It was my birthday yesterday. I'm now more or less double the age of my son, actor Tom Whitelock. I didn't actually have a bash this year. We're thinking of a big shindig to celebrate our 75th birthdays in a few years time.
No, my wife took me out for a nice meal, to a restaurant we'd never been to before.
Restaurante Caireles, Arriate
Housed in a former cinema, which closed some 25 years ago, this relatively new restaurant offered a fine dining experience in delightful surroundings.
The restaurant boasts old cinema paraphernalia as decor and even has an old black and white Spanish film projected onto one of the walls. With soothing jazz and soul music playing in the background, the restaurant had a mixed clientele last night: a family with two young children, a Dutch couple, two large groups of Spanish women and us, English and German.
Manolo, the boss, and his colleagues were polite, friendly and efficient.
The only downer is that, because of its location on the main street of Arriate, there is no car park. You have to take pot luck in the narrow streets nearby.
Our food
Restaurante Caireles offers an interesting menu of freshly prepared dishes to order. There are 20 starters, three fish main courses and eight meat mains and just three desserts. Nevertheless, I found it easy to choose, Rita struggled.
As entrantes I chose alcachofas con pure y bacon (artichokes with pureed potato and bacon pieces) and Rita went for langostinos al polvorone (prawns covered in cheese and baked in the oven). Tasty.
Our mains were both fish: Rita chose mojama atun extra con patatas (grilled tuna fish steak with wedges) and I had mero con salsa verde (grouper with mojo picon and coleslaw). Again, well-prepared and presented, and delicious.
The gaps between courses were a bit long, but, at least that proves they were cooking to order.
To drink we tried two different "open" verdejos, from Rueda and from Cuenca. Both refreshing.
Finally we shared a panna cotta as dessert - also excellent.
With a bill that totalled only 68 euros we were well satisfied with our birthday bash.
Another fine restaurant to add to our list of favourites!
Information
Restaurante Sala Caireles
Calle Ronda, 10, 29350 Arriate (Malaga), Andalucía
Tel: 613 00 99 22