Yzabelle Bostyn
OUR mission to find the Costa del Sol’s best vegan offerings continues, this time with MaduBar in Estepona’s old town.
Estepona’s old town is full of enchanting corners.
Unfortunately for me however, these corners are often empty of vegan food.
That’s why I was excited when I discovered that one of Estepona’s prettiest restaurants, Madubar, offered a variety of vegan dishes.
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Right next to the famous Plaza de Flores lies MaduBar in the Plaza Dr Arce.
The tiny square is delightful thanks to the strings of fairy lights, hanging flowers and the statue of a Greek goddess right in the centre.
MaduBar takes up a good portion of the area, with its turquoise seats and white facades painted with cherry blossoms.
When we walk in, the restaurant is very quiet, as it’s too early to eat by Spanish standards (7pm) and it’s been chucking it down for the last few hours.
But, that doesn’t stop the venue feeling warm and cosy.
The rustic vibe, subtle lighting and friendly staff all make us feel right at home.
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For both vegetarians and vegans there are a number of options, from salads to thai curry.
In the end, my mum and I opt to start with a bowl of homemade hummus.
Sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and accompanied with pitta bread and crackers, the hummus was perfectly spicy and sweet, thanks to the juicy seeds.
Now excited for our mains, I order the vegan wrap, while my mum tries the soup of the day and the babaganoush.
It doesn’t take long for the mains to come out.
The vegan wrap is packed full of veggies including carrot, avocado, tomato and greens.
It is accompanied by a cheesy sauce and sweet potato fries, which were just the treat I needed on this rainy day.
The chips were cooked to perfection but the wrap disappointed.
The vegetables were uncooked but warm, making for a strange texture and taste.
Unfortunately, it also lacked seasoning and was only saved by lashings of the cheesy sauce intended for the fries.
However, my mum’s ‘green’ soup, made from asparagus, spinach, artichoke and other vegetables was tasty.
Topped with cream and almond flakes, it was a flavoursome, warming dish.
We also loved how the soup of the day is always vegan and comes with deliciously crispy garlic bread.
Like the hummus, the baba ganoush was blended to perfection and came with plenty of accompaniments.
For pudding, we ordered the vegan brownie.
Although it was supposed to come with vegan ice cream, the kind staff member informed us they were out, but that we could have blueberries instead.
However, the juicy berries did little to counteract the dryness.
Though the brownie did have a rich flavour, the ice cream is definitely needed for this dish.
Overall, although I would not order the vegan wrap again, I enjoyed my meal at MaduBar.
The staff were lovely and attentive, the ambience chilled out and cosy and most of the food was pretty tasty.
If I ever came back I would love to try some of their other vegan dishes or sample whichever soup was on offer that day.
READ MORE: Jasmine Harman visits vegan restaurants on Spain’s Costa del Sol
