Dining Estepona/Puerto Banus

[grace3]

We will be arriving in Malaga next week and have rented a lovely apartment just east of Estepona.

I would appreciate help with an arrival day suggestion for dining after the long trip over! A nice place not too far away, where we could have an earlyish dinner.

Thanks.........

[Bux]

Both Michelin and Campsa award a star to the Lido in the Las Dunas hotel. (Note that the latest Michelin I have for Spain is 2003. 2004 for Campsa.) This is an exceptionally upscale and expensive restaurant and perhaps not what you'd want for the day of arrival. Campsa lists six other restaurants, all around 25 or 35 euros for dinner. La Menorah is the one with a recommendation. Octopus salad is one of the specialties along with stews and fish.

[vserna]

I'd go to La Alcaría de Ramos (on the road to San Pedro de Alcántara, right in the outskirts of Estepona), which serves dinner from 7.30 PM on - very early for Spain! José Ramos used to be the chef at Horcher's old Marbella branch, and he has all those traditional central European recipes down pat, now with a modern and Andalusian twist. Very pleasant place in an old farm house, very nice food. Gazpacho, 'escabeche' fowl salad, St. Peter's fish with creamed spinach, 'zarzuela' stew with fish and shellfish, roast duck with red cabbage, apple compote and 'rösti' potatoes... that kind of a culinary mix. Upscale comfort food in a good way.

[grace3]

Thanks for the info....the La Alcaria de Ramos sounds like just what we are looking for on arrival night.

I do have an 2004 Red Guide for Spain/Portugal. It looks like it might be nearby as it mentions El Paraiso and our apartment is near the El Paraiso, in the Les Gardenias complex. I will try for a mappy....

Thanks, for the help...........

[JesusBarquin]

You might also take into account that Dani García, former chef of Tragabuches (Ronda), works now at the Hotel Meliá Don Pepe (Marbella), not far from Estepona.

[grace3]

You might also take into account that Dani García, former chef of Tragabuches (Ronda), works now at the Hotel Meliá Don Pepe (Marbella), not far from Estepona.

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I will make note of this...thanks...

[Judith Gebhart]

You might also take into account that Dani García, former chef of Tragabuches (Ronda), works now at the Hotel Meliá Don Pepe (Marbella), not far from Estepona.

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Dear Jesus: This information is SHOCKING. Do you know why Dani Garcia left Ronda? We loved his work. The Ronda setting is marvelous. The Marbella setting is awful, for us.

Your input about this change would be helpful. We have been to that area of southern Spain and will never return. We would consider another visit to Ronda and its surrounding area. With Dani gone from the area, there is no culinary equal to replace him. That means Ronda has no major chef to attract serious diners. My head is spinning. Please give us as much information as you can. Judith Gebhart

[vserna]

With Dani gone from the area, there is no culinary equal to replace him. That means Ronda has no major chef to attract serious diners.

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Well, I'll give you some input since I see Jesús hasn't responded yet. I'm sure he will have a lot more info than me - after all, he lives next door!

Dani García has been a good chef, with talent, who at first simply built on the legacy of Sergio López - his predecessor, who earned Tragabuches its Michelin star before leaving three years ago. Little by little, Dani moved into ever more experimental, purely modern cuisine instead of the 'modern cookery with Andalusian roots' favored by Sergio. Last summer, Nick Lander (with his wife, wine writer Jancis Robinson), the Financial Times' restaurant critic, ate there and he wrote a scathing piece about an awful lunch. He criticized the Ferran Adriá wannabes who lack Ferran's genius.

I don't know exactly what happened after that internationally loud condemnation, but we learned in November that Dani had accepted the Meliá Don Pepe's offer to launch a new ambitious restaurant there. Then, quite recently, Enrique Bellver, the restaurant critic for Sur, the big Málaga newspaper, ended an article on the future of Tragabuches (currently closed for redecoration) with this meaningful paragraph:

"The restaurant's owners say they are sorry not to have been able to reach an understanding on re-directing the menu toward a creative cuisine that would be based on the traditional flavors of Ronda and Andalusia, without any loss of the avant-garde touch that always characterized Tragabuches' cuisine, but outside the sheer experimentation which reigned during Dani's last period there. However, they assert that the return to Tragabuches of Benito Gómez, a young cook who worked there in the past and who later was sous-chef at La Hacienda Benazuza, [the Ferran Adrià-managed restaurant] in Seville, and of Israel Ramos, who until a month ago was one of the outstanding cooks at this Seville establishment which recently received its second Michelin star, will open new perspectives to modern cuisine in Málaga province and in Andalusia. Tragabuches faces a new era, which promises to be much more attractive from a gastronomic viewpoint."

[JesusBarquin]

With Dani gone from the area, there is no culinary equal to replace him. That means Ronda has no major chef to attract serious diners.

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Well, I'll give you some input since I see Jesús hasn't responded yet. I'm sure he will have a lot more info than me - after all, he lives next door!

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Thanks for the capote, Víctor. Neighbourhood! Let me doubt that I could have more info than you in any gastrotopic, southern ones included...

Judith, AFAIK the clues of the question have been told by VS: mainly, lack of coincidence regarding the future of the restaurant between the owners and the chef. There always may be personal issues and others, but it's not kind to speculate about them.

By the way, playing recently with some friends the which-was-your-best-restaurant-meal-of-2004 play, I found out that, had we not dined at El Bulli, probably a meal at FM in Granada would have been my favourite one. Everything extremely fresh and delicious, mostly seafood (quisquillas, cigalas, espardeñas, pulpo seco, ortiguillas...; I'll try to translate them later). So, Judith, I would encourage you not to miss Granada next time you come over Andalusia.

Anyway, I plan on going back to Tragabuches as soon as possible, as well as to Gran Hotel Meliá in Marbella, of course.

[pedro]

Dani García has been a good chef, with talent, who at first simply built on the legacy of Sergio López - his predecessor, who earned Tragabuches its Michelin star before leaving three years ago.

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Any ideas of the whereabouts of Sergio López? I read that he retired due to stress, but I wonder if he's come back to the kitchen . . .

[Bux]

By the way, playing recently with some friends the which-was-your-best-restaurant-meal-of-2004 play, I found out that, had we not dined at El Bulli, probably a meal at FM in Granada would have been my favourite one. Everything extremely fresh and delicious, mostly seafood (quisquillas, cigalas, espardeñas, pulpo seco, ortiguillas...; I'll try to translate them later). So, Judith, I would encourage you not to miss Granada next time you come over Andalusia.

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Is this the same Granada of which we both spoke so disparagingly of last year?

[vserna]

Any ideas of the whereabouts of Sergio López?

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I seem to remember strange stories, such as that he'd retired to meditate in Nepal or something of that order.

Is this the same Granada of which we both spoke so disparagingly of last year?

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Indeed it is. Jesús, in the last few months, has given us some highly exciting news on the gastronomic rejuvenation of Granada.

Then again, Jesús lives in Granada...

[JesusBarquin]

In fact, not many things have changed in Granada. More or less the same as always: most are not-so-good restaurants, but here are some interesting places: Chikito, Iris (though the very last time a bit disappointing: it's difficult to maintain a good level with a low level of customers), several tapas' bars... Among them, the FM bar.

I had been at FM several times, but always with my wife, who is allergic to crustaceans (maybe that's the key) and never was as impressed as many other people in whose good taste I trust. But a couple of months ago I went with a colleague of the University of Granada who is a great gourmet. He told the owner to give us to eat the best he had: the meal was simply marvellous.

Now I think that this place definitely deserves a visit for itself. In any case, in Granada there is also the Alhambra, what is not a minor reason to come over... Well, I know, let's forget about: it isn't eatable, nor drinkable,

[grace3]

I faxed La Alcaría de Ramos today for an early 7:30 reservation for our arrival evening on Thursday. I did find out that this restaurant is very close to our rental apartment. This afternoon I received a telephone call, not a fax, confirming our reservation! I was so surprised with the call that I used a combination of English, French and Spanish!!! His English was very good..he must have thought that I was a bit strange....

We are off to Spain tomorrow and have many wonderful places on our schedule in both Spain and in Portugal. The weather has been looking perfect and we are really looking forward to it after all the wonderful things that we have heard about the countries and the people! Will try to post a bit while there...hasta luego!!

[nicola]

Anyway, I plan on going back to Tragabuches as soon as possible, as well as to Gran Hotel Meliá in Marbella, of course.

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Just wondering if Jesus (or anyone else) has been to the Gran Hotel Melia recently and can give some feedback. I will be in the area later this month and would be interested to know whether it is worth going to.

(Apologies if this has already been posted about but I couldn't find it so a link would be very helpful if it's not too much trouble)

[JesusBarquin]

Just wondering if Jesus (or anyone else) has been to the Gran Hotel Melia recently and can give some feedback.  I will be in the area later this month and would be interested to know whether it is worth going to.

(Apologies if this has already been posted about but I couldn't find it so a link would be very helpful if it's not too much trouble)

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Sorry Nicola, but not yet. I guess I won't be able to go to Marbella in the next month. But I would bet that it is worth the visit. Do not forget to tell us if you decide to eat at this restaurant, whose name is Calima if I am not wrong.

BTW, not long ago I had an excellent meal at Restautante Med, in Torremolinos.

[MsAzadi]

We just had a very good lunch of fried calamari, and fried cod, along with potatoes at la Escollara in Estepona. I knew if we had this we wouldn't be able to eat anything else. Most other patrons, mostly Spanish, had 3 or 4 plates a piece. I did manage to add a crema catalana glace...flan in an ice cream form. ;-) btw, this restaurant now takes credit cards but still has the simple atmosphere.