It is always a delight to be seduced by Marbella’s grand settings and lux urious dining establishments. Sometimes, however, there is just as much – if not more – pleasure and culinary delectation to be derived from exploring further afield and discovering culinary gems in the most unlikely locations. Almost hidden behind a nondescript façcade on the edge of Málaga’s city centre, not far from the central Maria Zambrano train station hub, is a restau rant that truly dazzles diners with the intrepid creative genius of Álvaro Ávila, its chef and co-owner (with wife Lara Izquierdo). Not that La Alvaroteca has passed unnoticed. The restaurant already has a coveted Spanish Repsol “Sol”, as well as several other national awards, and surely a Michelin star is not far off – perhaps after a major refurbishment cur rently underway in the two main dining areas is completed. Álvaro Ávila defines himself as restless, non-conformist and passionate about his work, while always remaining faithful to his roots in Málaga (where he was born) and Jaén (where he has close family connections). He was attracted to cooking from an early age, tinkering with his grand mother’s pots and pans when he was eight years old. He studied at the Jac aranda hospitality academy and began his professional career at the Meliá Costa del Sol and Villa Padierna hotels. Later, he worked at the Real Café
LA ALVAROTECA
BOLD URBAN CUISINE WITH A TRADITIONAL FL AIR
Bernabéu and Jardín de la Leyenda restaurants in Madrid and completed an internship at Arzak, before returning to Málaga, where he was part of the kitchen teams at Adolfo and Mar de Alborán. In 2013 he launched his own project, La Alvaroteca, which initially opened as a tavern serving pinchos (tapa-style portions) and traditional cuisine with a creative twist, and the establishment quickly became a flagship gastronom ic establishment in the Cruz del Humilladero neighbourhood. Today, a signif icant proportion of his clientele are international, especially Scandinavian. Álvaro’s audacious philosophy towards cuisine is reflected in La Alvaroteca’s décor. Many first-time diners will be bemused by its electric style, which is highlighted by a liberal use of graffiti images – and knives. The knife, it turns out, is a personal emblem for his kitchen operations, and the vivid dining room aesthetics derive from his passion for comics and science fiction films. As for the cuisine, La Alvaroteca offers diners a traditional menu of starters, mains and desserts, or a more informal selection of tapas, as well as two less conventional, but attractively well-balanced, tasting menus. Bearing in mind the restaurant’s burgeoning reputation in fine dining circles, the prices are “easy on the wallet”. Available from Tuesday to Friday, the ta pas menu, for example, costs between €35 and €40.
