Within the parameters of Carvajal, Torreblanca and Los Boliches, which are located just before the main town of Fuengirola, lie a wide variety of good quality, down to earth, no nonsense cafes and bars, much as you would expect to find along a coastline whose inhabitants livelihoods relies heavily on the influx of tourists each year. Whether you are English or Spanish, you will find a warm reception awaiting you once you have decided from the myriad range available, just which establishment deserves the benefit of your patronage. The majority of the clientele frequenting the cafes are a mixture of young families and retired couples.

Sundays are a particularly busy day for these businesses as this is the day when the local Spanish population descend onto the sidewalks and beaches. This is a day where, unlike other European countries, the vast majority of businesses close their doors, thereby allowing their workers to benefit from a decent family life. This is mostly attributable to the local laws regulating the opening of shop hours, prohibiting any business on Sundays but its origins could lie in the strong Catholic belief in the community where Sundays are still deemed a day of rest.

As a result, parking on this day can prove somewhat difficult and it is usually best to head towards the back streets without even considering the seafront, the paseo maritimo. Unless of course, you take a perverse pleasure in grinding bumper to bumper behind agitated drivers who crawl along in the vain hope of finding a space, creating mayhem in their path and who are seemingly oblivious to the furious beeps of car horns. The best time to try to avoid this madness is to head for a late lunch during siesta time, which generally runs from 2pm til 4.30 pm. An added bonus is that parking is free between these hours, although, if truth be known, the fines for non payment of a ticket are pitiful to say the least at barely more than 3 euros. During the peak summer season however; parking charges apply all day without exemption. However, for any hot blooded males out there, an encounter with a parking attendant is usually a pleasant experience for it would seem that one of the job specifications for this role is to be as attractive as possible, resulting in a high number of long haired beauties in uniform patrolling the streets!

The first bar to visit if you want to combine lunch with a spot of sunbathing thrown in on the beach is a long established venue down at Kalifato. In the height of summer it is best reached by foot, as, mentioned earlier, parking can be a nightmare. It is located underneath the roundabout just by Avenida del Sol at the foot of the hills on the coastal highway just after the welcoming sign for Benalmadena. A Spanish run business, you can indulge in typical Spanish fare whilst enjoying the uninterrupted views of the sea before hiring a sun-bed to soak up the rays – typical charge, 4 euros. If you are a cat lover, then be prepared to meet the many friendly inhabitants that reside here for it would appear to be one of the few places that actually own them. As you will see, the majority of cats here are strays and survive on no more than luck and a prayer so it is extremely rare and pleasant to see well fed and well cared for cats. Many a peaceful evening can be enjoyed here whilst you watch the sun set on the horizon casting its rays over the glittering sea. If you are looking for peace and quiet away from the main town, then this is the spot for you as it is the only restaurant in the immediate vicinity.

Not much further on from Kalifato, running along the coastal road towards Fueringola are a small selection of bars, predominantly run by English. They cater for the sports minded individuals with large digital tv screens showing all the current big games. For those who are not that interested in the likes of football, rugby etc but are merely along for the ride, so to speak, the time can be pleasantly whiled away by watching the numerous fishermen casting their lines from the rocky outcrop stretching out into the sea.

If you are looking for typical English grub, such as your English fry up, roast dinners etc then Ocean View is highly recommended for its highly friendly staff, economic prices and quality of food. They are located on the corner of the paseo maritime opposite the Calypso bar in Torreblanca and are run by an English team. A typical fry up with all the trimmings will only set you back an amazing 3 euros, with extra portions for an additional euro, and is available all day.

As you meander along the promenade, you will find a number of Spanish Chiringuitos, perched directly on the beach. These are well worth a visit if only for a quick drink and spot of tapas with clear views of the sea. Outside you will quite often see a wooden boat wedged into the sand which has been converted into a unique looking barbecue where you can watch the Spanish equivalent of English white bait being traditionally prepared on a selection of skewers, whilst savouring the delicious smells emanating from within the ex rowing boat!

German food may not immediately spring to mind whilst holidaying in Spain but there are in fact a number of them to be found with mouth watering results. The first of note is, again, along the main coast road in Torreblanca and so easy to find and is called Restaurante Wolfgang. Because of its popularity it is best to book in advance otherwise there is scant chance of securing a table if you turn up on the off chance. Whilst this takes away the spontaneity of deciding at the last minute of where to eat, the food is well worth this slight inconvenience. The staff are a mixture of Spanish and English and are extremely attentive to all your needs. Specials of the day will be brought to your attention and vary from pork cooked in beer so tender it will simply dissolve in your mouth to freshly caught fish of the day. It is difficult to recommend any one dish here as they are all of such a good quality, you will be hard pushed to find fault. Suffice it to say that all the dishes are well presented, of good size portion and extremely tasty! General main courses range from 7.50 euros up to 13 with eye pleasing desserts starting from 3.95.

Another German restaurant of note is called Kudamm and is located in Fueringerola port. It enjoys marvellous dockside views of the yachts that are moored up for the night in the marina. This establishment is much larger than the typical seaside cafes whose furniture tends to consist of ordinary plastic garden chairs and tables with their only protection from the elements provided by wind up stripey roller blinds. However, expect to pay slightly more because of this and its location. Prices start from 8 euros a dish up to approximately 15 euros. The meatballs here are one of their specialities and well worth investigating, not only for their flavour but for their rather spectacular entrance as they are ceremoniously paraded to your table, strung up on the most enormous skewer furiously sizzling away. The service here as well as the atmosphere is generally good and advance booking recommended.
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Heading into Los Boliches, there are still a wide number of cafés to choose from and it can be very much a hit or miss affair as to which one provides decent food at reasonable prices with no nasty effects the following day! A strange phenomenon exists along this stretch of road which is that whilst one restaurant can be packed to the rafters with customers, the one immediately adjacent to it stands alone and neglected by the public, begging the question, what is it exactly, that makes a restaurant appeal to the general masses? Is it merely good service and good food, irrespective of the surroundings as long as they are welcoming, clean and hygienic, for it simply does not make sense why one establishment is able to fill their tables to capacity when others that look far more impressive remain sadly empty. The magic ingredient to this enigma is one that many a struggling business must wish they knew as they watch their burgeoning business venture falter and stutter on their feet.

With reference to the above criteria, Sticky Fingers, Fools and Horses, Cheers, La Parra, Restaurante Cosmopolitan and Restaurante Bahia all fit the bill perfectly. Incidentally La Parra, despite the name, is a cracking fish n chips shop and takeaway, located on Calle Poeta Salvador Rueda, just off the Confort Hotel on the sea front in Los Boliches. On weekends this little gem of a restaurant can be extremely busy and requires bookings due to not only its popularity but its surprisingly compact interior. The other restaurants, as the names suggest, supply good English fare with typical homemade desserts for those who do not wish to stray too far from their home comforts. The latter two premises provide a mixture of English, Spanish and Italian food and are run by native Spanish folk. Whichever café you decide to use, hopefully, with the benefit of this rough guide to the area, your dining experience will bring you nothing but pleasure.