The romantic historical series “The Cook of Castamar” takes you to Spain in the year 1720. At the center are a duke who must overcome the loss of his wife and a cook who suffers from severe anxiety. MeinMMO author Linda B. has discovered the series on Netflix and tells you what she likes about it.
This is “The Cook of Castamar”:
- The Spanish series with the original title “La cocinera de Castamar” first premiered in 2021. It can now be watched in many languages, including German, on Netflix.
- The story is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Buendía Estudios.
- The series consists of a single season with 12 episodes, each about 50 minutes long.
Here you can get a first impression of the Spanish trailer. You can find the German version on Netflix.
What is the series about?
After the tragic death of his pregnant wife, Diego, the Duke of Castamar, is increasingly pushed to find a new bride. His new cook, Clara Belmonte, must also overcome a heavy fate. Since she lost her father, Clara suffers from a certain type of anxiety disorder that prevents her from going outside.
It’s about the development of these two – truly endearing – characters, about romance and friendship, intrigue and betrayal.
The perfect mix
Like what feels like half of the internet, I too was caught up in the hype surrounding the historical drama series “Bridgerton” during the Corona lockdown. After binge-watching the series, my Google search for “series like Bridgerton” led me to the small series “The Cook of Castamar”.
However, I want to reassure anyone who doesn’t find “Bridgerton” appealing that “The Cook of Castamar” has much more to offer. They both share the basic formula: Someone is to be married off, there are love dramas, lavish balls, and a duke.
The atmosphere, however, is quite different. While Bridgerton feels more like a Disney fairy tale, it’s much rougher here. It feels as if the basic story of “Bridgerton” was taken and a hefty pinch of “Game of Thrones” was added.
Because like in the well-known fantasy hit, there are plenty of intrigues, nasty characters, and plot twists here. This makes “The Cook of Castamar“ a cool mix of heartfelt romance series and thrilling drama.
What else sets the series apart?
I particularly liked the fresh setting. It feels like most romantic historical series take place in Britain, which in itself isn’t a problem. But seeing something set in the 18th century in Spain for a change was really interesting and refreshing.
Since it is a Spanish production, and for example, the actors are from Spain, the whole thing feels very authentic.
The series is overall well-written, and I also really liked the acting, costumes, sets, and direction.
Some members of the MeinMMO editorial team are currently presenting their Netflix highlights to you. These articles have already been published:
Will it continue? Currently, it is unfortunately not known if another season of “The Cook of Castamar” will be released. But it doesn’t look like it. That is unfortunate, as I would have liked to see more. The ending is actually complete, so you don’t have to worry about unresolved cliffhangers.
Conclusion: If you are looking for a light-hearted series, enjoy historical settings, romance, and intrigue, I can only recommend “The Cook of Castamar” to you.
Are you more into dry humor and cola? Then MeinMMO editor Lydia has a crime recommendation for you: A gritty detective series on Netflix full of corruption, dry humor, and cola
