World4Traveler

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.