It was my last evening and I booked a table at Taberna Uvedoble, a restaurant recommended by a foodie friend, for dinner. A little research online told me it was a newish place which took a modern approach to classic tapas.

The evening began with an aperitif at Cafe Central. It’s always busy but I was pleased to be able to get a seat inside at the front, overlooking Plaze de la Constitucion.

I wanted to try some local Malaga wine which is made from the Moscatel grape. The moscatel is a sweet grape but there are dry white wines made from it, which is what I wanted. The waiter recommended Botani, made from old vines. The vineyards were originally planted in 700BC.

   

As before at Cafe Central, the waiter poured a little wine into a glass and asked me to taste, checking I liked it, before pouring the rest. Such a great touch! And yes, I did like it – very much. It had an underlying sweetness but was dry and refreshing too. I was in no hurry. The restaurant didn’t open until 8.00 and it was barely past 6.00. So I savoured my wine, ate some olives and read my book – stopping from time to time to people watch from the window and see the sky turn pink and darken. (Glass of wine including olives was €5.)

I set off around 7 and decided to head down to the marina via the main shopping street of Puerta de Larios.

On the way down I looked down narrow streets and alleyways leading off it.

   

The modern marina is very attractive and looked great lit up in the night.

At the far end the Malaga branch of Paris’s Pompidou Centre shone brightly.

Across the water the sky was still a little pink and a new moon hung in the sky.

I made my way back to the historic centre by cutting up near the cathedral. Always magnificent, it looked stunning lit up.

   

Soon I was at the restaurant (photo taken earlier in the day when I booked!).

I, and a few others, went in as the doors opened at 8.00. I was asked where I’d like to sit and chose a table in the front area.

 

The waiter brought a menu … saw me struggling with the Spanish and brought an English version. It was hard to choose. Everything sounded so good. I asked for a glass of red wine and water first. The wine was Ribera, actually a northern Spain wine rather than local, but very good.

I ordered all tapas sized dishes. I’d read that the Smoked Sardine on Focaccia was particularly good and so ordered that. It didn’t look particularly interesting but it tasted absolutely wonderful. And the bread in a little basket was without question by far the best I’d had in Malaga.

   

I love the thick gazpacho – porra – they serve here, with chopped egg and Iberian ham and this one was gorgeous. Then there was Roasted scallop with roasted aubergine and cumin. This was stunning.

   

The Red tuna with cauliflower emulsion was also sensational. The tuna was good but the smoothness and creaminess of the cauliflower was a revelation.

 

With the food this good, I couldn’t resist a dessert. I asked what there was. Cheesecake? the waiter asked. And the cheesecake came with cooked strawberries on top. After the smallish tapas, I was quite surprised to see a fairly large portion. But it was excellent and I managed it all – with an espresso.

 

It was a fantastic meal. It reminded me of finding Peixes in Nice last September and how much I’d enjoyed a modern take on classic traditional dishes. Uvedoble offered the same experience and I loved it. I’ve very much enjoyed the traditional food I’ve been eating for the past couple of days, but this modern cooking excites me more. Many thanks to Pippa for telling me about Uvedoble!

For such a great meal, the bill was an incredibly reasonable €23.70.

Feeling happy and delighted by my last evening’s food and drink experiences, I slowly made my way back to the hotel, inevitably crossing the Plaza de la Constitucion again, now in the dark but still beautiful.

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