I'm going to Estepona next weekend for a couple of days. I'll probably just mooch around on the beach whilst OH is working unless there is an absolute MUST SEE in the area.

I wanted to know if there are any Japanese restaurants in the area. Japanese is our favourite and so we like to try and hunt down a good one when we are away.

Any suggesions?

http://www.selwo.es/english/index.php

Thanks Fred. To be honest I'm more of a museum/cathedral/old building type person than a zoo person. Plus I have to do something that I would feel comfortable doing by myself as my OH is going to be working.

Do you know Estepona? Any ideas re good Japanese restaurants??

Thx

I lived in Estapona in 1980, and although now not too far away I don't know any restaurants

Have you been to Gibraltar ?

30 mins drive from Estapona

Yes, I've been to Gib. It doesn't matter if there isn't too much to do in and around Estepona.....I can pass the time with my laptop in a bar. Get some work done.

But after a long, hard days slog for my OH I'm keen to choose a good restaurante for the evening.

There is an excellent Japanese restaurant on the outskirts of Sotogrande in the San Roque area. You could drive there or go by taxi from Estepona (say 20 minutes). Some say it is the best Japanese restaurant on the coast. The owner is Japanese. It is called the Kamakura and is within the San Roque Golf Club (CN 340, Km 127). Think it closes Sundays and Mondays but best to check by phone. www.sanroqueclub.com. Tel:956 613 012.
There is a large Sunday morning market in tEstepona port with plenty of coffee bars. Touristy - clothes, jewellery, gifts, CDs - but it's somewhere to potter around on your own. If you have a car, there is another Sunday morning market at Sotogrande which is much smaller but with better stalls - clothes, jewellery, ceramics, "antique objects", books. Also excellent coffee and cake at the adjacent coffee bar in the Yacht club.
As for Saturday, Marbella is reachable by car or public bus. The casco antiguo is charming with tapas bars, coffee stops, restaurants, shops and the famous Orange Square, a couple of churches and an art museum (which I haven't visited yet) - Museo Ralli in the Urbanization Choir Beach of Marbella (Argentine paintings and European sculptures by Dalí and Maillol, paintings by Marc Chagall, Miro, Paul Wunderlich, and German painter Max Ernst, among others. Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 to 14:00 and 18:30 to 21:00.)
Finally, San Roque has a very good tourist officer, Carlos Jordan, E-mail: [email protected] who could maybe suggest something (he doesn't cover Estepona). There is a site with some Roman remains for example. Hope this helps, Triana PS Went to the feria de Jerez and had a great time!

Veleta, forgot to say:
- if you go to the Kamakura, take the CN 340 and turn off at the Km 127 exit. Go up the slip road and turn right. Very quickly you'll come to a T junction - go left. Apart from fields the first thing you'll see on the right (very soon) is the entrance to the San Roque Golf Club. Enter and go up the drive, stop at the security hut and they'll give you directions. The Japanese chefs all trained in Japan and I know maybe a dozen or more people who have travelled extensively in Japan and think this restaurant is very good.
- re-reading my earlier post, you might think that the art gallery is in the casco antiguo. It isn't and I can't give you directions as I haven't been. But you could google it if you wanted to go....
- in Marbella, just outside the casco antiguo, there's a cafe called Lepanto which has fabulous French-style cakes (beautiful pastries with confectioner's custard topped with fruit) and chocolates. The cakes adjacent to the Sotogrande market are more English style - eg carrot cake with a lovely frosting or lemon cake with a lemon glaze icing. You can tell I like cakes.....
- if you want directions to Marbella/Sotogrande, or parking info, just say.
Triana

Triana, are you sure that resteraunt is still there?!

I lived in San Roque Club about 2 years ago, and have never seen or heard of this place lol

http://www.sanroqueclub.com/public/i...d=41&Itemid=74

Hi
I was there a few weeks ago, I visited the old town which was really lovely, There were squares, churches, narrow streets and all the usual Spanish charm.

At night it looked like a lovely place to visit as all the streets were pedestrianised so al fresco dining must be quite atmospheric.

I saw a little ex pat bar called "Raffles" which reminded me of an expat bar from the 70s/80s, next time I will have a drink as I am sure there must be a few characters in there!

lph

I'd spend some time mooching around Estepona old town just back from the beach - very nice. There is a vast market on Sunday at Sabinillas about 10 mins drive. It has everything from Car boot,antiques, arts and crafts to clothes/tourist tack.

Thanks Triana, this sounds perfect. The Kamakura it is. You seem to know the area rather well!!

I think I'll be quite happy bimbling around the town centre (be it Estepona or Marbella) all by my lonesome and I'll probably check out the museum too.

Yes, absolutely positive. It has been there for probably 10 years, maybe more, and I ate there 2 weeks ago. If you go from the Bar Jerez of the Casa Domecq building out to the terrace overlooking the enclosed patio and gateway to the pool, it is to the right.

Triana

Veleta, hope you have a great weekend!

Sorry to revive this old thread but I'd like to ask if someone can confirm if it's really just 30 minutes from Estepona to Gibraltar - Google maps has it as nearly an hour.