El Campero

From the outside, there is nothing to differentiate El Campero from any other restaurant, but its mere location provides a clue to what's special about it. It lies in the town of Barbate, on the Costa de la Luz in southwestern Spain, an area famous for its tuna fishing. El Campero specializes in tuna, notably the migrating tuna (these days, mostly yellowfin) that is caught in the late spring and early summer using the traditional (and sustainable) almadraba method, introduced by the Phoenicians 3,000 years ago, in which a maze of underwater nets intercepts the fish as they make their way toward their spawning grounds. On El Campero's tapas and raciones menu alone there are 40 to 50 different tuna dishes, including corazon de atun (grilled tuna heart), extraordinarily delicious ventresca de atun (tuna belly), and Andaluz favorites such as atun encebollado (tuna smothered in onions). A more unusual offering for this part of Spain is the sashimi de ventresca. With tuna this exquisite, eating it raw is a must. —Sam and Sam Clark, Moro, London