Metro Pizza & Pasta

In the marina of Benalmádena you’ll find Metro… you know, the pizza and pasta restaurant belonging to the Metro group. Now, I must say that normally I’m not such a fan of chain restaurants but this particular Metro is really nice. However, you have to sit outside. Inside as far as I’m concerned is nothing special. It’s quite modern with an open plan design but it does give you the feeling that you are in a chain restaurant. But outside is a completely different story. They have a large terrace which overlooks the marina and has some great views. You could just sit there for hours simply watching the people go by. Even if you live on the coast, just sitting there for an hour or two gives you the feeling that you’re on vacation. So what about the actual food? Well, I can certainly vouch for their pizzas. The truth is that I have come to worship the pizza at Metro, with its fresh ingredients and crispy thin crust! I like it so much that I’ve never even tried any of their pastas dishes, which I must say look really good. So for those of you in the mood for a nice pizza or pasta, I can highly recommend Metro in Benalmadena marina. Now for dessert I suggest you head over to the Australian Ice-cream parlor in Fuengirola. I know Metro serves some great desserts, including Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream but the truth is, that even Ben & Jerry’s can’t top Fuengirola’s ice-cream!

Metro Pizza & Pasta, La Dársena, Local A20-21, Benalmádena, Málaga, Tel: 952 446 460

Passion Café, San Pedro

Passion Café is one of those restaurants which is always open whether it’ s for breakfast, lunch, dinner or any other time for that matter . It’s trendy, hip and definitely a place where you can just relax, grab a magazine or two and enjoy a healthy, delicious meal. I haven’t had the opportunity to have breakfast there yet but I’ve heard it’s really good. They serve American style pancakes, full Irish breakfast and smoked salmon bagel, just to name a few… I would love to try their pancakes! As far as their lunch and dinner menu goes, I can definitely vouch for how good it is as I have tried many of their dishes on several occasions. Their lunch and dinner menu includes a selection of tasty dishes such as a variety of wraps and salads, lovely creamy soups, quesadillas, hamburgers, and fish & chips, which by the way, I can highly recommend. Each day Passion café also creates a separate small menu with specialties of the day which are definitely worth trying! And for those of you with a sweet tooth, well then Passion Café is definitely the place for you. They have a large variety of home-made desserts including, brownies, chocolate fudge cake, apple crumble, banoffi pie and cheesecake. In addition to all that, you can now also buy some of their pastries and bread to take home including, scones, bagels, homemade brown bread and some other goodies. Mmmm it all sounds very good. Last but not least, I must mention and give credit to Passion Cafe's friendly staff. After all what is a restaurant without friendly staff? They truely are fabulous (well, all except one… you know who you are… grumpy!).

Passion Café, Centro Comercial La Colonia, San Pedro, Málaga, Tel. 952 781 538

Australian Ice-cream, Fuengirola

I know that this blog is all about restaurants on the Costa del Sol but I find it absolutely crucial for the survival of human species to know about the best ice-cream parlor on the Costa del Sol. Whether you have a sweet tooth or not this ice-cream is a must! Just ditch dessert elsewhere and go for what I guarantee will be your new obsession. I have travelled miles just to have an ice-cream here and I know for a fact that I’m not the only one. Who cares about the extra money you have to spend on gas, the expensive toll road or the speeding ticket you’ll get rushing over here… it’s all worth it when you taste that creamy, smooth, rich ice-cream. This ice-cream is God’s gift to ice-cream cones. I know I’m starting to sound like an advertorial but this ice-cream really is the best. The actual ice-cream parlor is nothing facy, there are no chairs, no tables, just a hole in the wall. Clearly this ice-cream parlor is for ice-cream eating purposes only. Last but not least, I have to mention that the actual ice-cream cone that goes with the ice-cream deserves to be nominated as well. It’s crispy, always fresh and for the final touch they dip the top part of the cone in fresh hot chocolate. If you’re not drooling for an ice-cream by now then there’s something seriously wrong with you. Forget your diet for a day and treat yourself to that ice-cream… go on, you know you want to.

Australian Ice Cream, Jacinto Benavente, 829640 Fuengirola, Malaga Tel. 952 46 51 87