Restaurante La Majada

Restaurante La Majada is a pastoral-themed restaurant in Zafra, a handsome walled town in the southern province of Badajoz that serves as the gateway to the Sierra Morena and the livestock routes — the cañadas reales — that have defined Extremaduran agricultural life for centuries. The restaurant's name, majada, refers to the temporary shepherd's shelter used during seasonal cattle drives across the region, and the pastoral theme is not merely decorative: the kitchen is dedicated to the cooking of Extremadura's livestock culture, with lamb and sheep's cheese at the centre of a focused menu. Caldereta al pastor, the shepherd's lamb stew made with wine, garlic, pimentón and wild herbs, is the kitchen's signature and one of the most accomplished versions of this classic dish available in southern Extremadura. Cordero a la miel con especias — lamb roasted with local honey and aromatic spices — demonstrates the kitchen's willingness to add regional flavour complexity beyond the purely savoury. The flan de queso de la Serena, a dessert made from the intensely pungent ewe's milk cheese produced on the plains east of Badajoz, is an unusual and memorable end to a pastoral meal. Zafra itself is a beautiful town with an arcaded plaza and a Parador-converted castle; La Majada is an integral part of any serious visit to the southern Badajoz province. The dining room carries the pastoral aesthetic with wooden furniture and earthy tones without veering into parody. The wine list emphasises local Ribera del Guadiana labels.