Those of us who come down to Uruguay’s Atlantic Coast year round have two restaurants to applaud – Baby Gouda in La Barra and La Olada just outside of Jose Ignacio’s Playa Juanita. Open year round, they have attained the stature of loyal die hards, and we are grateful. While everything else closes up tight as a tick outside of high season (December to mid March), these two adorable and quite delicious restaurants remain open the full 12 months and, judging from dinner last night, do quite well thank you! La Olada’s charming dining room, open to the kitchen and mud oven, was full. Baby Gouda, all white and loungey and stylish, with delicious drinks, salumi and cheeses among other offerings, is the go to stop on the main drag through La Barra.
If truth be told, the motivation of the two owners is less to show other Uruguayan enterprises that there is life after the full summer party and more to satisfy their own passion for surfing!