For a twenty-two | Possibly the best fish restaurant on the Costa del Sol

Fish, fresh, without detours: La Escollera Photo: Facebook/Restaurante La Escollera Estepona Directly at the fishing port of the Andalusian city of Estepona, at the foot of the Punta Doncella lighthouse, is a restaurant whose history began in 1940. The grandparents of the current owners opened a small taberna on the quay. According to legend, they had little more than a fireplace and a bucket of fish to feed the returning fishermen. Three generations later, the same family continues to run La Escollera, for many the best fish restaurant on the Costa del Sol.

From the outside it looks like any other harbor bar in Spain, simple, with no pretensions to beauty. Inside, the display case at the bar tells a different story: fresh fish and seafood laid out for you to choose from. Boquerones (pickled anchovies), sardines, conchas finas and almejas, both types of mussels. Pescaíto, small fish such as sardines or anchovies, lightly floured and fried until crispy, the specialty for which Estepona is known throughout the province.

Tortillitas de Camarones, wafer-thin, crispy cakes made from chickpea flour with whole small shrimps, an Andalusian specialty. Fish in adobo marinated in vinegar, garlic, cumin, and pimentón, then coated in flour and deep-fried, trapping the flavorful marinade beneath a crispy crust. Tuna from the plancha, briefly and spicy fried. The house's strengths also lie in crabs, octopus and rarer shellfish such as percebes, the barnacles. Pulpo à la Gallega, boiled octopus, served with olive oil, paprika powder and coarse salt, is considered a must among connoisseurs: it rarely tastes fresher, because it's meters, not kilometers, from the boat to the plate.

Food author Michael André Ankermüller eats all over the world for 20 euros.

You can't make a reservation, that's part of the principle. On weekends, locals flock in and the place fills to capacity. If you come early or are patient, you will get a table: you can spend the waiting time at the bar with a caña (small draft) and an octopus salad. A tip among regular guests: If you tell the parking attendant in the harbor that you want to go to the “Escollera”, you can often get through the barrier for free.

The portions are large, almost too large. The bill is still surprising: on average, a portion costs around 12 to 15 euros, well below what the quantity and quality would suggest.

20 euros is enough for more than just a starter. A portion of tortillitas, a few grilled shrimps, and a cold beer. This works. If you eat more generously, you end up with 30 or 40 euros per person; but even then the feeling remains that you have been treated fairly.

What sets “La Escollera” apart from many other addresses on the harbor is its simple consistency. While new restaurants keep opening and disappearing in Estepona, this place sticks to what it has been doing since 1940: fish, fresh, without detours. Not a great concept. No staging. Just the sea, a few meters further, on the plate.

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