Dilip Kuner
TAKE a stroll through the pretty heart of old Benalmadena Pueblo and right next to the church you will find El Muro restaurant.
While it may look like a modest venue from the street – with some lovely tables in front where you can soak up the ‘olde world’ atmosphere of the pueblo – it opens up into a beautiful, spacious, wooden paneled bar area.
Here a display of no less than 60 gins takes pride of place. And if your preference runs to beer, there is a vast selection including some from a local craft brewery, as well as a connoisseur’s collection of wines.
Owners Bob and Linda, who took over the former Flamenco show bar in 2013, certainly like to give their customers plenty to choose from!
But tempting as it was to sample the alcoholic delights – I was here for the food.
So we headed through the large dining room to the expansive rear terrace, which boasts unbeatable views down to the coast, and on a clear day all the way to the Sierra Nevada.
And on the menu there is something for everyone, including a good selection of dishes for vegetarians.
The menu is heavy on Spanish dishes with an international twist – including a small menu of pasta and a selection of curries and Thai specialities.
I decided to sample the confit of duck and foie gras. It was beautifully presented, with the duck formed into ‘rillettes’ around a core of foie gras. It tasted as good as it looked.
My wife Sandras’s caramelised onion and goats cheese tart more than met with her approval, with the sweetness of the onions complementing the more pungent cheese.
The belly of pork main was slow-cooked to perfection with crispy crackling, while Sandra’s seafood cazuela had chunky fish, prawns, squid and mussels – easy to overcook but here perfection to a tee.
The portions were substantial (to say the least!) but we found enough room to share a tiramisu – the perfect way to round off a highly enjoyable meal.
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