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Now that the cooler weather is just around the corner, there is no better meal at the weekend than a traditional English Sunday roast.

Yes I know we live in Spain, but sometimes you just fancy a taste of home, and there are some fabulous restaurants on the Costa del Sol which serve up this tasty Sunday treat.  If you want a change from the beach bars, and fancy some good home-cooked grub, some of the best English restaurants are situated on the Costa del Sol

Irvings is situated in Calahonda.  Take the Mcdonalds exit from direction Marbella and go under the road as if to change direction.  Take the second exit at from the roundabout in the direction of Lidl, and you will find this delightful restaurant 50 metres up this road on the right hand side.  Small but intimate and comfortable, this great little restaurant is open evenings during the week and Sunday lunchtimes between 2 and 6pm.  The roast beef here is to die for, and there is an excellent choice of starters to choose from including home-made soup, delicious salads and probably the best paté you will taste in the area.  The desserts are also fantastic, and the baileys cheesecake is something else.  If you are planning to visit, you are recommended to book as Sundays get very busy.  We also spent one Christmas Day Lunch here, and it was the best traditional Christmas lunch I have ever eaten – either here or in England.  The turkey and the vegetables were cooked to perfection, and the friendly welcome and service makes it an extra special venue.  Prices for Sunday roast vary depending on whether you have starters and desserts, but you would normally expect to pay around €20-€25 per head for three courses including wine.  You can usually park outside, or further up the road in the Lidl car park if not. For reservations telephone:- +34 670 668 957.

Staying in Calahonda, Bogarts is one of the most well established restaurants on the ´strip´, and is always packed on Sundays.  With a large, sunny terrace and ample room indoors, the restaurant is comfortable all year round, and early booking for the Sunday carvery is recommended.  A great choice of starters including the old favourites such as prawn cocktail, tasty salads and soups and some of the best roast lamb, beef and chicken you will find on the Costa del Sol.  Orders are taken for starters and desserts, then you can take your own plate up to the carvery and enjoy a choice of meats, fresh vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, home-made gravy, apple sauce and even crackling with the pork.  Most of the puddings are home-made, and the bread and butter pudding and apple pie is fantastic. From the El Zoco exit of Calahonda, just after the Mcdonalds exit from direction Marbella, at the main roundabout go directly up the hill and bogarts is the first restaurant you will see on the right hand side.  We normally pay about €20-€25 per head at Bogarts, with three courses and a bottle of house wine.There is ample parking on the street outside the restaurant or on the side-streets close by. For reservations telephone: +34 952 934 840.

Not too far up the road in La Cala de Mijas is the excellent Newmarket Restaurant, which is known around the area for serving one of the best Sunday lunches on the coast.  You are always recommended to book here for Sunday lunch, and the quality of the meat, fresh vegetables and all the trimmings is second to none.  We always enjoy a walk along the seafront promenade before lunch, and a couple of drinks overlooking the beach.  La Cala de Mijas has evolved into one of the prettiest resorts on the Costa del Sol and the Newmarket is one of the best restaurants in the area.

You are assured a friendly welcome and excellent food whenever you visit, and the large selection of starters and desserts attract Sunday lunch fans from all over the coast.  We have tried all of the roast meat dishes at the Newmarket but my favourite is the lamb – tender and succulent as lamb should be – and served with delicious mint sauce, fresh vegetables and the best crispy roast potatoes.  If you are driving into La Cala de Mijas from Marbella direction, at the first roundabout, where you see the Farmacia on the corner, turn right.  Turn right at the church and carry on for about half a kilometre.  You will see the Newmarket on the left hand side.  There is plenty of parking nearby or on the adjacent streets.  For reservations telephone: +34 952 493 342.

If you fancy a drive inland at the weekend, there is no better place to take the family for lunch than Aguamania on the Coin-Cartama road. Only 25 minutes drive from the coast, this great bar-restaurant has entertainment during the week, live music and great views over the surrounding countryside.  There are plenty of areas for the kids to play, and the menu offers visitors a great choice of dishes.  The Sunday roast carvery is fantastic.  Try the roast pork with apple sauce and stuffing – it is well worth the trip on its own.  Open since 2001, Aguamania has gained an enviable reputation, and many regular diners think nothing of travelling up from the coast for the excellent food and friendly service.  With plenty of room inside and out, this busy restaurant is popular all year round, and  several events take place here including a Farmer´s market every Friday. For reservations or more information call:-+34 952 420 028 or check out www.aguamaniaspain.com for accurate directions to the restaurant.

There are many restaurants on the Costa del Sol, but you will be hard pressed to beat the food and service and any of the above-mentioned.

Having sampled much of the local fare at the beach bars in Mijas-Costa, we decided to take a trip to Riviera del Sol last Sunday for lunch.

After a wet couple of days on the Costa, we met up with some friends who live in Riviera for what was promised to be a great lunch.

When I first came to Spain in 1994, Riviera del Sol was quite an exclusive urbanisation which ended at the top of the Avenida del Golf, and all you could see beyond was the golf course and the open countryside to the north.  It is now a sprawling resort with holiday apartments, golf villas and town houses reaching back as far as the eye can see.  But there is still a certain charm to the area, which cannot be found in many other coastal towns.  As it stretches quite high up, most complexes in Riviera boast fabulous sea views.

Most of the bars and restaurants and situated in the lower part of Riviera including Opencor supermarket, which is open 365 days a year, La Plaza Restaurant which serves great food and George´s Bar, which is the ideal place to stop off for a coffee or  a snack.

If you travel up the main Avenida del Golf, which runs past Opencor, you will be surprised and delighted by the selection of food and varied menus on offer.  Although there are many excellent English bars in and around Riviera, if you take the time to explore, you will find some excellent Indian, Italian and Scandinavian restaurants in the vicinity.

Las Terrazas is situated at the top of Riviera – drive up the main Avenida del Golf and turn right at the brow of the hill.  Pass the Venta del Golf on the right and Las Terrazas is 150m further on the right hand side.  Enter the commercial centre here, next to the supermarket and on the first floor are some excellent cafés and restaurants.

On recommendation from a friend of mine who lives nearby, we went to the Break Point café-bar, which on first impressions, was quite a stylish, but understated eaterie.  The owner of this German-run restaurant has worked in the kitchens of Michelin starred restaurants around Europe, and this was more than apparent when the delicious food arrived.  With ample terraces overlooking the greener areas of Riviera and the countryside beyond, Break Point is both smart and spacious.  We were warmly greeted by Eva, who ran through the specials of the day, and took our drinks order.  As the weather was still dodgy, we decided to sit just inside the door which was comfortable and airy at the same time.

Special dishes included roast shoulder of lamb with mint gravy, fresh hake with green sauce and fillet of pork with wild mushroom sauce.  Many of the menu items are similar to those seen in other restaurants, but I can assure you they are completely different when served up.  Attention to detail is something which makes Break Point stand out from the crowd, and it always seems to be busy which is the best recommendation.
Between us we ordered pork fillet with wild mushrooms, leg of lamb, various open sandwiches and baguettes for the children which included bacon, lettuce, corn, cheese and American style tomato relish, home-made burgers with chutney and fries, and the most innovative chicken and ham salad you are ever likely to sample.  I ordered the pork special, and have to say I have never eaten such succulent pork in Spain.  The two fillets were beautifully presented with three different types of wild mushrooms in the sauce, and a béarnaise topping to finish off the dish.  Cooked to perfection and as tender as a fillet steak, this was one hell of a pork dish.  Served with house fries and salad, the price was €11.50 and it was worth every centime.

The lamb was crisp on the outside and pink on the inside.  Served with mint gravy, vegetables and potatoes the presentation was again, excellent, and the house wine was smooth and well priced.
As we were accompanied by four kids, it was something of a triumph that everyone enjoyed their meals, and the meat main courses were excellent.  The children commented that the Break Point sandwiches were the most amazing toasties they had ever eaten – recommendation indeed.  Priced between €5 and €7.50 the open sandwiches were well worth the money and were a meal in themselves.

Desserts included every type of ice cream concoction available, and although we were tempted, we decided to go a little way down the hill to La Piscina Bar at the Aztec Club.  Head down the Avenida del Golf and turn right into C/Libra where you see a sign for the Aztec Country Club.  Situated by the pool, La Piscina Bar serves some amazing desserts, and we ended the afternoon with some delicious home-made blackcurrant cheesecake and divine lemon meringue pie.  Not to mention the enormous brandy which was served with coffee.

A great day out which  cost an average of €25 per person and €15 for the children.  Next time you are feeling peckish, try Break Point and La Piscina in Riviera del Sol – you won´t be disappointed.

Andalucia is a wonderful place , weather you are visiting or are one of the lucky ones who have chosen this beautiful part of the world to call home.

One thing that is common with all who come to Andalucia, is finding things to keep us entertained and here in Andalucia there is no shortage of live shows, concerts, and fairs to occupy our free time

One of the best venues in the region for providing excellent entertainment is the Cervantes Theatre, in Málaga. All though the year this famous theatre plays host to everything from classic opera to pop and rock concerts as well as great theatrical productions for all the family.

As we enter the festive season here in Andalucia, we are all looking for something to occupy our free time and just after Christmas day the Cervantes Theatre is playing host to one of the most famous stage productions of all time "Jesus Christ Superstar"

This epic musical production writin by the masters of stage musicals Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice was first performed on Broadway nearly 40 years ago and since then has been performed on stages around the world by a host of stars. It was also made into a film in 1973 and there are not many people today who have not heard music from this stunning rock opera.

It tells the story of the last seven days in Jesus' life and focuses on the main events such as Judas' treason, Mary Magdalene's love, the Last Supper, and the Crucifixion

The show has been performed here in Spain 3 times , the first in the 1970's in Madrid and the last time in 2007 again in Madrid but now a new production is coming to Malaga between the 26th and 30th December
The cast is headed up by Gerónimo Rauch, from Argentina and he is joined by a star studded cast of Latin stars including Ignasi Vidal and Lorena Calero

Show Times
Friday, 26 December, 18.30 and 22.00 h.
Saturday, 27 December, 18.30 and 22.00 h.
Sunday, 28 December, 17.30 and 21.00 h.
Monday, 29 December, 20.30 h.
Tuesday, 30 December, 18.00 and 21.30 h.

Prices
A 45€  B 36€  C 30€  D 25€
For More Information And Ticket Sales Contact

Cervantes Theatre

Once a small fishing village, Fuengirola is now one of the Costa del Sol´s most thriving resort towns, and is home to some of the area´s best entertainment venues.  Only 20 minute´s drive from Marbella and Puerto Banus, you will be pleasantly surprised at what you find in this lively seaside resort.

After churros con chocolate (fried dough pastries with hot chocolate) at the Churreria close to the fairground, we like to stroll around the Saturday market next door, or the rastro, as it is known locally.  This car boot/second hand market is the best place to find a useful bargain, and everything from fridges to handbags and even oven gloves and car parts are displayed.

From here, take a walk down to Los Boliches, which is still one of the more authentic areas of old Andalucia, and the narrow streets just back from the seafront, the quaint restaurants, bakeries and street cafés all add to the ambience.  You will find some great places to eat here including the famous La Langosta Restaurant, which has been established in Los Boliches for 30 years.  Special dishes, which keep customers coming back for more include mussels with cream sauce and a fabulous lobster thermidor.  For more information call: 952 475 049.

From Los Boliches you can take a gentle stroll down the Paseo Maritimo towards Fuengirola, and enjoy the sea views from the longest promenade in Europe.  The beaches here are sandy and there are all types of water sports available if you are feeling energetic.  Some fabulous hotels also line the seafront promenade, ranging from small hostals to luxurious 4 and 5 star complexes with Olympic size pools and amazing facilities.

As you approach the centre of town, you will notice the huge number of attractive bars and restaurants lining the streets.  Whatever you want to eat or drink in town, you will find it.  From fine Italian food at Papa Luigi´s to first class International cuisine at Portofino, and pizza and burger restaurants – the Paseo Maritimo has it all.  Not to mention the chiringuitos which are situated on the beach, and serve the freshest fish and seafood on the coast.  Try the Paella Valenciana or the stuffed squid with mixed salad  at the Oasis Beach Bar.  Telephone:  952 661 068.  The sole meuniere is also a speciality here along with the boquerones and home-made flan for dessert.

If you fancy doing some shopping in town, there is a large Dunnes Department Store just down from the bus station at Las Rampas.  There is also a car park here underneath the store.  As you enter Fuengirola along the main street, coming from direction Marbella.  Just before the bus station on the left turn right at Oro y Hora shop and you will come directly to Las Rampas Car Park.  Above here not only will you find Dunnes, but also some great shoe shops, designer clothes shops and ceramics stores.  Only a short walk from the seafront, this is also a great place to park in the summer if you can´t get nearer to the beach.

Just opposite Las Rampas is the fabulous Tipi-Tapa Restaurant, which offers not only some of the best tapas you will try in Fuengirola, but also snacks, sandwiches and full meals.  Try the gambas pil-pil, which is among the best I have eaten in Spain. The grilled meat is also a speciality, particularly the entrecote steak.  For reservation or more information call:  951 311 630.  Another  favourite haunt of ours (particularly in the winter) is the superb El Toston, which is situated in a quiet street just behind the bus station.  This bodega-come-tapas bar serves delicious jamon jabugo, and some of Spain´s finest wines by the glass.  It is unusual to find such a jewel of a bar hidden away, but it is one of the best bodegas of its kind in the area.  Bottles and barrels of all shapes and sizes adorn the walls around the restaurant and behind the bar, and you can either eat at one of the high tables in the bar area, or be served on the covered terrace area.  Canapés include such delights as mousse de foie with dates, Roquefort and caramalized onion and a superb wild mushroom vol-au-vent.  Favourite starters include fried camembert with redcurrant jelly, assortment of smoked meats and fish and a beautiful, creamy manchego.  Stuffed olives are also a speciality.
Last time we visited we had the goat´s cheese and anchovies to start plus a plate of Mediterranean roasted vegetables with olive oil and pesto.  To follow we tried the oxtail in red wine sauce which was superb.  Home-made chocolate pudding is also a signature dish here.  Not the cheapest bar in Fuengirola, but it doesn´t profess to be, and the quality of food and service is second to none.  For more information and reservations call:  952 475 632.  A great place in winter time.

If you still have some energy, take a walk down to the Church Square – Plaza de Iglesia – in the centre of Fuengirola.  You can take a look around the inside of the church, with its magnificent and ornate effigies of Christ and the Virgin Mary.  Surrounding this pretty square are a host of street cafés, flower stalls and kiosks.  A wonderful place to relax and watch the world go by is Bar La Plaza, with plenty of outside seating and views to the church.

Fuengirola is often seen as a poor relation to Marbella and Puerto Banus, but take a trip around the town and you will find a host of wonderful places to visit.

One of the best things about living in Spain is the diversity of the food on offer in restaurants and bars throughout the coast.

Whether you fancy steak and chips, tapas, Chinese, Indian or, of course, Spanish cuisine, you are spoilt for choice on the Costa del Sol.

I love Scandinavian cuisine.  Ever since I was young and my parents owned a restaurant, I have had an addiction to gravadlax and rollmop herrings.  When we moved to Spain, my brother used to serve sweet pickled herrings with potato and chive salad, which was particularly popular with our Scandinavian customers.  Marbella and Fuengirola now boast a wealth of great restaurants serving Scandinavian favourites.

La Cuisine is situated in the Plaza Fuente de Ronda,3, in the centre of Marbella, and offers visitors some fine fare. This restaurant serves an eclectic and delicious mix of cuisines, including classic, Nordic, International, and Scandinavian. La Cusine menu is varied and offers dishes to suit all tastes.. You can choose between typically Scandinavian dishes, such as the marinated salmon, plus traditional dishes such as fillet steak topped with foie gras and Madeira sauce, and an excellent choice of cheese and meat fondues.

Decorated in an authentic style, with a fusion of European cultures, this comfortable restaurant is popular year round.  Prices are reasonable and the choice of wines is excellent.  Open from 12.30pm to 12.30am Monday to Saturday.  Telephone:- 95 282 3332.

Las Gemelas, situated midway between the bus station and the seafront in Fuengirola on the left hand side, is one of my personal favourites.  I used to live in Calahonda and the ladies who run Las Gemelas previously ran a restaurant at Urb. Calypso of the same name.

We used to go for lunch and enjoy some of the finest Scandinavian open sandwiches and tapas you will find anywhere.  Now situated in Fuengirola, the quality of the food and the warmth of the welcome is still excellent. Boasting a comfortable interior for the cooler days, and an ample terrace outside, Las Gemelas serves excellent, tasty dishes, including – Swedish prawns with dill, meatballs with mash potato, marinated salmon with mustard dressing, and the famous herrings with a variety of sauces and dressings.  The open sandwich on rye bread with salmon and prawns is also delicious, and great value for money.
You will also find some of the most delicious cakes and pastries at Las Gemelas including the legendary home baked carrot cake and some very naughty but nice cream cakes to enjoy with a cup of coffee or as a dessert.  Open Monday to Saturday, 9am – 6pm (Times vary) -Telephone:- 95 258 1819.

Skandies Restaurant was opened in 2003, and is situated behind the lighthouse in Marbella, enjoys a great location and serves delicious International and Scandinavian cuisine.  Combining modern methods with traditional cuisine is a speciality at Skandies, and its popularity has continued to grow over the past few years.  Flavours from Northern Europe have been bought together with Mediterranean cuisine to create a host of delicious dishes.

Some of the dishes on the menu are unique to Skandies, and there are some delicious meat, vegetable and fish delicacies to try.  Just 20 metres from the main promenade on Marbella´s seafront, Skandies is easily reachable and offers comfortable and bright interiors.

Dishes include a Scandinavian Plate, with herrings, cheese and shrimps, fillet of beef stuffed with garlic butter, home-made meat balls with mashed potatoes and cranberry, pan-fried salmon with tartare sauce, potatoes and vegetables, entrecote of veal served with vegetables and mushroom sauce and a wonderful spicy shrimps dish with feta cheese and tomato sauce.

Children are also well catered for at Skandies, and half-price for half portions applies for most dishes on the menu.  If you still have some room left, try the delicious pancakes with fruit, ice cream and whipped cream to finish off.  Telephone:- 95 277 6323.  Open Tuesday to Sunday- 7pm till late.
If you fancy something different for lunch or dinner, try a good Scandinavian restaurant – you won´t be disappointed, and you will be pleasantly surprised at the reasonable prices.