: they know their stuff and know how to prepare it well. There's some influences of the home country in their excellent lunchtime fixed price menu which comes in at under €11 per person, which gets you a starter, good sized main with bread, a drink and coffee included. In the main, the focus is on their tapas, their mains and their famous and huge tablas for two people showcasing their great meat. They are hugely popular and you get a lot for what you pay.
For this kind of quality readers, you are getting a spankingly good deal. They do everything well: the house wine, is good, no plonk; they do heavenly desserts and each thing that comes out of the kitchen screams eat me. So, drum roll…
Exquisite cuts
We decided to try some of the dishes from the main menu and the fixed-price menu del día to get a sweep of what you can expect. After ordering, they brought us some to-die-for crostini with fresh-grilled peppers and white cheese, topped with a Pedro Ximenez reduction. The tapas are beautifully done and are large in size. We got some fat prawn tempura with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. Sounds simple, but doing it well isn't – these were amazing, meaty and juicy. The next two came accompanied with some thick home made finely sliced very tasty fried potato. One was the exquisite cut of presa, from the black Iberico pigs and topped with wild mushrooms: lots of sauce and lots of flavour. The steak with foie combined a serious juicy and tender steak with a duck liver paté on top, the creaminess of the liver mousse taming the wild bit of beef on my plate. These are a great way to dip into their food, but warning: the plates are well sized.
The fixed price dishes came in the shape of a prettily presented goats cheese salad, the cheese warmed and topped with a caramelised red onion, with salad leaves (no cheap iceberg lettuce). The dressing set of this little number, meaning the plate was soon licked clean. The boned chicken thigh gave us a nice bit of tasty bird with a rich blue cheese and cream sauce. I even took home what was left, since my companion had to dash. I just couldn't bear to leave it. All the food had been incredible up to this point, until, until…the humdinger of a strawberry sponge and mascarpone tarte. I was full, but there was no way after trying not to finish it. I did and spent the rest of the day with a smug grin on my face.
Growing success
Andrea says that they probably do double the work of others by making things from scratch every day. They probably do, but it is so worth it. They are full on weekends in winter and in summer you'll require a reservation. It's no surprise that the majority of their tourist clients are (for now) those gastronomes, the French. The place has been successful with just word-of-mouth recommendations and no advertising. That it is a growing success is no surprise. We suggest you try them out at your earliest convenience.
What? Can Gust
Where? 37 Avenida Doctor Fleming, San Antonio
When? Every day except Sunday
Why? Fresh and honest food with a warm welcome
Average spend per head? €30 for a tapa, main, dessert and glass of house wine / Fixed price lunchtime menu (Tues-Fri): €10.50 for starter, main, bread, coffee and a drink
Veggie Options? Not really, but meat is much the point here
Disabled Facilities? No
Top tips? Try the table for two. You'll be stuffed, you'll be happy.
Room for Improvement? If there is, they're working on it.
WORDS: Julian Heathcote
