Hi, foodies in the Hive!
I hope you're having a good time, and that all your loved ones are healthy and happy π
My sisters and I really like to spend time together. When I'm in my hometown, I usually go for coffee with my two sisters who live there, but when I'm working (my second job) in the neighboring state, I usually go for cocktails with my eldest sister--who also happens to be my boss; no legal issues at all, LOL.
One of the places we like to go for lunch or for cocktails in the evening after we've been working ten to twelve hours non-stop is 212 Lounge & Restaurant.
Why we like it?
Because of its soothing atmosphere: both the staff and customers are rather quiet; we like the music they play there, which isn't too loud--terrific--; the service is excellent; the food is good, and their prices are quite affordable--and fair if you consider the quality of their food and their location, as Lecheria is an expensive city.
As soon as you park your car, you can see inside through its glass walls and thanks to its radiant lighting that combines white and warm light. You can check if it's too crowded that day and make up your mind about entering or going some other place instead.
Location
212 is located in Lecheria on Main Avenue, across Casa Dana--where I like to buy nuts and spices--. You can check their location here.
They have enough space for a dozen cars in their parking lot, which is right in front of the restaurant entrance. If you can't find a place there, you can park in the street. No problem. They keep a security guard for the cars.
Strawberry Mojitos π
We had strawberry mojitos first. My sister loves mojito. She said, "You have to try this mojito!" And I replied, "Go ahead; it's your treat" π
A traditional mojito is prepared by crushing yerbabuena (similar to mint but not the same herb) and sugar in the bottom of the glass and then adding white rum and freshly squeezed lemon. This mojito is the same, but only has a few drops of lemon and the rest is fresh strawberry juice and some chopped strawberries. They serve it in a red wine glass, which is about 350 ml of delicious mojito.
This day in particular, the music was sounding really loud, to our surprise. We complained politely to the waitress and she told us that she certainly didn't know what was wrong, that maybe it was because the guy in charge of the sound was new. In less than a minute, they had corrected the volume to an appropriate intensity so as not to cause the customers to get indigestion.
Trashy music like much of the reggaetones that play everywhere in Venezuela--and sadly in some parts of the world--or just plain loud music of any kind are my no-return tickets out of any establishment. I'll never go back if I can help it, even if the food is excellent.
About that Snack
As soon as you take your seat, a waiter comes and asks you if you mean to drink, or eat, or both. They bring you fried pita nachos and some vegetable spread on the house. Then you can order something else.
We ordered something to munch on while enjoying our cocktails: crispy fried octopus, chips, a mix of lettuce with ranch sauce and paprika on top, and a super good mayonnaise and paprika dip.
Everything tasted fresh and the aftertaste was a dream; there you can feel the good quality of the oil they'd used, and I confirmed that later when my stomach felt just fine.
For personal reasons, I never order octopus--or lobster-- in a restaurant, nor do I buy them to cook at home, but I can't say I don't eat them. I live in a fishing area; seafood, all of it, has been my people's manna for centuries. If you're a fish lover and you happen to come to my city someday, you must try our fish; especially if it is cooked by a local and you'll see how delicious.
More mojitos
We ordered passion fruit mojitos.
They were just as good as the strawberry ones.
The Check
My sister had three cocktails. I had two; each cost $5. In addition to the dish for snacking, which cost 12$, we didn't order anything else. My sister paid $37 and also left a generous tip to the waitress who was the loveliest ever. Compared to the prices elsewhere, I can say that 212 is a place where you'll get the most satisfaction for your money.
All text and images are my own. I have taken the pictures with my Redmi 9T cell phone. And if any GIFs here, I've used GIPHY for all them.
Thank you so much for your visit :)
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