Christmas Day Lunch.....

[IreneD]

.......or dinner, as I've always called it

We have decided not to go back to the UK for Christmas - usually we stay with one of our offspring and have the full works, turkey and all the trimmings.There's no way I'm cooking all that just for me and OH, so we are contemplating going out to eat. From a question on a facebook group I belong to, the Christmas Day traditional meal that we are used to is really expensive here so we may well go to a Spanish restaurant and have something tasty but not silly prices. Can anyone recommend somewhere nice around the Torre del Mar area?

[Pamela1]

I too call it Dinner Irene Sorry i can't offer you any recommendations but i'm sure someone will...if costakid sees your post he may come up with somewhere..

[Wicksey]

We were just talking about the same thing today. Although I like to cook and I'm not bad at it, the one thing I never do is the full roast dinner thing, except for Christmas day. Must say it always sends me into a panic for some reason and we seem to eat it all in half an hour after a morning slaving over a hot cooker! I do make enough for the next day as well, but I must say I wouldn't mind just going out and having something to eat.

Like you I don't want to pay the prices for the traditional English dinner and would prefer to go somewhere Spanish or more international in flavour. I hope there'll be some suggestions! My OH jokingly points out the Bird's Eye 'chicken dinner on a plate' that Russells has .... there you go, he says, instant Christmas dinner!

[costakid]

Not sure if Torox Costa is too far but there is a Sports bar/ Restaurant just off the sea front that does a cracking Sunday lunch. They do around 60 covers every sunday and very good.

[alisonb]

Irene - all the spanish restaurants will be doing their normal menus, so if you know one you like, go for it. Not sure from your question whether you want a general recommendation for torre or just for Christmas Day.

[IreneD]

So all the Spanish restaurants are open Christmas Day, then Alison? Due to finances, we rarely eat out on the coast so don't have a favourite place. Well, I do like Bahia Tanit, we've eaten there, maybe that's where we'll go, if no-one has a better suggestion for Torre. I'm not too keen on Torrox, Costakid but thanks for the suggestion. There are nice restaurants in Canillas but would like a change for Christmas Day.

[alisonb]

All the ones we usually go to are. The atmosphere at torre del Mar is really good on Christmas Day, providing the weather is decent.

I haven't been to Bahia Tanit, but both Tanit and Brujas opposite the lighthouse are good. If you like fish, La Cueva is very popular. We tend to eat in Velez rather than Torre so can't really recommend any others. If you do want fish, La Gamba Dorada in Velez is our favourite, the food is consistently good and for the portion sizes, prices are reasonable. We also go to Bohemia a lot - the one which exploded recently, but is back in business again

[IreneD]

Thanks, Alison - much appreciated.

[elizabennett]

We are flying to Malaga on 23rd December and staying at our apartment in Elviria (10 k from Marbella). Are the restaurants in Marbella town and surrounding areas open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? We would prefer a Spanish restaurant.

[Torrox_campo]

El Desvan in Torrox Costa gets my vote. On the N340 from Torrox costa to El Morche, El Desvan is on the right handside before the Santander bank roundabout.

[Evelyn]

Make sure you check before hand because a lot of Restaurants close on Xmas day.

[Lyric]

I recently spoke with Antonio about closure in November - we have a fishaterian (vegi but eats fish) coming and we want to take her to Desvan for her birthday which is while she is here, he told me that they were not closing except for Navidad otherwise the excellent El Desvan would have our vote.

[IreneD]

Desvan certainly was a contender, sorry to hear it will be closed for Navidad - what a shame.

[Lyric]

Well he has family and it seems important to him, it is why he is closed on Sunday.

[IreneD]

Oh yes, just a shame for us, I don't begrudge him family time

[Lyric]

Don't stand a chance though with Christmas day being a Sunday - double whammy

[IreneD]

Eeeek! Am I going to have to cook? I hadn't realised Christmas Day falls on a Sunday - might not have so much choice...........but no, I am not going to cook! There's always La Maroma in our village, which is always very nice but we fancied a change. Plenty of time yet to suss out a nice place and make sure they are open. Must try Desvan some time, though, on another special occasion.

[ashtondav]

In itself Christmas lunch is no harder than the roast lunch that many of us enjoyed in our youth. What makes it problematic is the usual size of the guest list. To be honest cooking up a decent chicken, pigs in blankets, roast spuds, red cabbage, brussels, Christmas pud and cake for TWO is not really an issue.
I do agree it makes a nice change to go to a restaurant, though.
For myself, and as long as we are all alive, it will be lunch with the whole family - and careful timings and to do lists. (I well recall opening my second oven in February and finding the crispy streaky bacon that was meant to adorn the turkey.)

[IreneD]

Call me lazy (don't all shout!!) but I think all the bits and bobs involved in a Christmas lunch IS too much trouble for two people. And I ain't doing it lol.

[Pamela1]

Christmas day is hard work!! i don't enjoy all the cooking and i enjoy all the washing up even less...My family help out but it dosent change the fact that it's all to do...I've never been out on Xmas Day for lunch and to be honest when my kids were at home i never wanted to go out and feel the same way now we have grandchildren..however if it was just the 2 of us then i'd be out the door in a shot...One day maybe!!