La Reserva de Antonio (Torremolinos): a cuisine based on fresh produce

Enrique Bellver

Monday, 8 April 2024, 10:45 | Updated 11:48h.

Over the years, La Reserva de Antonio has become the benchmark seafood restaurant in La Carihuela. Gone are the days of the nineties when there were legendary restaurants in this area such as El Roqueo and Casa Guaquín, and Restaurante Antonio, which occupied the same space as the one I am talking about. This neighbourhood of former fishermen has gone through many culinary ups and downs, including the espetos on the beach and the fritura de 'pescadito' (fried fish) as a tourist attraction.

Today, La Carihuela is once again a gourmet's meeting point for the seafood cuisine of Malaga and this restaurant is one of its mainstays. Not all tourists and visitors are looking for an eclectic, international or touristy cuisine, there are those who prefer a more professional service, a different wine list with a diversity of references and, most importantly, a quality product, fresh and well treated in the fire. With its faults, which I'm sure it has like any other restaurant, La Reserva de Antonio offers that different kind of hospitality that an increasing number of customers demand. Here they practice a simple cuisine, devoid of unnecessary adornment, where the product is what rules and the cooking time is what it should be in order to achieve the primary flavour of fish and seafood.

One of the things I like most about this restaurant, apart from its cuisine, are the different atmospheres created, i.e. a bright and spacious bar where you can have tapas and a good wine, a comfortable room with tables to enjoy the menu and a small terrace facing the sea, very pleasant for summer evenings, as well as a private room for more exclusive lunches, dinners and celebrations.

Another factor to take into account in this restaurant is the dining room, headed by José Antonio García. At La Reserva, the dining room and kitchen work in unison to ensure that the customer leaves the table satisfied. You should follow guidelines or advice when choosing both fish and seafood and the ways of preparing them, although personally I always prefer the grilled option that they give here to the marine decapods rather than cooking them in salt water. The meats are not the strong point of the menu, but they are up to par in terms of variety.

Cooked prawns: Cooked prawns only have two secrets: to be very, very fresh and cooking them in previously salted water for just a couple of minutes. This way they don't lose their flavour, nor the juices from the heads or the body.

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T-bone steak: Seafood cuisine is the forte of this house and although the other meats are well done on the grill, they do not reach the degree of perfection that is given to seafood products in this cuisine.

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Grilled langoustines: Just a layer of coarse salt and a griddle at the right temperature is more than enough for the medium-sized langoustines to come to the table at the point of juiciness. The outstanding quality enhances the flavour of this seafood.

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Cheese cake: Cheese cake is in fashion and at La Reserva de Antonio they make one that follows the pastry canons of how a cake of this kind should be. Very successful with a touch of Blanca Villa Chocolate Cream. A success.

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