Blessed with some of the best beach bars in Spain, the Costa del Sol continues to attract visitors from all over Europe.

Although prices have risen considerably in many of the beachside chiringuitos over the past few years, one which remains very reasonably priced with consistently good food is Los Delfines at La Cala de Mijas.
This unspoilt fishing village has retained most of its character, and is now a popular tourist destination with beautiful sandy beaches, and an attractive promenade running along the seafront. La Cala de Mijas has not been spoilt by over building, and is one of the most attractive villages on the Costa del Sol. With over 320 days of sunshine a year, this is the perfect place to spend a day on the beach or an afternoon eating and drinking in a chiringuito. Situated just 5 minutes from Fuengirola in the east and Calahonda in the west, the village is easily accessible.

Enjoying an unbeatable location, literally situated on the sand, Los Delfines is cheap, cheerful and a great place to take the family for lunch or dinner. The beauty of this place is that you can watch the children playing nearby on the beach, and there is no chance of them getting bored. Also, the restaurant is busy throughout spring and summer, and with such a great turnover, you can guarantee that the food is always fresh.

Last time we visited was a few weeks ago with friends who were visiting from the UK, and with their three kids in tow, Los Delfines seemed to be the ideal lunch venue. The service is quick and efficient, and although this is very much a ´no frills´ restaurant, it offers everything you would expect and more from a busy chiringuito.

After ordering a round of drinks including the obligatory jug of sangria, the children went to play on the beach while we browsed through the extensive menu. There is even a small playground close to the beach for the smaller kids, and some water sports available for the teenagers.

Being so close to the sea, we always order fish at Los Delfines, although the meat dishes are also excellent. We like to share a range of dishes so we get to sample a bit of everything, and the shellfish is superb.
We normally order the fresh mussels Los Delfines, which are cooked in a tomato, wine and garlic sauce, the boquerones with lemon, the fried baby squid, fresh sole meuniere and of course the excellent paella valenciana with chicken and pork. To begin we normally share a house salad, and asparagus with mayonnaise to go alongside. There is also a children´s menu, and the two smaller ones ordered spaghetti bolognaise and pizza, while the teenagers plumped for a fabulous dish of mixed fish, including squid, sole, prawns and boquerones.

Everything is served quickly, and unless you go at the weekend in August, we always find that there is little waiting time between the order being taken and the food being served. The signature dish of this popular beach bar would have to be the cazuela, which is like a seafood stew and comes in a steaming pot. This delicious offering is supposed to be for one person, but we find that there is so much of it that it´s better shared. Plump prawns sit alongside monkfish, clams, mussels and rosada, in a delicious sauce of fish stock and garlic. You will not find a better cazuela anywhere, and this is probably half the price they would charge in some of the swankier joints in Marbella.

After such a spread, we like to take our time before desserts, and you are never rushed to leave your table however busy the restaurant may be, and the waiters are happy for guests to sit and soak up the sun and enjoy their drinks before ordering more food.

The desserts are similar to those in most beach bars, but you will probably never find a better choice of special ice creams and home-made crème caramel than at Los Delfines. The coffee is also excellent, and we normally find that with three courses, including starters, main courses, desserts, drinks and coffee, the bill normally works out at around €20 a head – which is significantly lower at many similar restaurants.
As far as parking is concerned, there are plenty of spaces close to the beach bar, but we normally park in the village´s main car-park beside Supersol, and stroll down to the beach from there. There are plenty of bars between the village centre and Los Delfines if you fancy some liquid refreshment before lunch. There is also a taxi rank outside Biddy Mulligans Irish Bar, and a regular bus service to Marbella and Fuengirola if you fancy leaving the car at home. Parking can be a little more difficult on Wednesdays and Saturdays when the market is held nearby, especially in the summer months, but generally there are no problems finding a space.
The restaurant is open from 10am-11pm. Los Delfines is a jewel of a beach bar, and you won´t leave La Cala disappointed after a meal here.
Contact telephone: 0034 95 249 4205.