The establishment is located at 55 Dr. Julián Sanz Ibáñez Street and is currently run by Jorge Botella, with his mother, María Isabel Gil, in the kitchen. Thirty-three years ago, Jorge and his wife took over a bar that was closed at the time and kept the name it already had. Both had experience in the hospitality industry and decided to pursue their own path running the establishment.
Since then, the business has changed, and so has the venue. In its early years, it had more of a traditional tavern-like appearance, but it was later renovated. What has remained is its commitment to home cooking and, above all, to the product featured in the bar’s name.
THE COD THAT IS DESALTED AT THE BAR ITSELF
Cod is the star of El Rincón del Bacalao’s offering. The establishment works with product from Iceland and carries out the desalting process on-site before preparing its different dishes.
The menu offers several versions of this fish, including cod in strips, battered, Orio-style or ajoarriero-style. This specialization is precisely one of the reasons the establishment has attracted customers from different neighborhoods of Zaragoza. “It’s a product that isn’t prepared very often,” the bar told ARAGÓN DIGITAL in an interview, explaining that this focus on cod is one of the keys to its identity.
Beyond the different recipes, the product has remained a constant throughout these three decades. The establishment’s name was already linked to cod when its current owners took over the business, and they decided to maintain that specialty while expanding the offering with new options.
BRAVAS, TORREZNOS AND SHARING PLATES
Although cod is the main attraction, the bar at El Rincón del Bacalao also offers other options for an informal tapas meal. These include torreznos, battered dishes, croquettes, toast and various sharing plates, as well as homemade patatas bravas, which are also among the most popular choices.
Homemade dishes in which cod is the star.
The idea is simple: home-cooked food, generous portions and good value for money. A formula that allows customers either to come specifically to try the cod or to stay and share several plates around the table.
A LOYAL CLIENTELE AFTER 33 YEARS
Three decades running a bar also create a regular clientele. At El Rincón del Bacalao, they say many customers continue to visit frequently, while some come from other neighborhoods of Zaragoza, attracted by its dishes.
That continuity has not been without difficulties. As with many small hospitality businesses, staff shortages and the costs associated with maintaining a workforce have become some of the main obstacles in recent years.
This has been compounded by the changes the sector has undergone since they opened their doors. Nevertheless, El Rincón del Bacalao has managed to remain behind its bar and retain a clientele that, after 33 years, continues to return for its familiar dishes.
The establishment is located at 55 Dr. Julián Sanz Ibáñez Street, in Las Delicias, and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, with Monday as its day off. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it serves from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; on Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; on Fridays and Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; and on Sundays, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
