With its hot summers, beautiful spring, autumn and even sunny winter days, there’s nothing quite like a good meal right at the beach and Fuengirola offers many chiringuitos (beach bars and restaurants) and other dining experiences all the way along the Paseo Maritimo.
While the choice is difficult with so many to choose from, a bit like choosing the perfect apartment in Fuengirola, the following are some excellent examples to try out on your next Costa del Sol holiday.
Chiringuito Oasis
While many of the chiringuitos offer the same fare with pretty much identical menus, some of them do stand out. One in particular is Chiringuito Oasis, down in the Torreblanca area of the beach close to Carvajal. The address is Paseo Maritimo Rey de Espana 132 and the location is perfect for seafood or barbeque in the sun.
The restaurant has been going for a while, as it was opened in 1980 by the González Salguero family, and is still going strong. With a delicious choice of typical Spanish and Mediterranean starters, soups and salads as well as both fish and meat dishes, it can be hard to make up your mind, but whatever you choose is sure to be of excellent quality and flavor, whether cooked in the kitchen or on the barbeque outside the restaurant. Finishing up with a rich and delicious dessert is a popular trend here, with my personal choice being the tiramisu.
A friend of mine who hails from England first visited this restaurant 20 years ago and also agrees that the quality never changes – with the restaurant becoming a definite must-visit for all their future holidays whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Restaurante La Carihuela Chica
For a seafood and fish experience, Restaurante La Carihuela Chica is the place to be. While the restaurant and its terrace are huge, service is efficient and friendly and the food is really good. The restaurant is located on the Paseo de Maritimo Rey de Espana, opposite the beach and on the corner of the Plaza San Rafael with its handy parking garage, in case the beachfront is busy.
You can start your meal with a huge range of tasty appetizers, soups and salads. I personally tend to always have the traditional Spanish fried aubergines with cane honey for a sweet and savoury experience, but the salads, cheeses and Iberian ham are also excellent. The fish dishes give a full range of Spanish and Mediterranean style meals, while the meat dishes include everything from a good steak to chicken, lamb and pork sirloin offerings.
As for dessert, yes, they also have tiramisu, but also offer some great alternative options including cream caramel, Catalan cream, chocolate and cheese cake. Alternatively there is a choice of fresh fruit and delicious cooling ice creams, welcome on a hot summer’s day.
Restaurante Antonio Videra
For a chiringuito with a difference, Restaurante Antonio Videra is definitely worth a visit. With its friendly, colourful appearance, loads of plants and a large terrace, this family-run restaurant is open most of the year around (some chiringuitos close for a few months over the winter period).
As with most chiringuitos, the restaurant has sun beds and thatched parasols available on the beach for the usual price 4.50 euros per person, per day, along with beach service. Jesus and Juan offer excellent and friendly, but not intrusive, service and speak English well.
The restaurant is located on the Paseo de Maritimo in Los Boliches, between the Yaramar Hotel and the Ilunion Fuengirola Hotel. With its string of lights, row of flags of various nations and colourful plants, the restaurant is difficult to miss.
The restaurant has a barbeque in the form of a bright red and yellow boat, always on the go with fresh sardines cooking and there a bar available inside for a cooling drink, while meals are served inside the restaurant and on the spacious terrace right on the beach. As for the menu, there is an excellent choice of fish and seafood dishes along with a meat menu, salads, soups and starters.
For those in the mood for a light meal, Restaurant Antonio Videra also offers a range of tasty tapas to enjoy with a cold beer or a glass of local wine in friendly, relaxed surroundings.
For anyone who has had their fill of the typical Spanish seafood experience, there are plenty of other choices available including one of the best Italian restaurants in the area.
Zena 2.0 Restaurante Italiano
Located right opposite the beach the Los Boliches area of Fuengirola, close to the port, Zena 2.0 Restaurante Italiano is one of those places you tend to return to often. The décor is attractive, the service staff friendly and efficient and then, of course, there’s the food! Friends who don’t speak Spanish find the waiters speak little English, but between the chef and myself, we get by just fine.
Whether visiting for lunch or dinner, there is a choice of places to sit, whether in the restaurant itself, in the extended dining area next door or out on the terrace overlooking the view. For starters, I love the garlic bread, made in the traditional Italian way, followed by one of the restaurant’s excellent pasta dishes or a tasty risotto, but there are also excellent meat and fish dishes on offer to suit all tastes.
The typical Italian desserts round off the meal nicely, and yes you guessed it, I do tend to go for tiramisu in the true Italian style! My friends, however, swear by the ice cream too.
Great restaurant, but don’t just take my word for it as Zena 2 is ranked at number 3 in Fuengirola by reviewers on Tripadvisor and holds a Certificate of Excellence. Please note the restaurant is located in the Yaramar Hotel building, but is not in any way related to that hotel.
Café Sol y Mar
Located on the Paseo Maritimo at number 26, Café Sol y Mar offers breakfast, lunch and dinner at affordable prices in a great location, steps from the beach and close to the port.
I enjoyed my third meal here last week with friends and the service couldn’t have been better. Antonio our waiter was helpful and very efficient, without being intrusive. For a light snack, the café serves excellent tapas, including small portions of Spanish paella and other dishes as well as a very tasty serving of chips with a ranch sauce, bacon and grated cheese.
Meals range from light sandwiches and salads to meat and fish dishes, including hamburgers, fish and chips and other popular taste options. Pre-dinner cocktails are great, as is the range of desserts to finish off the meal and a good cup of Italian coffee goes down just right.
Enjoy your visit to Fuengirola and bon appétit!
