Restaurants in Torremolinos

To be honest, Torrie has never been celebrated for its cuisine. If you want fine dining, prepare to travel to the upscale clubs at Marbella. That’s not to say you can’t eat well in Torrie—assuming you like fish in every form. As in other towns along the Costa del Sol, many Torremolinos restaurants offer either sardines on a stick (see below) or what the locals used to call “fried foam”‒all the little fish that catch in the fine-mesh nets, tossed in a batter and quickly deep-fried. You eat them skin, bones, fins, and all. Torrie’s many casual eateries do excel at British breakfast fare.

To get away from the high-rises and honky-tonks, head to nearby La Carihuela. In the old fishing village on the western outskirts of Torremolinos, you'll find some of the best bargain restaurants. Walk down the hill toward the sea to reach the village.

Sardines on a Stick

Sardines espeto appears on the menu of many a beachfront restaurant along the Costa del Sol. It’s a holdover from the 19th century, when fishermen hereabouts had to make do with the leftovers after selling their daily catch. Sardines were plentiful and cheap then (they still are), and the fishermen would skewer (espetar) a bunch of sardines on a stake or a reed and grill them next to a small fire built in the sand.

It took a marketing genius to make the dish emblematic of Málagan coastal cuisine. In 1882, Miguel Martínez Soler (“Sardine Miqué”) opened his beach bar, La gran parada, at El Palo beach in Málaga. It was the first chiringuito on the Costa del Sol and the first to feature sardines espeto on the menu. When King Alfonso XII visited in 1885, Miqué served him a plate of the sardines, which the king started to eat with knife and fork.

“Not like that, your highness,” the espartero explained. “With your fingers!”

Diners have been asking for wet wipes ever since.