Plaza Olavide is always busy, and often it's just the fact of outdoor seating that's the big draw more than anything else. But you will find an oasis of organic food in Mama Campo, which is part restaurant and part shop enjoying a symbiotic relationship. They also enjoy a close relationship with all their suppliers, whether they're bringing in honey or Swiss chard.
The menu respects the seasons, and we tried a winter tasting menu that started with a gorgeous cream of pumpkin and orange. Next was a beetroot 'coca' bread with wild mushrooms (these, and the cod, are among the very few non-organic items on the menu). Next up were the meaty 'cocido' croquettes, which could have been a bit lighter, but their flavour and texture were out of this world. As the 'calçot' season had just got underway, we got to sample them on a dish called 'Under ground', along with potatoes, chives and leeks. Mushrooms came back in a sumptuous rice dish. The main event arrived in the form of a spectacular braised cheek that melts in the mouth.
For the finale there was a selection of three of their desserts: a magnificent cheesecake made with real cheese, 'torrijas' (similar to French toast), and their 'chocolate and olé', as we suppose you get deserve some sort of a cheer if you can make it this far. Everything is highly satisfying and recommendable. You'll definitely want to go back, at least once a season.
