Georgina Recommends – Crispy Cod, Fuengirola
It’s not often that we get dragged out of the confines of Marbella, but now that we’ve discovered Crispy Cod we’ll have to head down to Fuengirola more often! This is your classic British Fish & Chip Shop with all your favourites cooked just the way you remember it, but in the picturesque location of Fuengirola’s Paseo Maritimo and it’s well worth the trip.
The location– Come off the motorway at the first Fuengirola exit if coming from Marbella, just after the castle , and head to the sea, then head along the Paseo towards the centre of town and Crispy Cod is just a few blocks down by the Hotel Las Piramides. It’s a great location, overlooking the beach and sea with cracking people watching potential. They take advantage of the great spot with a comfortable terrace where you can have a beer or a cuppa with your fish and chips and be happy you left England behind, but that these guys were kind enough to bring the great food with them.
The food– Yum, yum – the menu had me drooling and torn about what to have, I hadn’t had fish and chips for five years so the smell brought back lots of memories. I was surprised by how much choice there was with options including 100% Irish beef burgers, Pukka pies, battered sausages, fish cakes, pickled eggs and even pineapple fritters.
After much deliberation Andy went for cod and chips, and I opted for scampi, which was served up in enormous portions accompanied by proper chip shop chips and homemade tartar sauce. The cod was an impressive beast, with the whitest flesh (the owner Sean told us it’s so white because it’s line caught and so doesn’t get bashed around in the net), lovely crisp batter and a delicious, delicate taste. The scampi had an amazing breading on them which was super crispy and the meat was divine, served with a wedge of lemon and chips drenched in vinegar and it was heavenly.
A surprise was the mushy peas – something which neither of us had tried and which gave me a vision of baby food and school dinners. But the owner said that it was a house speciality as he made it from scratch, so we were convinced to give it a try. It was very fresh tasting with a vibrant green colour and not too much seasoning, really celebrating the lovely taste of the pea. The texture was great, the combination of a sauce with some bite really worked and went very well with the fish.
It was very comforting to have such familiar food, but very carefully prepared and thought through and I was impressed by the quality and attention to detail.
The service – This is a family business and it shows, everyone was really friendly and chatty and seemed to genuinely care that you were enjoying the food. Having the terrace there and the ability to eat in made it more relaxed and you were very well looked after, even if you’re waiting for a takeaway you can have a drink to tide you over and a chat to the team. There’s obviously a loyal fan base for the place and the regular clients make the place feel even nicer.
The decor/atmosphere – It’s a fish and chip shop, so inside the décor is what you’d expect – counter with back lit menu board and some seats to wait on, but I was impressed that the toilets were quite spacious and really clean and tidy. What sets it apart from any chippie I’ve been to is the comfortable terrace with the great view. It’s a brilliant place for people watching and it made even us cynical residents feel like we were on holiday.
The price – We were pleasantly surprised by the price of the food here, and certainly for the quality you’re getting (not to mention the quantity) it’s a good deal. A large cod and chips is 8.45€ (and it’s massive so bring a good appetite), scampi and chips is 9.45€, a quarter pound burger and chips is 5.95€ and a pie with chips and gravy is 6.95€, all the fish comes with homemade tartar sauce. Worth noting is that they don’t take cards, so bring your cash.
Contact – Crispy Cod, Local 2, Edificio Esmeralda, Calle Europa 5, Fuengirola.
Web – www.crispycod.com Tel – 952 587 351