Our first stop is the beach town of Praia da Rocha. I last came here in 1998. I noticed that the main strip does not resemble that time. It is now full of karaoke bars and shops selling tourist ware, apart from the classical Bella Vista Hotel and Spa.  We spent our first two nights at the HOTEL DA ROCHA    Four Stars Avenida Tomás Cabreira, 8500-802 Praia da Rocha, Portimão +351 282 424 081 www.hoteldarocha.com It is a nice, clean hotel with friendly staff. The swimming pool

APONIENTE Three Michelin Stars A return visit to the Angel León restaurant (famous for its cuisine of the sea and only from the sea). After moving from its old location in the Centre of El Puerto de Santa Maria, the new, far more glamorous restaurant is just outside town, in what was once an old flour mill, initially built in 1815. A small river/stream flows under the current building, and the energy it generated for the mill was used to grind the wheat into flour. Situate

ACÁNTHUM One Michelin Star PERMANELY CLOSED 2024 After two years at San Sebastian's Arzak, Xanty Elias came home, determined to shake up Huelva's dining scene. His two tasting menus (from €75 with wine) only change twice a year. They may include pistachio, crumbled cookie and white chocolate dust, laid out as a map of the nearby marshes, and include palate-thrilling dishes like beef sirloin (solomillo) with spiced lard and tangy, mustardy mackerel with tender lupini bea

SKINA Two Michelin Stars This is a minute restaurant in the old quarter of Marbella. It offers an interesting and bold approach to top-quality gastronomy. The cuisine is traditionally inspired, showcasing meticulous technique and the highest-quality ingredients. The food is nothing less than sublime. We had excellent, knowledgeable and friendly service from our waiter, Jesús, and the rest of the staff. The restaurant held one Michelin Star for ten years and now has t

BACK! TAPAS BAR & RESTAURANT Michelin Plate IIO David Olivas and Fabián Villar, chef and sommelier, respectively, are the creators of Back! A colourful and modern restaurant, with a focus on traditional and updated Andalucían cuisine. Although it states it's a tapas bar and restaurant, it is probably more of a restaurant. The menu caters for tapas, sharing plates, set menus and new inventive culinary creations. On this occasion, we had the Menu, Grand Back 2020 (9 steps f

RESTAURANTE ES VENTALL Michelin Plate IIO A return to Sant Antoni during the Covid-hit summer of 2020 saw us return to one of our favourite restaurants in town. On this balmy July evening, everyone was sitting in the garden area as we tucked into the following, Croquetas de gambas (prawn croquettes) Atún tartar (tuna tartar) Hummus Berenjena tempura (aubergine tempura) Costilla cerdo (de-boned pork ribs) Paletilla de Cordero (10 hours, slow-cooked, shoulder of lamb)

RESTAURANTE CA N'ESMERALDA This restaurant has been in operation for a few years. It is situated in a secluded location, hidden away from the main town area of Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio Abad), near the end of Cala de Bou, overlooking San Antonio Bay. We popped in for a light lunch (do we really have light lunches?) and tried the following. Pan con aioli Papas asadas, alioli, hilos de chile y nuestro ingrediente especial (roasted potatoes, aioli, chilli threads, an

RESTAURANTE CA'S MILÁ Michelin Plate IIO This stunning Restaurant is high up and overlooks the great beach of Cala Tarida. It has a...

APONIENTE Two Michelin Stars   Chef de Mar Ángel León Gonzales now has his third Michelin star in his ultra-modern restaurant, which he has recently moved into. It is a converted 18th-century flour mill overlooking the estuary and, most appropriately, looking out to sea, on the banks of the Guadalete River. This is a review from 2015, the restaurant has moved to new premises and now has three Michelin Stars. The old restaurant is now an upmarket tapas bar/restaurant and is

A few days in Málaga after COVID-19 lockdown easing. After ten plus weeks in lockdown, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the prospect of a...