La Marisma

La Marisma restaurant is merely a few minutes' walk from my hotel; almost literally round the corner, in fact.

It is directly above the rocky shore at El Cotillo; and when I arrived the waves were pounding the rocks.

The sun shone, so I sat outside on the little terrace and watched the spectacular view.

I ordered a freshly-squeezed orange juice, Gussie Fink-Nottle's favourite beverage, for those of you familiar with Bertie Wooster's pals.

The cheerful waiter laid my table with a clean cloth and I had a look at the menu.

An appetiser arrived, served in a mussel shell.

I'm unfamiliar with mussels, though I assume it was some sort of mussel cocktail mixture, with a fine salad.

This was accompanied by a fresh bread roll and alioli.

Ten minutes later my garlic prawns appeared, sizzling; so hot, in fact, that I had to blow the first few forkfuls.

The couple beside me were getting stuck in to a traditional paella.

My main course comprised chicken rolled around large King prawns.

There were three of these, with small chips, rice, and vegetables, in a blue cheese sauce.

I'd say that the helpings at La Marisma are on the generous side.

Suffice it to say that I could not finish the meal (a matter of some irritation to me since I do not like to waste food).

Nevertheless I brought the remaining chicken roll with me in a serviette for a black cat near the hotel.

I found the service fairly good, after a slow start.

The bill amounted to about €26, including the tip.