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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

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One of the most reputable gourmet restaurants in the Axarquia area is located in Torre del Mar. I’ve dined at the El Salmon restaurant before, but this was the first time I had sampled their lunch time Menu del Dia. Prior to the first course we ordered a large mixed salad to whet our appetites. The customary fresh warm bread rolls with butter portions also arrived. The first course consisted of either a vegetable cream soup, tomatoes filled with seafood or a crepe filled with mushrooms in a creamy sauce. All starters were faultless in flavour. The second course was a choice of white filleted fish in a creamy sauce or marinated pork ribs; both dishes came with fresh vegetables and chips. The food was well presented and more than ample (I had to ask for a doggie bag for the leftovers). I personally found the ribs to be over-salted, but this is perhaps only because I rarely use salt in my home cooking. The dessert was a choice of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, flan or kiwi fruit. The entire meal was excellent value for money at a cost of 8.95 Euros. The service was excellent, as usual. One of our party was an invalid with a walking frame, but the restaurant catered for this with their toilet facilities being on the ground floor with no stairs or other obstructions. El Salmon also caters for special occasions and large parties – book in advance, as this is always a busy restaurant.

Avenida Andalucia 56
Torre del Mar (Malaga)

Tel. 952 965 424 / 662 086 854
E-mail: guillebenitez7@hotmail.com

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I went on a visit to the restaurant Viuda because it was recommended as a very good restaurant with fabulous fish dishes with my good friend Michelle from axcespropertydirect.com. The outside was very unobtrusive, unostentatious, indeed I have driven past many times and not seen it before.  Having been told it was wise to book first and in particular, for a Saturday night, I had taken the advice and went and found it and booked a table for two.  On arrival I could see that my informant had given good advice because every table was occupied and there was a happy, chatty atmosphere.  The spectacle that awaited us as we were shown to our table was breathtaking.  The beginning of sunset at around 8 pm had begun and nature’s artistry was at the very height of its glory.  We were looking over the sea and towards Malaga and the colours displayed were awesome.  Awesome is not a word that I would use very often but frankly, it is the only word suitable for the sunset display that we were witnessing.  All we had to do was wait and see if the food was as good as the ambiance.  I ordered a prawn tortilla and my companion, a prawn cocktail.  The waiter was very tolerant of our poor Spanish, but our food and wine arrived after a few minutes and we started to really enjoy selections.

For a second course I had ordered a mixed grill of fish and Michelle ordered a single fish dish as we chatted.

It was some time after 11 pm that we finally took our leave and I think we were the last to leave but at no time did the staff seem at all impatient.  They just busied themselves with whatever restaurant staff do when they are anticipating going home.  We had had a thoroughly enjoyable time and would highly recommend a visit.  But…. one word of caution.  The helpings are generous and in order to do justice to the food it is wise not to eat anything for six to eight hours before arrival because you will never be able to complete your meal which is beautifully cooked and served with the minimum of fuss.

For those of you with a GPS  the restaurant can be found at the following:-

36°44′40.67″N  4° 2′30.77″W

Posted under Restaurant Reviews, Videos

I experienced one of the best lunches I’ve ever had in Spain today. My good friend, Tony, invited me to Meson La Terna restaurant in Velez Malaga. The exterior of the restarant is rather unassuming, i.e. standard and low profile, but clean and sleek looking, so on entering I was pleasantly taken aback by the picturesque traditional spanish interior decor, complete with 3 stuffed bulls’ heads decorating the dining room walls.  I was impressed with the real cotton linen tablecloth with matching serviettes, and other attention to detail. (I rarely re-enter an eating establishment that provides me with thin paper serviettes unless the food is impecable, but that rarely happens!).  We were immediately greeted by smiling faces – a rare occurence these days; the manager, the waitress and the chef came out to greet us. Read More…

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Previous to recently enjoying an evening meal in this restaurant, I could only personally recommend one other Chinese restaurant in this immediate vicinity; that one being in the nearby town of Torre del Mar. It was quite by chance that I came to dine here; the restaurant is on a corner of a main street surrounded by shops.

We were greeted with a smile and sat at a table of our choice. Inside the décor is Chinese, quite luxurious but not overbearing. The only complaint was the consistent background muzak of pan pipes, which after 2 and a half hours was starting to grate on my nerves!

The menu was overly-extensive – a book in its own right – so our party of three decided to settle on the Set Menu for 4 Persons at 54 Euros. This set menu comprised of seven different starters, including Dim Sum, Peking duck and  spare ribs. The restaurant manager then came over to our table to ask if we would like to have a break and wait 15 minutes or so for the main courses. I replied that I thought I had already eaten the main courses! What followed was a struggle in the fact that the starters had been ample enough. The main courses consisted of delicacies such as chicken in oyster sauce, beef in a rich dark sweet sauce and king prawns – all accompanied by platters of special fried rice and separate vegetables. All the food was served piping hot, and we were given a change of silver cutlery for each course.

The food, service and atmosphere were faultless. However, the house red wine and coffee were inferior. The deserts were of the pre-packed frozen variety when I had expected fresh fruit, and something more in keeping quality-wise to the rest of the meal.

We did have an enjoyable evening, but be warned that if you are going to eat here all the portions are on the bulky side so wear something lose around the waist!

I shall definitely be eating here again, and it’s certainly an ideal place for a special occasion such as a birthday party.

Access and parking is not a problem, the entire restaurant is clean, comfortable and well-lit, and the staff speak many languages.

(Note: the photos were taken with a Nokia Navigator mobile phone, and therefore do not do the food justice).

C/Camino Viejo de Malaga 6, 29700 Velez Malaga
Tel: 952 506 966

Posted under Restaurant Reviews