Eating - Spanish Style

Marbella is renowned for up-market shopping, designer clothes, expensive restaurants, difficult parking, and .... tapas bars.

Within a very small area you have, amongst others, Gorki's, La Venezia, and my favourite, Gambrinus, all serving excellent "bits and pieces" and raciones.

Gorki's is famous for its red wine and open sandwiches as well as the excellent jamon and cheese platters, although the lentil and bean stews are also superb. La Venezia has an extensive menu including some very good soups and sausage platters and Gambrinus is a cerveceria (beer house) renowned for its fish and shellfish dishes.

Choose a high stool near a beer barrel table on the street to take advantage of the sunshine or to people-watch, or ensconse yourself cosily (and noisily) inside - Spanish conversation is always animated, and entertaining to watch! Order several plates, grab a fork and a piece of bread... and enjoy! - if only they would replace those silly little thin paper napkins with something which would really mop up, it would be perfection!

Where is this informal, gastronomic paradise? Between the main road (Ricardo Soriano) and the Paseo Maritimo (the sea front/promenade) behind the BP filling station - look for signs to Gambrinus and look for the jolly little fat man holding a foaming beer tankard! See you there!

Tapa Bars in Fuengirola

ontinuing my series of articles on the best tapas bars in the various towns on the Costa del Sol, this month I want to tell you about the marvellous selection to be found in Fuengirola.
Years ago there were very many tapas bars in the centre of Fuengirola, mostly serving a wonderful variety of fish tapas and raciones (platefuls). The majority were to be found in the small streets surrounding what the non-Spanish call “Fish Alley” (now you know why), and were frequented almost entirely by the Spanish. Then mass tourism arrived and these bars disappeared to be replaced by restaurants, often with a low priced menu del dia, catering to tourists. One really had to search to find tapas. But, thankfully, in the last few years tapas bars have made a real comeback. Some of them have gone upmarket somewhat, but all of them are well worth a visit.
So let’s start at the bus station. Well situated alongside the entrance you will find El Marengo. Here you can stand at the long bar and select your tapas, or if you prefer, and this is typical of the new breed of tapas bars, you can sit at one of the inside tables and have a rather more substantial series of delicious dishes. There is also an outside terrace.
Just behind is El Tostón, an up-market tapas bar/restaurant, extremely popular with the Spanish. I prefer to sit at one of the barrel tables in the bar area, where the walls are lined with wine bottles, rather than at the normal tables behind the bar. El Tostón was one of the first of this type of establishment, and has a fine selection of wines, served in beautiful large goblets.
Moving west to Calle San Pancracio we find a cluster of three bars. La Bodega de En Frente is my choice for cooler days, as it has a huge log fire. This establishment is not strictly a tapas bar, although tapas are sold. For instance, when the fire is lit, one can have a special little barbecue brought to the table on which you can cook your own meat, etc. A daily Andaluz speciality here is the Toro de Lidia, made from bulls that have fought as opposed to having been bred for eating. This is truly a place for the lover of meat. The wine selection is also very good. Opposite is the Tanque de Salmuera, owned by the same people. This bar/restaurant is perfect for lovers of beer. The way the beer is served is quite distinct from elsewhere as they have a special salt method of keeping the temperature at a constant 2 degrees. At 3 degrees I am told it freezes. Their name, Salmuera (literally dead salt) comes from this special cooling method Peering through the window from outside one can see the wonderful display of fish on offer, which is their speciality. Opposite Tanque de Salmuera is a very small bar called La Picada, which opened eight months ago, and seems to be doing good business.
Moving on again west we come to La Solera. More restaurant than bar really, but one can sample a selection of tapas at the bar. The walls here are also lined with bottles of wine, which help to create a cosy atmosphere. You can choose your wine from a stock of 300 varieties. Specialities of the house include Lasagne de Verduras y Mariscos (lasagne with vegetables and shellfish), Revuelto de la Casa (scrambled eggs with asparagus), and Colorudillo de Bacalao (salt cod with red pimiento sauce).
In the Myramar area there is the old established Tomaquet. Lit by strip lights, and with no attempt at décor, nevertheless the food is excellent, and inexpensive.
The newer Tipi Tapas is in the road parallel. Typical of the modern day tapas bar, they serve a huge selection of goodies to eat, and it is always crowded.
In the Avenida de Mijas we find three rather special places: two opened many years ago plus a new one. Los Manueles is an old favourite of the Spanish and originally served only tapas with drinks. Particularly tasty were the tiny lamb cutlets or the garlic mushrooms cooked on the parilla in front of your eyes. Its success led them to expand to a restaurant, but it is still today a popular tapas stop off. The other old favourite, La Paz, is at the opposite end of this avenida. Again, there is no concession to décor. It is noisy and atmospheric. The effort to obtain a table tells you how good the food is, especially their fish. Lastly, the newly opened Taperia Mi Mesoncito, which lies half way between the other two. This might well be able to claim to be the smallest tapas bar in Spain. With only two tables inside, things can get very cosy. They also have tables on the pavement outside, and it is well worth a visit.
If you want to try a little bit of real Spain, I urge you to try these delightful watering holes. You won’t regret it.

Pass the Pasta

Dinning Italian Style

If the pasta ends with the letter ‘i’, Da Bruno’s cooks it: tortellini, ravioli, cannelloni spaghetti, gnocchi. And ones that end in ‘e’ too, like fettuccine, linguine, penne and lasagne. Put this together with the variety of sauces like the fragrant pesto sauce made with fresh basil leaves or tomato based marinara sauce, and you have the perfect recipe for a great pasta, cooked al dente, of course.
But to begin at the beginning, a bowl of steaming Minestrone or Tomato Soup is a warming starter. Alternatively, choose one of the several salads on offer or a choice of Hors d’oeuvres like salmon carpaccio. Vegetables, fish and meats are mixed together to form the toppings on the whole list of pizzas available, either to share as a starter or have on your own if you cannot bear to half it! If you prefer meat to pasta and pizza, try the scalopine with lemon or the saltimbocca with parma ham and sago. The variety of fresh fish extends from sole to turbot to prawns or if you cannot decide, go for the Mixed Grill Fish and give your palette a real kick!
In Marbella, the name Da Bruno’s is synonymous with Italian fare, whether it be the one on the Golden Mile or in the heart of the main street on Calle de Ricardo Soriana or the newer one in Cabopino. When you can go to a restaurant that is enjoyed by children and adults too, you know you are on a winner!

Restaurante

"Don Quijote"

To most people, going down to your local for dinner usually means a run down café with cheap food, cheaper wine and even cheaper furniture. Not so for me. My local restaurant is Don Quijote, a 60 seater establishment, owned by a Belgian husband and wife team who are usually on premises to chat to their regular customers and welcome new ones.
Nestled in the El Rosario Urbanizacion, the outside of the restaurant is adorned by a chain of dainty fairy lights, inviting customers into the cosy and richly decorated atmosphere within. In the warm summer months, the large outdoor terrace is a perfect place for el fresco dining, with the additional thrill of the weekly flamenco show every Sunday night. Most evenings you would not even get in without a reservation, when the restaurant is buzzing with the sounds of customers of diverse nationalities chatting or sharing a joke with one of the long-standing waiters. The lively sounds of the 3-man band of strolling minstrels adds a very local Andalucian flavour to the evening.
While sipping your first glass of wine from the fine selection available, and munching through the French bread with the two accompanying dips, you are free to amble through the extensive menu, including a variety of seafood and meats. For all the times I have eaten there and for all my self-made promises to choose something different, I always return to my favourites: Fried Camembert Cheese in Creamed Spinach, followed by tender Chicken Breast with rosti potatoes and a mixture of delicious seasonal vegetables. But the meal must begin with garlic bread, grilled golden brown and crispy to perfection. Dessert is always the chocolate soufflé, complemented by any one of the liquor coffees on offer.
Next time I will try the Onion Soup Au Gratin … or the Florentine Salmon … or the Hot Goat’s Cheese with Honey Caramel Apple … or the Prawns Pil-Pil… or the Duck Magret in Orange Sauce.
Or not.