"Bon Vent", honest rustic food to fill your belly and make you smile.

Here at Jacaranda Spain, our sunday afternoons are best spent relaxing on a terrace, with stunning views, fresh air and some of the best traditional Spanish food to be had! All that, and the magnificent Sierra Bernia mountain as a backdrop.

This week we decided to try "Bon Vent", which is a very popular place with the locals. The drive is spectacular, a 15 minute drive from Jalón up the winding road, past Maserof and along towards the starting point of the hikers challenge, the circuit of the Bernia mountain. This is a 5 hour hike around the tip of the mountain, not for the faint hearted but equally, if you are up for the challenge, take a picnic and start early. Better still, finish with lunch at one of these fabulous rustic mountain eateries.

"Bon Vent" means good wind, and, in the heat of summer, a trip up here brings a welcome cooling breeze. On a clear day the views on the approach to the restaurant go as far as Ibiza and Formentera but the sky was a little on the cloudy side. Its worth waiting for guaranteed sunshine for those views. However, you must book before you come, they are almost always fully booked.

We chose a table inside because the "Bon Vent" was a little on the fresh side! The atmosphere was very relaxed and our fellow diners, all Spanish, were families and a birthday celebration. There was a Spanish singer/ guitarist who happily took requests and this added to the atmosphere.

The menu is standard mountain fare. Paellas, Fideuas and meats cooked on an open grill. You choose your main course and this determines the price. The rest of the courses are included. Two of our party chose the parrilla de carne (mixed grill of meats) and two had the Paella Bernia which is a meat paella with rabbit, chicken and pork. Before your main course there are various tapas; cocas (pastry with various toppings), aspencat (aubergine, saltcod and vegetables), a fresh mixed salad and a small plate of riñones (kidneys). All traditional Valencian dishes, and all delicious!

The courses were served at a steady, sociable pace by a charming young waiter who spoke perfect English to our guests who did not speak Spanish. The service was friendly, helpful and relaxed. The food was excellent, standard fare but great quality. The meat was cooked to perfection, and the paella was tasty and very substantial. We ordered two desserts, just to try them. It has to be said that desserts in these rustic restaurants are not always the best, However, these desserts are home made. Not an extensive choice but we ordered a fig cheesecake and a lemon tart. They were both yummy and most definitely made fresh in house. A few glasses of the house rosado, which was perfectly acceptable, and coffees finished us off and we realised with surprise, we had been in situ for 3 very enjoyable hours.

Bon Vent comes highly recommended. Michelin starred, it is not, but it is- good, traditional food with a generous helping of Spanish conviviality, in a stunning mountainside setting. It is a great experience from the start of the journey up to it.  Book a table at 2pm, sit back and enjoy your super Sunday afternoon!