The place
Pembrokeshire’s Narberth has become a destination for food lovers. Synonymous with the town is Ultracomida, which is embedded in the local community and has established itself as a draw for visitors from across Britain.
They are a staple of Sunday supplement travel pieces, so it’s no surprise that people come from afar to shop and eat here, or that The Times’ Marina O’Loughlin described it as ‘truly excellent’ and somewhere ‘to pretend…that you’re in Pamplona rather than Pembrokeshire’.
Good to know
If Aladdin had been Spanish, this is how his cave would have looked: every available inch of the deli has been co-opted to bring you ‘Spain in Wales’.
Owners Paul and Shumana have been working with producers for over 20 years now, and it shows. Shelves are crammed with oils and vinegars; with jar after jar of Spanish olives in multiple varieties; with pickled garlic and spicy guindilla peppers; and to the tinned seafood that is such a feature of their Vermut bar.
The chilled shelves, too, are busy with cheeses and cured meats- obviously, there’s a heavy bias toward Spain, but Wales and France aren’t overlooked. The prodigious selection ranges from truffled manchego and idiazabal to Hafod and Perl Wen, and with Spanish charcuterie classics such as chorizo, lomo and jamón. Naturally, you’ll find a lavish selection of Spanish wines, liqueurs, beers and Asturian ciders.
What to order
In the dining room, pick a stool at the bar or settle in at one of the three big communal tables.
The space is just right for informal, sociable dining, with a menu full of Spanish classics.
Familiar favourites include arroz con conejo (a hearty plate of golden rice with rabbit and chorizo), croquetas and pinchos morunos, marinated pork skewers with padrón peppers and allioli.
Get here early to grab the daily tortilla. It might take two hours to prepare and twelve eggs to make, but it doesn’t hang around for long- and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
Specials change frequently. You might find hake with lentils or octopus with fried potatoes and allioli, as well as pork belly with fennel or various filled Galician breads.
There’s a generous selection of wines, of course, a virtual tour of Spain, as well as vermut on tap.
Ultracomida has an identity all of its own. It’s little wonder that its reputation brings visitors from near and far. You might just be here for a while.
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