Hunting and capturing the best skewers in Malaga
We are in summer and in the months without error, as tradition dictates in Malaga , the sardines reach their point of maximum deliciousness and espetos take over the gastronomic offer of restaurants and beach bars on the beach.
go thinking already in sardines skewered on a river reed and stuck, in the heat of an olive wood fire, in a boat full of sand, because we are determined to savor the purest Mediterranean in a clean bite.
We are determined to savor the purest Mediterranean with a clean bite
** PEDREGALEJO, CRADLE OF ESPETO**
Is there a neighborhood more seafaring essence than that of Pedregalejo, in the very capital of the Costa del Sol? We already tell you: not at all. So we go there to taste our first sardines of the day. And we have it complicated, we recognize it: here the position for the best espeto is disputed by many businesses.
We opt for The Cunaos , a classic pedregales and one of the favorites of the people of Malaga. Here they boast of serving the best fried fish in all of Malaga and, although they may be right, the point is that no table is missing, at any time of the year, various sardine skewers to complete the menu. It must be for a reason, right?
The same thing happens a few meters further on. In Miguelito the Affectionate , the skewers come out of the embers of his boat by dozens. And no wonder: the taste of his sardines, cooked with care and patience, is spectacular. As is the way his waiters treat customers. In addition to their famous skewers, in Miguelito they prepare some killer seafood rice dishes. With love, of course.
And to finish our journey through Pedregalejo, one last stop. This time, in Merlo The Stir , where you will have to be lucky to find a table. Is it the consequence that the skewers are only two euros? Most likely. But don't be fooled by the price: despite the cheapness, the quality is supreme. By the way, a new note to record well in memory: “try their whole fried octopus”.
Despite the cheapness, the quality is supreme
**FROM CLASSIC TO CLASSIC: IT'S EL PALO'S TURN **
We don't leave the coast, what's up? Only we go a little further east , where the marine atmosphere remains under the name of the neighboring neighborhood of El Palo.
There we cannot forget the mythical the inkwell . Between the shouts of the waiters of him auctioning off the most coveted fish dishes, of course, there are also his sardine skewers. And they have been doing it for more than thirty years.
The Zagal , also in El Palo, is another of those traditional beach bars where the star dish of Malaga is not lacking. So, again, we forgot about silverware for a while. Malaga fisherman Miguel Martínez Soler already told Alfonso XII himself: espeto is eaten with the fingers, of all life.
THE BOQUERÓN, IN TORRE DEL MAR
Not everyone masters the art of skewering, of course not. And it is that although it may seem simple, this typical Malaga dish whose origins date back to the 19th century, requires a lot of technique: know how to place the sardines in a good order, place them at the right distance from the embers, ensure that they are not raw, but not dry either, and give them the exact amount of salt They are part of the task.
One of those traditional beach bars on the Malaga coast
That is only achieved in one way: with much care. And they know a lot about pampering at the beach bar The Boqueron , on the promenade of Torre del Mar, a town near Malaga.
Since the 71 runs this business feeding the appetite of the people of Malaga on the beach. Here we will have to pull c very fresh beer, some grilled prawns and, of course, some very tasty skewers. Although El Boquerón goes further, and in addition to our beloved sardines, They prepare many other fish skewered on the grill, something that is already repeated in more than one coastal restaurant. do you dare with squid, sea bass or sea bream? Everything tastes good in this beachfront gastronomic paradise.
Before turning around and heading west, one last jump to Nerja, where the mauri restaurant not only conquers diners for its flavors, but also for the environment in which it is located.
The business is run by Manu and Francis, two brothers who decided to continue with the restaurant that their parents started in 1990. In a small garden on the beach of El Playazo, with unparalleled views of the Mediterranean and good music setting the scene, it's time to taste the star dish.
Since the 40s in the shelter of this rock
**A CLASSIC: MIGUEL CERDÁN, IN TORREMOLINOS **
And now yes, we change course. And we go to Torremolinos, to taste the best local product. This time, in Miguel Cerdan .
This traditional picnic area opened its doors early 40's , so in the morning preparing the skewers few surpass him.
Sheltered by a rock, between the sea and the mountains, Juan Miguel maintains the family business that his father dared to open in the middle of the post-war period. But it has rained since then and, if before what was served was a very cold drink with some fish to accompany it, now his menu has much more elaborate dishes in an absolute gastronomic display.
Before leaving Torremolinos, another proposal: the Ramos Restaurant , also on the beach, offers some award-winning sardine skewers that taste like glory We leave it there...
SHIPWRECK IN FUENGIROLA
stroll through the bowling beach it is coming across continuous kitchens in the open: that smell of grilled sardines that exudes from the barges at the foot of the shore seems to us at this point a heavenly fragrance.
We are left with ** Los Náufragos .** And here we add an extra to the experience: we can taste their mythical skewers at any of the tables in their conservatory or on their terrace, but nothing will be the same as do it in one of its hammocks next to the shore or, better yet, in one of its Balinese beds.
We succumb to the pleasure of gobbling up some delicious grilled sardines while we contemplate the sea
Continuing along the shore, just 3 kilometers away, is the lemon tree , another of those must-sees in Fuengirola. And here we come up, and to the sardine experience we add one of rice and some fried fish.
IN MARBELLA THERE IS ALSO A PLACE FOR ESPETOS
In the westernmost part of the province, espetos are still the absolute kings of the gastronomic offer. Also in Marbella, of course.
Here, flanked by the Marbella Club Hotel and Puente Romano, is The mile , a magical place in which to delight ourselves with the mediterranean essence in a most elegant environment where, in addition to the product, maximum care is taken care of.
Fresh, quality raw material from local suppliers: that's the secret to why everything at this beachfront restaurant, including its exquisite skewers, tastes so good.
But there is still more. Also in Marbella there is a classic that we love: the hurdles , a small whitewashed house about 30 meters from the beach in which, in the absence of a boat on the sand, they have a barbaoa-chimney where the grilled sardines acquire a famous flavor throughout the Malaga coast.
Sardines between surfboards
**GUAYABA BEACH, SARDINES BETWEEN SURFBOARDS**
Good vibes are felt in this modern beach bar in Saint Peter of Alcantara long before reaching it: already when we are parking under the nearby eucalyptus trees We listen to the music that sets the business.
It is only necessary to walk a few steps to allow ourselves to be enveloped by its surfer-tropical decoration, to take off our flip flops and feel how our feet sink into the sand, to sit in one of their tables by the shore and, between lanterns and awnings that give it a cool air, raise your hand and ask the waiter for your order: a very cool summer red wine and some of those sardine skewers so tremendously delicious.
ESTEPONA, THE ESPETO THAT TAKES THE MEANING
The boat that acts as an open-air kitchen in The Madero , the beach bar La Rada beach most desired by Estepona and foreigners, it does not rest in summer.
From the time its embers begin to burn at about 11 in the morning, and until midnight, anyone who sits in one of its tables placed directly on the sand you can enjoy some rich sardine skewers - "the richest in the whole world and from abroad", as Óscar Ruli, its owner, usually announces-, with any of its grilled fish or shellfish.
Mime, mime and mime
The best? Everything of the highest quality and very fresh: Estepona is a fishing village that lives largely from fishing. In fact, much of the fish that is distributed by the beach bars on the Malaga coast comes from its port.
**ESPETO REIGNS AT THE DOORS OF CADIZ**
And to finish off the espetera route, almost on the border with the province of Cadiz, one last stop: at ** El Dieguichi ,** a beach bar on the Sabinillas beach , José Antonio Moreno makes our mouths water with the best espetos in the western end of Malaga.
Roasted on the seashore, as tradition dictates, it is time to enjoy the surroundings, the sea breeze and the benefits of espeto. Yes indeed: lying in a hammock and after a swim in the waters of the Mediterranean. This is life.
Not everyone masters the art of skewering, of course not