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Best beach bistros
Summer’s here and there’s nothing more satisfying than
enjoying gourmet cuisine with a glass of chilled wine and panoramic
views across the ocean. So to get you in the mood for fine beach
dining, we have sought some of the best beach eateries across five
Virgin Express destinations where you can gaze over the turquoise
waters and feast on the catch fresh from the day.
CA`N
CUARASA
Pont de Pollence-Alcudia.
Tel: +34 (0) 971 867 181.
Situated some two miles outside the Port of Pollensa on the road
to Alcudia, this restaurant can be found just across the road from
a wild virgin beach, set against a wood with a large garden and
outdoor seating. The speciality on the menu here is roast lamb,
but there are plenty of other traditional Mallorcan dishes to feast
your eyes on as well as a good selection of house wines and silver
service.
RESTAURANT BUNGALOW
C’oll d’en Rebassa, Esculls. Tel: +34 (0) 971 262 738.
A ten-minute drive from Palma, or you could opt to travel by bus
or really work up an appetite and get to this restaurant by bicycle
following the seafront cycle path, which will take you about 40
minutes. The restaurant itself is situated slap bang on the beach
and you just need to hop over the terrace wall for a quick dip in
the sea. The cuisine is Mediterranean and the specialities are the
paella and the seafood platter.
CIROS RESTAURANT
Paseo del Mar 2, Palmanova. Tel: +34 (0) 971 681 052.
Palmanova is one of the island’s most popular beach resorts
and is about a 20- minute drive from Palma by car or bus. Again
the restaurant is located right on the beach and has a large, attractive
terrace. The speciality is fish and the novelty is that you select
your meal of choice from the tank before it’s cooked. When
lunch is over and your food is settled you can walk straight onto
the beach and into the sea for a nice, cool dip.
BENS D’AVALLS
The restaurant is found along the coast road between Soller and
Deya. Tel: +34 (0) 971 632 382.
This is arguably one of the best restaurants on the island. The
restaurant is perched on top of a cliff with a terrace promising
breathtaking views out to sea and you can access the beach from
the terrace. You must try the local fish (Sant Pedro), but whichever
fish dish you order will be deboned, a rarity among fish restaurants
wherever you are. The wine can be pricey, so make sure you choose
well before gulping it down.
WELLIES
Puerto Portals. Tel: +34 (0) 971 676 444.
This is the place to see and be seen! The restaurant is often frequented
by international celebrities and European royalty. Not surprising
really when you realise this eatery occupies the prime spot in the
island's most luxurious marina just ten minutes from Palma. There
are three great terraces serving modern Mediterranean and international
food. The speciality of the house is more about who you might be
sitting next to as opposed to what you will eat and you can wind
up your meal with a session in one of the resident bars or clubs.
AGUA
Passeig Marítim 30, Barcelona. Tel: +34 (0)93 225 1272.
About as near as you can get to reliving the experience of the much-lamented
chiringuitos (beach restaurants) bulldozed from the beach in the
‘90s to create the new Olympic Barcelona. This charming restaurant
under Frank Gehry’s glistening fish goes a long way to making
amends. Modern Mediterranean in its colours, flavours and cool clientele,
the creative chef has given a 21st-century twist to traditional
rice and fish dishes. You’ll feel close to bliss if you sit
on the attractive shady terrace which gives way to sand and sea.
In great demand so book well in advance.
KAIKU
Passeig Joan de Borbó 74/Carrer Drassana, Barcelona.
Tel: +34 (0)93 221 9082.
Amazingly ignored by large Catalan families seeking their Sunday
paellas, this friendly Basque restaurant is tucked around a corner
from the main drag and as a result has the best possible view of
the beach – and is quiet. Fresh chipirones (minute cuttlefish
eaten whole) and pescaditos (tiny fish) with a roughly- chopped
salad and chilled Penedès wine are quite something sitting
on this desirable terrace under tall palm trees. Lunchtimes only.
L’ELX AL MOLL
Local 9, Maremàgnum, Barcelona. Tel: +34 (0)93 225 8117.
Not exactly beach, but water is omnipresent at this restaurant in
its privileged position right in the middle of the port. It’s
easy to imagine life on a cruise ship sitting back in this comfortable,
tranquil restaurant on the water’s edge overlooking the fishing
boats bringing in the day’s catch. The commercial centre Maremàgnum
is not known for its gourmet cuisine, but this offspring of the
original Elx in Paral.lel district, famed for its rice dishes since
1959, keeps up the family standards. So here you can be sure of
a good paella.
PIC NIC
Passeig Marítim s/n, Sitges. Tel: +34 (0)93 811 0040.
The charms of Sitges never fail. A mere 40 minutes from Barcelona
on a comfortable train, it feels much further south and in winter
is invariably sunnier. Even in August when the beaches are crowded
there’s something soothing about Sitges, especially on the
elegant boardwalk terrace of this beachside restaurant. Tasty seafood
snacks are served here and grilled fish is a must in the restaurant.
Complete this foodies’ experience with a swim before and a
siesta in the sand after your meal to make this a perfect day out
from the city.
PATRICIO
Passeig Marítim, 159, Castelldefels. Tel: +34 (0)93 665 1347.
Tucked away in the dunes this is one of the few beach restaurants
left standing in Castelldefels after the developers moved in to
build a promenade. Mercifully the joggers and cyclists stick to
the promenade and sitting on Patricio’s terrace with your
toes virtually in the sand all you can see is the vast expanse of
sandy beach that runs from the delta of the Llobregat to the rocky
coast of El Garraf and the deep blue Mediterranean. A great spot
to eat paella or their speciality of grilled meats, best with pa
amb tomàquet and the irresistible garlicky sauce allioli.
PAPAGAYO
Playa Calahonda, Nerja. Tel: +34 (0)95 252 3816.
With its dramatic background of mountains looming over the coast,
Nerja is an idyllic coastal resort with several secluded beaches
found under the cliffs on each side of the main town. Papagayo nestles
in a sheltered cove beneath the spectacular Balcon de Europa, a
promenade with a fountain above the sea, and here the menu offers
a good selection of international and local dishes.
RESTAURANTE ANTONIO MARTÍN
Paseo Maritimo, Malaga. Tel: +34 (0)95 222 2113.
Locals flock to the Paseo Maritimo and El Palo district at the weekends
to linger over lunch at any one of the restaurants lining the seafront
promenade. Antonio Martin is in a great location in this former
fishing district with fantastic views over the beach. Fish and rice
dishes cover the main groundwork of the menu, so the traditional
paella is a must. But there are plenty of other fish and seafood
dishes, salads and traditional Andalusian meals to choose from.
CASA JUAN
Calle San Ginés 20, Carihuela, Torremolinos. Tel: +34 (0)95
238 5656.
The oldest and biggest resort town on the Costa del Sol, Torremolinos
is a popular holiday hotspot and so there are numerous cafés,
bars and restaurants catering to the tourist trade. But for a first-rate
seafood restaurant serving up the day’s fresh catch and local
specialities, Casa Juan is definitely worth a visit. The restaurant
is located just across from the beach and is a popular haunt for
locals eager to escape the British tourists.
EL TINTERO
Carretera de Almerma, 99. Tel: +34 (0)95 229 2290.
This wonderfully atmospheric restaurant is packed daily in the summer
and you need to get here early to ensure a table. Menus are generally
abandoned and instead waiters walk around the restaurant calling
out the names of the dishes they’re carrying and diners call
them over as their chosen meal appears. Most of the fish is prepared
on the barbecue and grill and there is a vast variety of dishes
to choose from. There is a playground next to the restaurant and
the long sandy beach is a great place to relax and let your food
digest after your meal.
TERRACE RESTAURANT
Hurricane Hotel, Tarifa.
Tel: +34 (0) 95 668 4919.
The restaurant of this Moorish-style hotel, located six kilometres
out of town, is set in semi-tropical gardens with spectacular views
across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco. There is a trendy, informal
and friendly atmosphere in the restaurant, which is popular with
windsurfers and kite surfers. One of the highlights on the menu
is tuna, but all the dishes are delightful and the restaurant uses
fresh herbs, home-made pasta, locally grown fruit and vegetables
and free range chickens.
LUFTKASTELLET
Strandgade 100B. Tel: +45 70 26 26 24.
With its unsurpassed view of Copenhagen harbour, Luftkastellet (The
Castle in the Air) is the ideal spot to watch the sun set with the
sand beneath your feet and a cocktail in your hand. Run by a young
creative team disillusioned with jobs in advertising, this trendy
café remakes its hangar-size back room every year. Once a
disco, it is now envisioned as a backpacker hostel (call first!)
and an artists’ community. Sandwiches at lunch, a beach buffet
or fine dining at dinnertime.
DRAGØR KRO
Strandgade 30, Dragør. Tel: +45 32 53 01 87.
Dragør (pronounced DROW-er) is a picturesque fishing village
close to Copenhagen airport, perfect for a day’s stroll among
cobbled streets and thatched houses. And this is no Disney village
– people live in those houses, and still bring up fish every
day from the ocean. The Dragør Kro is located in a 250-year-old
house with a huge outdoor terrace near the beach and serves Danish
and international food.
PAPPAHOTEL
Kalvebod Pladsvej 19. Tel: +45 33 11 29 08.
Swimming, beach volleyball, petanque, or just soaking up the sun
and listening to groovy lounge music – it’s all possible
at Pappahotel, on a sand-covered converted pier near downtown Copenhagen.
There’s no actual hotel here, just café tables, beach
chairs, and a menu of tapas, sandwiches and barbecue. Weekend evenings,
a DJ and the party crowd arrive. Pappahotel can be hard to find
from the street, but the giant Fisketorvet shopping centre in front
of it is hard to miss – take a counter-clockwise trip around
it to the pier.
JORDEN RUNDT
Strandvejen 152, Charlottenlund. Tel: +45 39 63 73 81.
If you’re heading to the Copenhagen suburb of Charlottenlund
for its beach or a jazz concert at Charlottenlund Fort, stop for
a sandwich or a coffee at Jordens Rundt – hopefully, the world’s
only café that was once a public toilet. At any rate, that
was in 1939, and the lovely round glass building and its sunny plaza
are now packed with tourists and trendies. It also serves as a landmark
for the many cyclists enjoying the view from the Strandvejen coastal
road.
NYHAVN FÆRGEKRO
Nyhavn 5. Tel: +45 33 15 15 88.
You’ll meet a lot more tourists than locals at the cafés
along Nyhavn harbour, but that won’t keep you from enjoying
a cold beer there on a hot day. The 17th-century buildings have
been restored without being sanitised and, with a bit of imagination,
you’ll be able to picture some of the rough sailors and loose
women that once owned these piers. (A few tattoo parlours are left!)
Any of the dozen-odd cafés here can offer you a sandwich
and a place in the sun, but if you want to get a real taste of Denmark,
try Nyhavn Færgekro. At lunchtime it offers a “herring
buffet” with ten versions of this most Danish fish.
LE BISTROT DE LA PLAGE
Hotel Miramar, 42 av.de Miramar, Théoule-sur-mer. Tel: +33
(0)4 93 75 05 05.
Only a 20-minute drive from Cannes, check out this lovely part of
the Riviera coast and stop for lunch at this pretty restaurant surrounded
by the red rocks of the Estérel, a turquoise creek and a
white sandy beach. The cuisine boasts a good selection of barbecued
meats, oven-baked pizzas, Tahitian-style raw fish, jumbo shrimp,
asparagus with white summer truffles, and seafood. Gourmet diners
may opt for the hotel’s other gastronomic restaurant, l’Etoile
de Mer, and a Thalassotherapy spa with a daily rate for an after-lunch
treat.
LE
RESTAURANT DE LA PLAGE
10Bd Maréchal Juin, Cap d’Antibes. Tel: +33 (0)4 92
93 13 30.
This brand-new hotspot is situated between the Cap d’Antibes
and Juan-les- Pins and is the most informal of this chic, ultra-modern
beach resort of three restaurants. You dine on cushions on the palm-shaded
teak deck or on the burgundy and cream mattresses at the water’s
edge. The tasty menu is a mix of regional flavours, featuring grilled
meat and fish and refreshing exotic salads. Butfor serious gastronomes,
just above the Restaurant de la Plage, the truly outstanding les
Pêcheurs supervised by two-Michelin-star chef
Patrice Courrier,
is a must.
LA PALOMA
Route de st. Hospice, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Tel: +33 (0)4 93 01 64
71.
At the luxurious tip of the peninsula, this restaurant is a small,
pebbly, family- friendly private beach with great views of the clear
blue-green water and across the fresh seafood is well worth the
splurge, particularly in the evenings at sunset at this quiet romantic
candlelit spot. The lunch menu also offers pizza, salads and sandwiches
on the informal terrace.
PLAGE MALA
Cap d’Ail. Tel: +33 (0)4 93 78 17 06.
A ten-minute walk down from the Basse Corniche, the Plage Mala is
on a tranquil sandy curve of beach and turquoise water, and tends
to attract a mix of Monagasque socialites, Italian daytrippers and
kids building sandcastles. The classic Riviera and Italian dishes
featuring fish, salads and pastas are reliably good. This is also
the perfect spot for evening meals, if you’re looking for
a friendly party atmosphere after sundown.
CASTEL PLAGE
8 Quai des Etats-Unis, Nice. Tel: +33 (0)4 93 85 22 66.
This restaurant is located on a private beach, just across from
Old Town where the stylish bronzed locals linger on their cool mist-spraying
deck for a leisurely lunch. The gourmet salads are fresh and copious,
but the menu also offers a good choice of pastas, pizza, grilled
fresh fish, and top-quality local wines. Tanning diehards may choose
to remain on the cushy mattress in a semi-reclining position while
dining, and there’s also a snack bar with delicious pan-bagnats
(a hefty roll filled with tuna, tomatoes, onions and other ingredients,
dressed with olive oil). RH
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