Toby was telling me about the hotel’s brand-new á la carte menu, which has already received a lot of praise — three people had told me about it with unusual enthusiasm, something that had never happened to me before, so I had to go up to the hotel to get some details.

   The chef, Alfred Rodriguez, is Gibraltarian but in his youth he impressed the management so much that they sent him to England’s Lake District to widen his experience and gain more skills. It turned out to be a wise investment as he has become the main man behind the outstanding food in the hotel’s Rib Room and Wisteria Bar.

   Toby (real name Isaac but nicknamed Toby from his surname Tobelem) told me that before returning to The Rock Hotel, Alfred also went on to work at one of Britain’s finest restaurants, Le Gavroche, the only London restaurant with three Michelin stars.

   The Rock Hotel’s quality is longestablished, and the imagination shines though once again in the menu of the restaurants, which hold not one but two RAC Ribands. Toby emphasised that the ribands, along with the hotel’s four stars, were awarded by the British RAC, not to be confused with the Spanish equivalent, the RACE.

   A quick selection from the menus, then. Apart from the fixed á la carte, every day has a special House Menu, which, at £23.95, lets you choose three courses from a list of nine. On the day I was there you could start with Leek and potato soup with summer truffle oil, or the more exotic Grilled sepia on garlic aubergine with lemon grass beurre blanc. The third starter was Couscous salad scented with herbs and kalamanta olives.

   The three mains are Panfried medallion of pork, tomato and capsicum salsa with chorizo beignets; Potato- crusted hake dusted with oak-smoked paprika and saffron nage; or Pavé of turkey with pear and ricotta cheese and sage pan gravy, seasonal vegetable and potatoes. All followed by either a selection from the sweet trolley or cheese and biscuits. A glass of chilled manzanilla and the Rock’s own herb-infused olives are included.

   I won’t quote the á la carte menu in full but, at a random glance, there are ten starters including Honey and soy roasted quail on a crouton with chicken liver mousse and spiced apple chutney; and a diversity of appetising variations on imaginative salads, sea food, chicken, salmon and pasta. They range from £7.95 to £11.95.

   Ten is also the number of main courses, such as Butter-roasted fillet of beef, gorgonzola crust and rioja & walnut jus, at the start of the list; and roast duck breast with chocolate and claret glaze, sweet potato and grain mustard tuile at the end. Fascinating variations on lamb, local line-caught sea bass, turbot, calves’ liver, daurade royale, tuna, chicken, and pork fillet are also there to make it hard to choose, and prices go from £16.50 to £19.50.  

   Vegetarians are well looked after, with three special dishes at £14.95; and the chef and brilliant waiters (under restaurant manager Mohamed Youznassi) will serve any item from the starter menu as a main vegetarian dish. There are five desserts, or a choice of British and Iberian cheeses — served with fruit, walnut bread and quince jelly. Oh, and the menu has a selection of Moroccan and Spanish specialities as well.

   Wine? “General Manager Stephen Davenport is a true wine connoisseur and expert,” Toby told me; “he seems to know everything about the subject; that’s why our wine list is so big and so good.” I counted no less than 95 wines on the list, and then saw a note to say it was simply a representative sample of the complete stock. For the slightly simpler life, there is also the Barbary Bar, where you can pop in for a drink and, if you want, a brilliant array of sandwiches, baguettes, pies, tapas and all sorts of other goodies.

   It’s the combination of excellent food and service, plus a total commitment throughout to being thoughtful — giving lots of little extra touches — that has made this one of the great hotels over its 74- year life. Guests come back decade after decade; guests from other hotels come for the food, and it’s the venue of choice for an almost nonstop flow of weddings for couples from Gibraltar, the UK and all over the world. Weddings can be for just two people, or a full reception for up to 170. No matter how small, there is the same attention to detail, with management presence throughout to ensure perfection. 

   “They like it so much here that they then come back for their anniversaries, or the guests just come back for a long or short holiday,” Toby told me. Conferences and other functions are regular features of the hotel’s life and one of the great sources of praise for the staff and management. Have a look at www.rockhotelgibraltar.com and click on “Our customers say…”

   In fact, there is so much that The Rock Hotel has to offer, including business breakfasts and large and small conference facilities, that a look at that quality website is both worthwhile and interesting. All I can add is that to enjoy the new menu, reservations are essential. To book, call 73000, fax 73513 or email rockhotel@gibtelecom.net.