Gastronomy
The gastronomy of the Estepona area is based on fish, since Estepona is one of the most important fishing ports on the Costa del Sol.
There is a wide variety of fish on offer, sardines (sardinas), anchovies are famous in Estepona, fried or in vinegar (boquerones), red mullet (salmonetes), octopus (pulpo), fresh prawns (gambas) and many other varieties.
White wines appreciated with fish for their perfect lightness in summer, Barbadillo or ViñaSol.
As for fish restaurants, we can mention La Rada at the end of the sea promenade towards Marbella, Los Rosales near the Flower Square, both excellent, and finally La Escollera at the fishing port next to the marina, paper tablecloths, a lot of noise, but the exquisite fish is very reasonably priced.
The vegetable gardens are also a source of Estepona's cuisine during the season, the gazpacho is excellent, cold tomato soup, tomato salads with hearts of lettuce (cogollos) served on a bath of olive oil and coarse salt, to be warmly recommended.
Espeto de sardines, sardines cooked over a wood fire on a normally wooden skewer and grilled prawns (gambas a la plancha) are the dishes most often offered.
Estepona Restaurants. Little personal guide
Concerning the chiringuitos, beach restaurants, few are recommended, expensive, often cooking not up to standard, but you eat on the beach, but at what price...
You should also try the Bodegas, which often have Jerez barrels as their trademark, where you can taste Andalusian cold meats, ham, the most expensive and the best Pata Negra, lomo, salami, olives, often fantastic for those who like it, all washed down with a glass of Rioja.
We recommend near the Ortiz square, Sabor Andaluz, good products at reasonable prices and the Tipico Andaluz, a place famous for tasting the famous Spanish hams. When the owner cuts the famous Serrano ham it is quite a spectacle.
For the rest of the international cuisine, without any particular comments, the Chinese are often the cheapest, at the marina we recommend the Cazador (Order only one dish, it's very copious) excellent Spanish cuisine, the Mare Nostrum good and affordable Chinese, the Papardella Italian cuisine a little expensive, the Club Nautico rather fish (closed at the moment), a little expensive and of course as said before the Escollera at the fishing port, the top.
For the Marina three nice places, next to the Irish Pub before entering La Taberna del Puerto for its tapas and its owner, come from Philippe the Frenchman, you will always be well received.
Also at the entrance to the marina is Le Petit Paris, a French chef, good food and good menu.
In the port itself our favourite, Amura, the boss Lionel is a wonderful person, don't read the menu ask him what he has on the menu, he does his market every morning, freshness, taste, everything is there.
Also in the port Halomon near Reinaldo for their wonderful tapas.
A little word also for a chiringuito about ten kilometres from Estepona towards Gibraltar, at the Port de la Duquesa, we warmly recommend the Cubanga, Thierry is a French chef who serves excellent food, beautiful beach not very crowded, ideal for spending a day at the beach with the family.
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