Food and Drink, Costa Del Sol

Astral Cocktail bar

The Astral Cocktail Bar is situated next to the marina entrance in Playa Puerto Banus. It is a truly unique, open-air bar, built to imitate a wooden pirate’s ship with an 8-metre mast and white sails, and has been a fixture in Puerto Banus since 2002.

It serves the most amazing and delicious fresh fruit cocktails, made with premium brand liquors which can be sipped while sitting on the terrace or the garden that leads straight onto the beach.

An unusual feature in this bar is the cooling mist spraying from pipes above, ideal for hot afternoons and evenings.

There is live entertainment during both the day and evenings and is open from early afternoon until the early hours of the morning.

The service is good and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Beachfront bars

In the Costa del Sol there are many beachfront bars at all the resorts, most offering good food and drinks at reasonable prices. On Sonora beach, for example, there is actually a bar called Sonora where you can relax, have a drink and soak up the sun. Later in the day, it gets much livelier with some great bands playing.

If you are staying near Carvajal beach, you might like to try La Cubana bar where you can get lovely nachos and dips, salads, and wraps and delicious mojitos. A great place for lunch or a late afternoon snack.

For something different why not try one of the ‘chiringuito’ which is basically a wooden shack on the beach serving simple inexpensive food and drinks. Many also have music and create their own, unique ambience and will be more informal than a normal bar.

Cheap places to eat

The Costa del Sol has numerous cheap cafes and bars throughout the whole area, so no matter where you are holidaying you are bound to find an eating place to suit your taste and budget.

Many Brits like to still have a good old British breakfast, even when on holiday. If you are staying in Fuengirola, then the Scoffers Café is where you should head for. The food is cheap, the portions large and the food very good.

Still concentrating on English food, the Drunken Sailor in Benalmadena is a typical Brit bar and restaurant with a great view. The food is home cooked and excellent value for money. Sunday roast is a must.

For traditional Spanish tapas, one of the best places is the Cafe-bar Mercado Atarazanas which is situated right in the heart of Malaga’s central market. All the ingredients are sourced from the market itself that day

Harbour Restaurants

Puerto Banus is the most famous marina in Spain and has many places to eat and drink. The Piucaro Restaurant is a lovely place for a meal, with perfect views, delicious high-quality food and is a perfect place to sit and watch the sun go down.

Puerto Marina at Benalmadena also has many restaurants, all located in the heart of the harbour so that customers can enjoy the unbeatable views and relaxed location. Whatever your preferred cuisine you are sure to be able to find an appropriate restaurant here.

If you like Italian food, you could try the Pizzeria La Parolaccia, where all meals are beautifully cooked and presented and quite reasonably priced. Perhaps a steak is more to your liking? if so, the Restaurant Tex Mex Gringo’s would be a good choice. You can enjoy beautifully cooked grilled meats with an assortment of accompaniments while seated overlooking the marina

Hard Rock Café

The Hard Rock Café is located situated in the heart of Puerto Banus, adjacent to the Marina Banus shopping centre.

The moment you enter you will be transported to that iconic musical experience that only a Hard Rock Cafe can deliver; one filled with countless musical memorabilia connected with some of the most popular performers in history. There is space for about 300 people and offers a great dining experience throughout the day and in the evening. You can enjoy delicious American-styled food along with burgers, buffalo wings, and salads.

Because of its popularity, the Hard Rock Café is often quite full and you may have to queue to get in. To overcome this problem, you are given a small pager which vibrates when it’s your turn, so you can go to the bar while waiting, meaning you don’t have to stay in the queue. Brilliant idea.

La Sala

La Sala Banus Restaurant and Bar is located in Las Sala Puerto Banus. It has nine different areas to choose from including an al fresco Spanish corner, terraces where you can sit and watch the world go by and an a la carte restaurant, so you are sure to find somewhere to suit your mood

Meals are available throughout the day and into the evening with breakfast starting at 10 am. followed by the all-day bar menu and the a la carte menu. There is also a vegetarian menu with a wide choice of dishes. All ingredients used in the meals are fresh, carefully sourced and beautifully prepared.

The Live Lounge and the main bar offer first class entertainment from renowned local singers and musicians as well as exclusive tribute nights from Olly Murs, Robbie Williams, Michael Bublé and others.

Picasso’s

Restaurante Picasso is situated in Fuengirola just down the street from the City Hall building, it been open since March 2010 and is run by the great chef Jose Castaneda and his family. The restaurant serves both traditional and modern food and customer service is their priority.

If you like good fish and seafood served in the Spanish style this is a great place to go and it is a favourite with both tourists and locals. The menu is extensive and the food absolutely delicious with dishes such as grilled Rape on a skewer with peppers or Porra Antequerana (a cold soup), just the thing for a warm day, or baby lamb chops served with potatoes and delicious vegetables. The bar is well stocked with beers, wines, and spirits. A special favourite of the diners is a glass of Magno, a fine Spanish brandy.

Plaza Espana Benalmadena

Plaza Espana is an authentic Spanish square in the heart of Arroyo de la Miel, containing some lovely bars and restaurants, including the supposedly haunted Fountain Bar.

The original fountain was removed a few years ago and a new fountain and wall mural with a water feature have been erected and are now working.

The square has many bars, restaurants, and cafes including the Cafe Bar Plaza Espana, which serves wonderful tapas at great prices. There is also the Victoria Pizzeria which is known for its home-made pizzas and the Bar Torreon which offers excellent but simple food, well cooked and tasty. The meals are very reasonably priced, for example – 4 Tapas and a bottle of Rioja for €9.95. The staff are friendly and the service is good.

The square is a lovely spot to have lunch or drinks and a great place to people watch.

Seafood

If you love seafood, the Costa del Sol is a great place to eat. Malaga’s beaches are filled with boats equipped for grilling sardines, which are strung up and cooked over a fire and then served at a beach bar. If eating on the beach isn’t for you, then why not visit Marbella and try the sardines at the Beach Club Restaurant Grill in Fuerte Miramar?

La Escollera Restaurant in Estepona is another great place for seafood. They have freshly caught seafood on display as you enter the restaurant area. The menu is extensive and has dishes such as anchovies and lettuce hearts, octopus salad, squid, dorado fish and fried red mullet, to name but a few. All portions are generous and the food is absolutely delicious. If you have room for a dessert there is a good choice and the coffee is excellent.