Andala Marbella, an original touch

Andala is the personal project of two friends who are enthusiastic about good food, Marbella-based American Jeffrey Marrihue and Paco Becerro, who has lived in Rincón de la Victoria for years and was once one of the inspectors for the Repsol Guide. The concept they are trying to introduce in their restaurant has a lot to do with the philosophy of local cuisine, a cuisine that in the case of Andala extends in its menu to each of the Andalusian provinces, so that this establishment can be considered an Andalusian cuisine restaurant, both for its dishes and for the wines on its menu, as there is a proliferation of wines from Malaga and other areas of the community.

Tapas Gourmet are the two words they have chosen to use when referring to their restaurant. If we look at the menu, there are only two sections, the tapas section, where they have one for each province, and the suggestions of the day based on market produce. These suggestions always revolve around traditional dishes from each of the Andalusian cuisines. At the helm of the kitchen is Juan José Villalba, who comes from a family of restaurateurs well known in San Pedro Alcántara for having one of the most popular restaurants, Casa Canuto.

Perhaps at first glance this approach may seem very simple, but when you try both the fixed tapas on the menu and the suggestions, that vision changes radically. You have to visit and discover this updated version of popular dishes and tapas such as roasted onion soup with baby broad beans and crispy chorizo from Ronda (Granada) or red prawns from Almería with a pil pil of choricero peppers (sweet, smokey, dried peppers), as well as the adaptation of the classic oxtail in flaky pastry Nasrid style.

Some side dishes not to be missed if you want to enjoy authentic Andalusian provincial cuisine are laminated potatoes and lettuce hearts with fried garlic, one of the tapas that were all the rage in Cordoba in the 1980s and which has almost gone out of gastronomic fashion.

Andala has good prices, an original setting and good cuisine and wines.

Roasted onion soup

A nice update of onion soup. In this case, more than a soup, it is a light cream made with previously roasted onion. The broad beans, from Granada, are a good accompaniment to this soup and add freshness in the mouth.

Gamba roja al pil pil with chorizo and tomato

A medium-sized red shrimp from Garrucha, accompanied by a light pil pil of chorizo and roasted and pureed tomatoes that fuse with the shrimp juices.

Carpaccio de chuleta retinta

The representation of Cádiz cuisine at Andala is marked by the beef from the traditional retinta breed of cattle. Very thin, raw slices are seasoned to add a saltier touch.

Rib of beef from Cordoba

More than an update of a Cordoba dish, this beef rib from the Pedroches Valley is an adaptation of roast ribs. It has a barbecue sauce made with Malaga wine and onion.