Villa Spain - Property Magazin for the Costa del Sol

Villa España "Simbad el Marino" Authentic taste of Spain

Our host promised an exceptional culinary experience – and he was true to his word.

“There’s this great restaurant on the beach,” he informed us. “No credit cards, no posers, the antithesis of Puerto Banús – and the best fish in town.” How could we resist!

In true cosmopolitan Costa style our luncheon group comprised an Englishman, Spaniard, Portuguese and Australian, and our destination was Simbad El Marino. The short journey from Villa España’s La Cala offices took us along the main coastal highway to the Las Chapas turn-off, down past the exclusive urbanisation’s stylish villas to a large parking area – and the almost incongruous sight of Simbad (the restaurant) on the beach.

food Awaiting us was Simbad (the restaurateur), an authentic Spanish character who looked like he might actually just have climbed out of the fishing boat resting against the restaurant wall – his bucket laden with that day’s catch.

As it turned out, Cristobal "Simbad" Cano Belmonte does in fact catch his own fish, though not every day because he has other equally important responsibilities: for example, cooking it.

On the day we arrived for lunch he was effusively apologetic. The seas had been a little choppy that morning, he said, and he wasn’t able to offer his customary selection of fresh fish.

It wasn't noticeable - even to old hands at the Costa fish restaurant dining experience. Okay, so maybe there wasn’t any sea bass (lubina), gilthead (dorada), sea bream (breca) or sardines, but we still had an exquisite choice from sole (lenguado), swordfish (pez espada), turbot (rodaballo), squid (calamares) and porgy (pargos).

We weren't quite sure what the English equivalent of "hurta" and “boraz” was so didn’t miss them anyway – and resolved to solve the mystery on another visit.

One of our quartet was just coming off a fortnight-long diet of salads and, pleaded with us to turn a blind eye while he committed the “cardinal sin”, in a beachside fish restaurant, of eating red meat. We acquiesced but did sneak a mildly envious look at a superb fillet of beef that wouldn’t have been out of place in a specialist meat grill establishment.

We also ordered a plate of chips after observing the relish with which he attacked his side dish–home-peeled and sliced, we must add (no frozen impostors here).

As we lingered over coffees, Cristobal emerged from the kitchen to fill us in on the restaurant’s intriguing history.

Born in Almería (the eastern-most province of Andalucía), though his parents were from Fuengirola, he was a tuna fisherman for 15 years, before moving into construction, including a stint in the nearby Hotel Don Carlos’s technical department.