Restaurants In Costa Del Sol

You will be pleasantly surprised at the wide choice of restaurants to be found on the Costa del Sol where you can find both international and Spanish cuisine.

The cost of eating out varies tremendously and in some of the fashionable resorts you will find prices on a par with top international restaurants anywhere. All the resorts have their local Spanish restaurants with a welcoming and traditional atmosphere, which are informal and offer first class food at very reasonable prices. You will also find a multitude of international restaurants competing to offer wide menus at a good price – the choice is yours!.

Spanish restaurants do tend to have a good selection of fish available as this plays an important part in the Mediterranean diet. If you can’t decide on which then choose a ‘fritura’ which is a selection of local fried fish, or try some freshly caught sardines cooked over a charcoaled fire on the beach – known as an ‘espeto’.

Andalucian cooking is based mainly on fish and seafood which can be enjoyed also at the beachside ‘chiringuitos’ but food from the Basqe and other northern regions can also be found in the resorts and is more meat based. Argentine restaurants naturally serve excellent beef, but generally pork, chicken and lamb are readily available and either grilled or fried.

If you are looking for meat and vegetables on the same plate as a main course then you might be disappointed. Many main courses are served with just a vegetable garnish, since the Spanish will often eat a vegetable dish as a first course. Vegetarian restaurants are few and far between although gradually on the increase. Otherwise, the majority of restaurants serve suitable alternatives to meat and fish. Such as omelettes, salads, filling soups like gazpacho, rice dishes and pasta.

For dessert the choice is fairly limited, with ice cream, cream caramel, fruit, rice pudding, and gateaux being the order of the day. Cheese is not usually eaten as a dessert but as a starter or a tapa.

Most restaurants offer a menu of the day, which is usually excellent value and quite filling for between 6 and 8 euros. Generally it includes three courses with wine or beer and water. For a light meal then tapas are a good idea, where small plates of tasters are served with a piece of bread. These can be pieces of Spanish omelette, prawns, meatballs, tripe, pork in tomato sauce, Russian salad, for example. They are usually on display on the bar top, and can be hot or cold. Many different plates can be ordered and shared.

You won’t go far wrong by ordering the Spanish house wine, red white or rose. However there is usually an interesting wine list to browse through, which will make happy reading, especially the price column!!

NERJA

has a great variety of Restaurants, Bodegas and Chiringuitos from which to choose. For lunch, the great favourite is to head for a Chiringuito on the beach front and indulge in traditional 'Paella' washed down with local wine or a mixture of fish dishes, fresh every day from the local fishing boats, usually served with a mixed salad and crispy bread. In the evenings, throughout the narrow streets of Nerja, there is a wide choice between Spanish cuisine and any other type of restaurant you could desire.

TYPICAL MEALS AND COSTS

A three course a la carte meal with coffee in a typical and informal Spanish restaurant is likely to cost between 15 and 21 euros.

Below are three typical three course meals and their costs, including one for vegetarians. A bottle of house wine costs around 8 euros and a glass of house wine costs around 3 euros.

Menu 1

Strater: House salad

3 euros

Main course: Fritura Malagueña

9 euros

Dessert: Creme caramel

2 euros

TOTAL

14 euros

Menu 2

Starter: Asparagus with 3 sauces

4 euros

Main course: Grilled lamb chops

8 euros

Dessert: Whisky tart ice cream

4 euros

TOTAL

16 euros

Vegetarian

Starter: Eggs Flamenco

4 euros

Main course: Vegetable Lasagne

7 euros

Dessert: Fresh fruit

4 euros

TOTAL

15 euros

Even the smallest bar/restaurant along the coast will have a menu in English, however, inland this might not be the case. Here are a few translations to help you.

Bill
Fizzy water
Still water
Beer
Beer (no alcohol)
Wine, red, white, rose
Garlic
Rice
Tuna
Beef
Port
Lamb
Chicken
Ham
York ham
Sausage
Spicy sausage
Fried
Grilled
Ice cream
Vegetables
Squid
Shellfish
Crab
Egg
Fish
Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Mustard

la cuenta
agua con gas
agua sin gas
cerveza
cerveza sin alcohol
Vino, tinto, blanco, rosado
ajo
arroz
atun
ternera
cerdo
cordero
pollo
jamon Serrano
jamon york
salchicha
chorizo
frito
a la plancha
helado
verduras
calamares
mariscos
cangrejo
huevo
pescado
queso
sal
pimiento
mostaza