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I set off from Velez-Malaga full of anticipation at enjoying an evening with friends at the Bistro.  Of course, completely in character, I managed to get lost even though I was using SatNav to find the place.  Eventually some charming Spanish people gave me directions and I arrived to find an entertainer with a wonderful singing away.  As my eyes slowly adjusted to the subdued lighting I gradually recognized friends that I had not seen for a while and I was pleased to find that although I was about thirty minutes late, nobody had started to eat yet.  In fact orders had not been taken.

The ambiance was really nice and I was quickly into the spirit of the evening.  Everyone was out to have an enjoyable evening and the entertainment was very good.  I had decided that I would wait until after the first course before asking anyone to have a dance but it was not very long before a couple broke the ice and were showing us how it was done as they strutted their stuff on the dance floor.  The dance area was not very big and the more flamboyant amongst us were going to find it just a little restrictive.  However as the evening wore on it soon became clear that close proximity to others was not going to inhibit some of the ladies who gracefully demonstrated, even with the constraints of the dance floor, they could perform some amazing and ingenious dips and twirls.

As the food arrived and served with impeccable style, I became more engaged in the interesting conversations around me and the food was everything one could wish for.   I had elected to start with a tuna salad and it was a fresh well balance starter with just the right amount of fish and salad that had not been overwhelmed by lettuce.  This was helped by a generous helping of red wine from my friends,  Steve and Carol.  As I had decided to be very sparing in the amount of alcohol that I consumed this was sufficient for the whole evening.

Of course, as this was a dinner dance evening, each course was followed by a dance or two or three.  This was definitely an evening where you could burn off your calories as you consumed them.

I had elected to have the chicken in mushroom sauce as my main course and I was served with a generous helping which kept me from dancing for about thirty minutes unlike some of my table companions who were were much quicker off the mark and had eaten their meal and were dancing the night away with enthusiasm.  (I did not know that anyone could eat that quickly.)

The desserts arrived and mine was waiting for me as I came off the dance floor.

Eventually, the singer had decided that he had entertained us long enough and bade us goodnight.  He was generous enough to concede an encore and sang us one more song and then it was time to thank the organizers and be on our way at something like 12.45.  However, not before the restaurateur had played us a song with his guitar.  It was a little while before we realized that it was the song about living next door to Alice.  Some of my friends were quite  imaginative with the  wording.

We made our way to our respective cars and prepared to go home, knowing that we would really like to revisit the restaurant, having had a really good night out.

The whole evening was organized by Tony and Judith from Move to the music If you ever fancy a good night out dancing then try them.  Good music, good dancing and very good company.  Note:  They have changed their venue.

Bistro The Gallery,Avenida Del Prado 4, Aloha
29660  Nueva Andalucia, Marbella

Telephone 952 818 262
Mobile 661 826 652

For those of you with GPS you can find it at:-

36°30’1.17″N  4°57’35.95W

Posted under Restaurant Reviews

I was lucky enough to enjoy the first session of modern jive dancing with Colin and his team at the Hotel Tropicano in Torremolinos on Monday 16 March.  What a delightful hotel and charming staff.  The restaurant overlooks the swimming pool and is only a short stone’s throw away from the beach and sea.

As someone who can get lost in a bathroom, the hotel was a labyrinth for me to navigate my way through, but the staff courteously guided me to my destination, namely, the dance area in the basement.  There was a good sized crowd all following eagerly, the excellent instruction provided by Colin.

Whilst there I was impressed by a chap who was not a novice to modern jive, as he smoothly guided his dance partners through some very, very, impressive moves.  He looked vaguely familiar but for the life of me, I could not recall where I had seen him.  Later in the evening, which eventually came to a halt at around 11.45 pm, he came over and spoke to me and we then found out that we had first met in West Sussex.  What a small world it is.

What I particularly enjoyed about this hotel and its restaurant was the manner in which staff took their duties to help visitors to enjoy themselves.  Nothing was too much trouble and they appeared to take a pleasure in being of assistance.  What a pleasurable visit.

The restaurant was spacious and there was an excellent menu.

I used my GPS to find it and it reliably led me right to the entrance. I must try driving blindfolded one day to see just how reliable it really is – or will it then play a trick on me?

For further information visit www.letsdanceroc.com or  www.hoteltropicana.es

For those with a GPS the location is 36°36’25.16″N     04°30’22.62″W

Posted under Restaurant Reviews