Flavors worth a trip
Bardal, Back, Malallama or Arara they are already references, despite their few months of life. With the sun as a guide, we go on a journey to discover them. In passing, we will stop to visit other proposals that They do not (yet) have a Michelin star. From coast to coast, Malaga has every time more gastronomy to offer.
BACK
One year has been enough for the chef David Olive to be one of the gastronomic references of the Costa del Sol. Much of his professional career has been spent as Dani Garcia's chef , so much of what you find in the restaurant Back tastes like two Michelin stars. Among his proposals there are Andalusian dishes with international touches, always with local product as a basis: from Mediterranean fish to Tomatoes from the Guadalhorce Valley.
Oliva was born in Úbeda (Jaén) and his professional background allows him to wisely contribute to his dishes touches of Nikkei, Thai and Asian cuisine , "but always with a cuisine rooted in Andalusia ", he assures. That's where ideas like the pipirrana with scallop, based on tiger milk and artichoke or the Iberian pork taco , adapted to the national territory based on meat from Huelva (confit pork jowl), a crispy crochet that replaces the corn tortilla and a rich sauce of green curry.
Not to be missed either seared sea bass with lime, chili and fermented garlic sauce , soy, ginger oil and wakame and nori seaweed. "A plate with a very umami taste ", says Oliva himself. So much so that it reminds one of a skewered fish, but with many more nuances.
Meat, fish and seafood are part of the recently renewed Back menu, where you can choose between two menus so that you can get a more panoramic image of what Oliva contributes to Malaga gastronomy. The first is called 'Smile (so that nobody makes your day bitter) ' and the second ' How much I love you (because you deserve it and so do we)'. They are perfect, because the chef surprises you every day with the best he has found on the market. And a piece of advice: let yourself advise by the sommelier Fabián Villar.
Back's famous sea bass
BARDAL
But don't go overboard with the wine, curves are coming. And lots. They are the ones with the road A-397 , which meanders along the limits of the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park and the Genal Valley , that you will be able to know if you deviate from the scenic road that goes into Pujerra, along the Copper Forest, or by the regional routes MA-7304 and MA-7305, which go to towns such as Igualeja and Parauta.
but like today the priority is to eat, we continue until Round. In the city of El Tajo, a small street called Jose Aparicio , which joins the Plaza de España with the Plaza de Toros. Number 1 is the new house of Benito Gomez : it's about the restaurant Bardal.
It opened in the summer of 2016, and it has all the earmarks of walking towards its first Michelin star. The very elaborate cuisine has as its roots the tradition of Andalusia and Catalonia , but the chef's imagination and technique renews them with amazing morsels. With them, Gómez offers two tasting menus made up of 17 dishes -'Bardal Menu'- or 21 -'Great Bardal Menu'-, with which you will go through the chef's personal universe from start to finish.
Green tomato and chamomile gazpacho , yellow mullet with cuttlefish or cockscomb in its juice, leek and pickled yolk are some of the snacks with which you will fall in love with Ronda , as will happen when you try the rabbit kidneys, snails and caviar or the muffin stuffed with sardine alioli and grilled sardine.
Gómez, who worked four years in the disappeared gabbler Replacing Dani García as head chef, he has been in the city of Ronda for a decade at the helm of swallow, the perfect place to make another immersion in his kitchen thanks to his extensive menu. When you finish, and to remember all its flavors over and over again, it is worth going to meditate at places like Secret Garden , in a paradise located near Genalguacil.
Bardal, pure creativity
PACO HOUSE
This route had to pass, yes or yes, for a sale, those restaurants at the foot of the road that in Malaga are temples of good eating. For this reason, from Ronda you have to take the A-366 road, that starts with the Yunquera fir on the horizon, one of the most amazing landscapes of the Sierra de las Nieves . Later, you have to continue towards Alozaina and, finally, lead to Coin, capital of the Guadalhorce Valley.
Paco House is a true culinary cathedral: in 2016 it obtained the recognition for best restaurant in Malaga by the Malaga Gastronomic Academy . It was launched in 1975 by Paco and Isabel. After 25 years, the couple decided to give way to their children, Paco and Antonio , who took the reins of the restaurant and began to shape it little by little. So much so that many of the great local chefs sometimes they escape to enjoy a good lunch at Casa Paco.
At the entrance there is a small gastropub where you should not miss artichokes with citrus tempura and orange toffee , the beef entrecote tataki with cane honey sauce, truffle and leek roots or the black bread with squid and green ali-oli. And when you go to its rooms, you will find the taste of traditional cuisine "but a little more modern", according to chef Paco Ruiz. The dam to coal salt It is a great option to understand the good treatment of the meats in this sale, where it is almost obligatory to try some of the various preparations of malagueño goat.
In their extensive menu they encourage local products from the Guadalhorce Valley such as citrus fruits, Aloreña olives, cateto bread, goat cheese and even local beers. Many of these products populate a landscape that you will enjoy while you go to rest at the Farmhouse of San Antonio .
He belongs to the same family and is a 16th century building converted into a hotel and a restaurant that can be reached in just over half an hour on the A-357. Today it may go unnoticed, but it is gaining momentum thanks to the opening of King's Path , which has meant that this old bandit pass is now frequented by tourists eager for vertigo experiences.
Andalusian flavor at Cortijo San Antonio
THE SUNSHINE
From there, it is usual to head towards the Autovía del Guadalhorce to get to Málaga, but it is time to make a last stop before reaching the capital. To do this, we take the beautiful road A-7053, that runs placidly between hills to descend to Fuengirola , in the heart of the Costa del Sol.
Very close to the Marina there is a place where they work with admiration discarded fish . Dogfish, rays, horse mackerel, dorado, borriquete or lemon fish are some of the species that Abraham Cudgel knows perfectly and that, therefore, are part of the essence of his restaurant, The Solana. Many of his dishes contain different elaborations based on said sea products or even parts of which you are not used to drinking regularly. As the stripe cheek piece , "one of the richest morsels of the sea, with a subtle flavor and incredible texture ", in the words of the chef himself.
Most of these flavors are part of the suggestions of the day , which are added to a varied menu that has been adapted to the taste of the resident of Fuengirola , and that is always based on local fish. Although, if you are looking to delve deeply into the Mediterranean flavors, the ideal is to order the tasting menu.
It's basic book the day before , because knowing how many of you are, Abraham will be able to take better advantage of his early morning to visit d different Malaga markets and choose for you. There he selects the best products of the day to make a menu between 12 and 16 dishes that barely costs 55 euros. And that he will make you want to repeat knowing that, in addition, tomorrow the menu will be different because the cook will once again choose the best of that day. Author cuisine, market and well prepared , are some of the most special features of La Solana, which opened four years ago thanks to the initiative of this computer engineer who wanted to give a radical twist to his life.
You've never eaten fish like this
** ARARA AND SOLO **
After a swim on the Fuengirola beach It is time to relax and enjoy all the services offered in The Higueron Reserve , an urbanization that is much more than a few houses next to others. In fact, there is one of the Michelin star restaurants in Malaga, Pike , but also Arara , which is also directed by the chef Diego Gallegos.
It opened its doors last April and works like a perfect counterpoint to Sollo. Thus, in contrast to its formality, Arara was born as a place where the cook shows his creativity in a much more fun way and without protocols. So much so that in the decoration there is even graffiti by Malaga artist Lalone.
Oysters with tiger milk, limeña cause, trout sausage tartare, beef tongue curry or the Japanese squid are some of the dishes on a menu with which you will want to fly, such as the colored birds what give name to this bistro bar
The funny Arara
ALAMAR
Now yes, we are heading along the A-7 until benalmadena . There, the chef Serrano Rose runs the kitchen of the Alamar restaurant, located in the Hotel Vincci Seleccion Aleysa Boutique & Spa . "Mine is kitchen made with love ", says the expert, who is based on traditional recipes to make dishes with cutting-edge techniques . That's where the ajoblanco with bluefin tuna comes from, a wonderful sole with tomato concassé and a few more dishes that make up the exquisite tasting menu.
MALALLAMA SOUL FOOD
From there, we move to the capital of the province, Malaga, where haute cuisine is no longer a rarity. After years where the reference dishes were fried fish, the skewers and the dish from the mountains, the gastronomy has been renewed until it has become innovative. They have a lot of blame hotel schools such as La Cónsula , where many of the chefs who succeed today have been trained.
One of them is Christopher Garcia , who at just 28 years old leads Malallama Soul Food, which shares two characteristics with Arara: it was opened in early April and it has Lalone graffiti. However, in Malallama you will have a great time playing in a more naughty way. This is a house of meals with flavors of the world where you will touch get your hands dirty , as we already told you.
Egg appetizer at Malallama
** THE COSMOPOLITAN AND UVEDOBLE TAVERN **
Another good example is Willie Orellana , already consolidated after more than five years at the head of Uvedouble Tavern . With more experience and experience, Daniel Carnero, chef of The Cosmopolitan , runs one of those few restaurants that he is capable of agreeing to foodies, critics and cooks . His already classic prawn and marrow tartare It is a delicacy, like any other dish that you find on the menu or that the room team sings to you, since Carnero loves it invent with products of the day.
The Cosmopolitan, always in vogue
AIR GASTROBAR AND AMADOR
Beyond the center of Malaga, you will find culinary references that should not be missed. Air Gastrobar It's one of those places where feel like home . Comfort, attention and creativity They are part of a restaurant that sometimes goes unnoticed. But don't leave it behind: when you drive through the Reding Walk, look at one of the little houses and you will see there who, perhaps, is your new favorite restaurant.
Frade decided to open it in a moment that seemed crazy , November 2010, when the word "crisis" appeared in every paragraph of almost every news item in the written press. "We knew that it was a difficult moment, but we wanted to throw us in the mud ", says Frade. His wife, María, joined the adventure, he quit his job to bet on the restaurant. And she turned out more than good.
Over there, the visual is especially important, first for the beautiful renovation of the building (19th century), and second for the presentations. "For me, visuals are very important. The view is basic for the kitchen", assures the chef and owner Pepo Frade. It is enough to see the dish that looks like a pionono from Santa Fe and that, however, is a trompe l'oeil that turns sweet into salty based on cane honey from Frigiliana, goat cheese, chorizo and a cured egg yolk. When you go, don't forget to ask the steak tartar: the most requested snack en Aire will surprise you because it has nothing to do with the traditional one.
Frade says that he The pantry of Malaga is very rich and you have to take advantage of it, that's why your kitchen has a lot to do with the local products. And his creativity is such that the letter It changes every three or four months. Always with traditional cuisine proposals with a twist that will surprise you. Further north, the Amador Restaurant hides in the Hotel Villa Guadalupe . A place that you will not find by chance, but that it will be worth searching. you will tell us
The visual weighs on Air
** SAN BENITO KITCHEN AND FARMHOUSE ART **
The final stretch of the gastro route through Malaga heads along the A-45 motorway towards Antequera, where we find that local gastronomic oasis called kitchen art . Your manager is Charo Carmona , what has revolutionized Antequera cuisine based on recipes with a lot of history and even more flavor.
classics like pisto malagueño with fried egg , the dogfish broth or the croquettes of the house are distributed a card where the organic green asparagus gazpacho or desserts such as Pedro Ximénez sesame seeds stuffed with ice cream.
The place has an area dedicated to tapas, Tapas Art, and a inn, so if you feel like a nap, you can enjoy this even more typical Antequera house from the 16th century I. Another option is to return to the A-45 towards the Farmhouse of San Benito , where everything is so delicious that it will seem that Your grandmother cooks it. The reality is that the head chef is Esperanza Munoz de Leon , which dominates the traditional cuisine of ten.
Soupy rice with snails with a slight spicy touch or a fabes with pheasant are some of the spoon dishes that you will want to repeat even if winter says goodbye weeks ago. To refresh yourself, take note: ask for a delicious avocado and shrimp salad or the incomparable porra antequerana.
Kitchen art, reinvented classics
SOLLUN
To finish, we return our steps along the A-45 motorway to Casabermeja , to enjoy the tour offered by the so-called Arch Road (the A-356) that runs through half region of the Axarquia to Velez-Malaga. From there, the A-7 travels towards the eastern end of the Costa del Sol, Nerja , city where the chef John Quintanilla he has been making magic in his restaurant for ten years Sollun.
His Mediterranean cuisine has all the local flavor thanks to typical elements of the area such as sweet potato, ajoblanco or goat from Malaga, local products that Quintanilla introduces to perfection in dishes that you can pair with a wine list of more than a hundred references . Goat gyozas with almond, honey and mint sauce, pigeon with wheat, garlic, onion and mushrooms or monkfish with tomyum sauce and coconut , carrot purée with orange, carrot with cumin and mini carrot are some of the delicacies on the menu, although there are also two options of tasting menu to taste even more of his cooking.
Half an hour from Nerja, taking the detour from the motorway to the A-7206, it is also possible to enjoy Quintanilla's work in a paradise setting. In this case in the Bentomiz Winery , a very personal project of Clara Verheij and Andre Both , a Dutch couple who arrived in the Axarquia in 1993.
His wines pair perfectly with the menu devised by the chef for this cellar, and even uses them to cook some cheeks in red wine Ariyanas. A lunch that becomes an experience thanks to the beautiful rural setting surrounding the modern building. An unbeatable ending to put an end to this route. will have to repeat No?
Bodega Bentomiz, an unbeatable finish