In my mind there are two types of venta – those which suffer identity crises, and should really be something else like, perhaps stables, or somebody´s front room, and those which are proper ´ventas´, and may be basic on the inside, but serve quality food at fantastic prices.

Venta la Morena and Hoyo 19, both on the Ctra. de Coin, close to Mijas-Golf fall into the latter category, and you would be hard pushed to find a better menu del dia or selection of tapas anywhere on the coast.
There are lots of tiny bars and cafés hidden away round Mijas-Golf, particularly in Entrerrios, and I have been lucky enough to find most of them as I live closeby. It would be easy to write a few lines on each, but I prefer to concentrate on the jewels in the crown – Venta la Morena and Hoyo 19.

As with most things Spanish, menus del dia vary greatly in terms of quality and price – often being between 7 and 15 € per head. The menu at Hoyo 19 is €11 including three courses and half a bottle of wine per person (yes, vino lovers – that´s not a glass, not a thimble full, but a whole lovely half bottle of wine each). Being a fan of the old grape juice, you could be forgiven for thinking this is the only reason I choose Hoyo 19, but there is much more to it than this. The food is excellent and the portions are huge.

Miserable waiters, I find, often accompany a menu del dia – almost as if they are thrown in as a freebie. ´Yes you can have a 3 course meal for next to nothing, but the drawback is you have to let the waiter be rude to you´. Not so at Hoyo 19.

I have been here 4 times now, and each time the boss, Lorenzo, however busy he is, always greets us with a smile and ´Buenos Dias´ - honestly, don´t faint, it´s true! I wish he could teach my bank manager a few manners.There is an ample, shaded terrace and a large car park. We normally sit just outside the door, but there is also a big, interior restaurant for cooler days.

We always order off the menu del dia at lunchtimes, although there is a large á la carte menu to choose from if you wish. There is a choice of 3 starters and main courses on the set menu, and a massive choice of desserts. Last time we went the starter choices were: House salad with tuna, eggs florentine with spinach or spaghetti bolognaise. Main courses included: Roast leg of lamb with mint sauce, chicken with roquefort sauce or fried rosada with chips and salad. The desserts are too many to mention, but some of the favourites include: Apple crumble with custard or ice cream, vanilla ice cream with warm chocolate sauce and home made caramel crème.

Having ordered the lamb, expecting it to be a couple of slices, we were amazed to find it was a whole leg each! How they can include this in an €11 menu is amazing – we even got mint sauce to go with it. The egg florentine to start with was superb – poached eggs with fresh spinach and a cheese and cream sauce. And the apple crumble was almost as good as mother used to make.

The house wine is better than average, and we shared a bottle of white and red between 4 of us. If you have any work to do after lunching at Hoyo 19, put it off till the next day – we were so stuffed full of food and drink, the only place to go afterwards was home for a siesta.

Venta la Morena is literally 20 metres past Hoyo 19 on the opposite side of the road, and has also been established here for many years. It´s trademark is great food at reasonable prices, and this place is always busy. If you go on a Sunday lunchtime, although there is an ample car park, you may struggle to find a place.

Popular with the local Spanish residents and also with the tourists, there is an extensive menu here to suit all tastes and budgets. There is also a children´s playground area for families with kids. If you prefer a few tasty bites as opposed to a full meal, fresh tapas are served in the bar area. We often enjoy sharing a range of tapas including: Seafood salad, Spanish omelette, pork in tomato sauce, chicken wings and superb manchego cheese with olive oil and black pepper. Served with a basket of crusty bread, this is ideal and tasty food for lunchtimes.

Having eaten several times at Venta la Morena, we prefer to sit on the covered terrace area, which has recently been reformed to provide a dry, warm and comfortable seating area. Service is good, although the waiters have obviously not graduated from charm school, and the buzzing atmosphere makes this a great place for people watching.

A range of delicious dishes are available at lunch and dinner time, and the paella valenciana is one of the best we have ever eaten. The fish is succulent and fresh, and the pork melts in the mouth. We also enjoyed the sole with lemon and butter sauce, the fish brochette with rosada, rapé and vegetables, and the excellent sirloin steak with pepper sauce. Pork features heavily on Spanish menus but understandably so. Spanish pork is said to be the best in Europe, and the pork fillet at Venta la Morena is superb. The seafood food as a starter is also home made and fragrant with fresh herbs and spices thrown in.
The dessert menu is varied, and we chose the home made lemon mousse with vodka. All menus change periodically, and the set menu at Hoyo 19 changes weekly.

When you live in Spain, you tend to fish out the best places to eat, and Venta la Morena and Hoyo 19 are definitely worth a try!!