Andalusian Food & Wine,
Shared at Our Table
Food at Cortijo El Sarmiento is simple, generous, and very much part of life here. From a slow breakfast by the pool to an evening that assembles itself around the long table, eating is how the day is held together.
There’s no restaurant, no menu, and no timetable. Just good food, local wine, and the occasional invitation to pull up a chair.
Breakfast, the Andalusian Way
Breakfast is slow here.
From 9:00 to 10:30, the day begins with fresh coffee, crusty bread, and sizzling bacon. There’s butter, homemade jams, a lovely selection of cheese and charcuterie, and everything you need for a proper tostada andaluza — olive oil, salt, and freshly grated tomato. Freshly squeezed orange juice goes without saying, and each day brings something sweet, a yoghurt treat, or seasonal fruit from nearby.
And then comes the only real decision of the morning: an egg — scrambled, fried, or boiled? With or without bacon?
No buffet. No queues. Just a table, a good coffee, and nowhere you need to be.
Yvonne and Carsten are such lovely hosts who made us feel totally at home (and who also made some of the best breakfasts we've ever had).
Daniella, Ireland · Google
Somewhere in Between
Heading out for a hike? We’ll pack you a proper lunchbox. Rolls with cold meats and cheese, fruit, and a yoghurt that slips easily into your rucksack.
Just fancy something small with your afternoon wine, or before dinner? Our mini snack boxes sit waiting in the honesty bar — salchichón, cheese, maíz gigante, salted almonds, and olives. A lovely handful. Just enough.
And when the hunger is more serious, there’s El Picnic de María. A generous picnic box for two (€35), made by our friend María, a local patissière from Antas. Think cured meats, local cheese, freshly baked tortillas, and something sweet to finish. Enough for a proper lunch, and enough for supper too, if a paella at the beach has already taken care of the middle of the day.
The lunchbox and the picnic box are both put together fresh, so we ask for your order the day before. After that, it waits in our fridge until you want it. Pool, sun lounger, our bar, the beach: you choose the moment.
Evenings at the Cortijo
This is where the magic happens — when it happens.
Some evenings, there’s a buzz in the air, and before you know it, we’re slicing Ibérico, uncorking a local red, and the table fills up as if by itself.
Dinner is exclusively for our staying guests, and it depends on the season, on how many of you fancy joining, and on what the kitchen has planned. No fixed nights, no set menu, no obligations.
Sometimes it’s a generous platter of hand-cut Ibérico, aged cheese, and Almería’s famous tomato salad. Sometimes we cook a proper multi-course Andalusian dinner, built around Ibérico pork, lamb, goat, or fish straight from the Mediterranean. And sometimes it’s simply tapas at the bar as the sun goes down.
If the mood is right, we’ll let you know what’s happening. Think of it as a dinner invitation from your hosts, not a hotel service.
Already booked your stay? Just let us know if you’d like to join us for dinner during your stay.
A highlight was having dinner outside on the terrace with the other guests on our second night, starting with an Andalusian aperitif as the sun was setting.
Erin, UK · Google
Wine, Sherry & Good Company
Curious about the local wines?
Discover why Almería’s wines are one of Spain’s best-kept secrets.
Food Is Part of the Place
At Boutique B&B Cortijo El Sarmiento, we cook the food we like to eat. That means Andalusian ingredients, local olive oil, seasonal produce, fish from the Mediterranean, and, very often, a rather generous amount of Ibérico.
Nothing complicated for the sake of it. Just good ingredients, traditional flavours, and food made from scratch.
And because we’re a tiny team, there’s only one menu when we cook for our guests — the one we’ve decided we’d like to eat that evening. We hope you’ll like it too.
Want to know what makes Ibérico ham so special?
Here’s the full story.
Good to know
Our kitchen has a clear point of view and we think that’s a good thing.
We’re not a restaurant, and our kitchen is deliberately small. That means we can’t cater to individual dietary requirements, allergies, or intolerances beyond the basics.
Gluten-free bread and plant-based milk are always available at breakfast, and if you’d rather leave the jamón off your plate, just say the word. For strict vegetarian or vegan diets, we may not be the best match, and we’d happily point you towards some of our favourite local restaurants instead.
María’s picnic boxes are another matter, though. She thinks in possibilities rather than limitations. Tell us what you need, and she’ll build the box around it.
In July and August, we keep things particularly relaxed. Our kitchen takes a little summer siesta, though a shared Andalusian platter, as well as a picnic box, can still be arranged with advance notice.
Just one thing we do ask: please don’t bring your own food and drinks to the Cortijo. If you’d rather cook at your own pace, our Beach Apartments in Mojácar Playa are just the thing.
And When You Fancy Going Out …
Not every evening needs to end at our table.
Mojácar has some wonderful places to eat — from tiny tapas bars in the Pueblo to fish restaurants right by the sea. We’ve tried them all, we have our favourites, and we’re always happy to point you in the right direction or make a reservation for you.
Think of us as your hosts in Mojácar, not just at the Cortijo.
A Seat at the Table
Pull Up a Chair
Good food is just one part of staying at Cortijo El Sarmiento. It tends to be the part people remember.
Don't just take our word for it
Frequently Asked Questions About Eating & Drinking
Is breakfast included at Cortijo El Sarmiento?
Can I have dinner at the Cortijo?
Do you offer wine tastings?
Is the food suitable for vegetarians or vegans?
Are there good restaurants in Mojácar?
Can I get a packed lunch or a picnic box?
Yes — three ways. For a hike, we’ll pack a lunchbox that fits easily into a rucksack. For something small with an afternoon drink, our mini snack boxes sit ready in the honesty bar: salchichón, cheese, maíz gigante, salted almonds, and olives. And for a proper picnic there’s El Picnic de María, a box for two at €35 — two kinds of cheese, the finest cured meats of the region, vegetable sticks with guacamole, sobrasada, salted almonds, fresh brioche, hard-boiled eggs, and freshly baked mini tortillas, followed by two of María’s Masgotinas and a brownie with red berries and salt flakes. It’s flexible, too: more charcuterie, hummus instead of sobrasada, or entirely vegetarian. The lunchbox and the picnic box are made fresh, so please order the day before.