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My long-standing good friends, Ian and Mary, took me out for a surprise lunch on my birthday. We drove the coastal scenic route to La Herradura, and then up the rugged mountain road to the Mirador de Cerro Gordo – a restaurant perched in the cliffs 200 metres above sea level and in the middle of the protected natural park of Cerro Gordo. The views were breath-taking, and the air fresh with the scent of pine trees, natural flowers and herbs.

We sat at a comfortable table outdoors so we could look at the scenery whilst we ate. We each chose one of the Gourmet Sandwiches available on the lunch-time menu. These sandwiches are made with ciabatta bread and served with a cup of home-made thick chips and alioli. The sandwich filling of my choice was the home-marinated salmon with cucumber, crisp lettuce and black pepper. Mary chose the peeled prawns with cucumber and a Marie Rose dressing; Ian had the warm, griddled breast of chicken with salad and a mustard mayonnaise. The Gourmet Sandwiches cost 6 euros each which at first I thought was a bit pricey for a sandwich, but then concluded that it was worth the price after I realised how filling and delicious the sandwich was. The other lunch-time menu option was Mixed Tapas – which has to be ordered for a minimum of 2 people -  also served with ciabatta bread, and consisting of such delicacies as smoked duck, Serrano ham, gravalax, etc. Ian had just about enough room for a delicious dessert afterwards:  sticky toffee pudding with hot toffee sauce and toasted nuts.

A truly wonderful lunch set in a unique relaxing setting, with friendly service and gourmet food. As an added bonus, the restaurant comes complete with its own pet black squirrel, “Lady Lucille” who jumps outdoors from tree to tree, occasionally landing on the straw shades above diners!

The occasion was an experience I would most definitely like to repeat. If you plan to visit this restaurant in the evening I would recommend booking a table in advance. They also cater for celebration parties and weddings. More information is available on the restaurant’s website, including their menus and some tasty-sounding recipes.

For keen walkers there is a rugged path beside the restaurant which leads to the Cerro Gordo Tower; for naturists there is another path which takes you down to the Cantarrijan naturist beach.

Mirador de Cerro Gordo; Ctra vieja de Malaga
Tel: 958 349 099
Email: reservations@miradorcerrogordo.com
Website: http://www.miradorcerrogordo.com

GPS: N36° 43.940 W003° 46.055

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This video speaks for itself.  I found it on YouTube and thought that you might like to share it amongst your family and friends.

I must leave you now.  I am off to the kitchen to try it out for myself.

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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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Serving a contemporary European menu using only the finest and freshest ingredients in a beautiful setting, this restaurant is extremely popular. Set as it is, in a 16th century timber-framed building with an elegant and calming cream and pale green decor, the ambiance is stunning. This an ideal setting for a family gathering, or to take that special someone for a romantic meal out.

The owners pride themselves on giving good, courteous service and food that is difficult to surpass.  Dining here is a special treat.

Open 7 days a week for lunch and 5 days a week for dinner with  the alternative of a sun terrace for your meal, this restaurant is popular and booking is highly recommended.

Vist The Bay Tree Restaurant for a peek at their menus.

To book phone 01903 883679.
For those of you with a GPS 50°51’16.02″N   0°33’16.50″W

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A warm and friendly restaurant,  providing delicious freshly prepared food, efficient service, and an inviting atmosphere.  It has an excellent wines list. The exciting and unusual menu offers a range of traditional and modern dishes, blending French cuisine with Eastern European specialities and flavours from the Far East.

Tel: 029 20707774. For those with a GPS 51°26’27.53″N  3°10’38.19″W

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