La Taberna de Beni has been on the list of places to visit since before I moved to Burgos, though it’s only after more than a year that the Burgalesa and I finally crossed the threshold in search of the ultimate tigre.

Service was quick, despite the bar being fairly busy. The tigers were sent to the kitchen to be fried, and returned a few minutes later piping hot and crispy. We were given a bottle of sherry at the counter, and took our plates over to our table for rigorous analysis / enjoyment.

These were some of the largest tigres I’ve come across. They were a uniform light golden colour all over, and you could almost hear them cracking when we broke through the breadcrumbs and into the gooey centre.

There was absolutely tons of thick bechamel hiding the mussel, though it had a good flavour when doused with the strong sherry we were provided! The meat was quite orange, with small pieces of red pepper and an even consistency. It seemed a bit tomato-y, but not fishy or overly spiced. Parts of the tigre were undercooked, leaving some small sections of the béchamel with the appearance of wet wood glue, though strangely this was not as bad as it might sound… Perhaps this was due to too much flour in the white sauce, or maybe just the size of the thing.

After some discussion, we have agreed that we both liked this tigre, in spite of its evident faults. There is something to be said for a more substantial snack, sometimes! Overall, a solid, but not great example of the genre.. The Burgalesa said that it actually made her top 15, but could not be considered top 10 material. The rest of the menu looks much more exciting.

Calle de Vitoria, 79, 09006 Burgos