Eclectic cuisine at Las Brasas de Raúl in Rincón de la Victoria

Gabriel Romero in the front of house and Raúl Guerrero in the kitchen decided in 2021, barely knowing each other, to partner up and open this restaurant. Soon their offerings and prices, as well as the heartiness of their dishes in terms of quantity, caught the attention of a clientele rooted in Rincón and gradually also the tourists and visitors. Their hearty winter stews where Mondays feature Malaga-style chickpea stew, Wednesdays gazpachuelo, Thursdays seafood soup and every Friday their renowned tripe, resonated with locals from this town, as did their events dedicated to beef.

Without doubt, the centre of the culinary offering is grilled meats, besides the so-called 'Raul's delicatessen' which features preparations like tuna tataki or marinated tuna, alongside grilled octopus, a dish that has become tiresome due to being so repetitive in a good number of restaurants. Here Raúl's professionalism is evident - it shouldn't be forgotten that before he worked here, he worked at grill houses like El Gaucho and in the kitchens of Las Dunas in Estepona. The selection of these meats includes Iberian pork in its different cuts - presa, secreto, lagarto; chistorra, chorizo criollo, spiced chicken, beef hamburgers... and, of course, the different cuts and aging of Simmental, Retinta, Galician or Uruguayan beef.

But this house's cuisine doesn't stop only at meat - there are a series of suggestions daily, made mostly with local products and endorsed by 'Sabor a Málaga' (Taste of Malaga), since this restaurant is part of this promotional brand from the Malaga provincial authority. Among these suggestions, the meatballs in almond sauce and Canillas goat rarely go amiss.

The wine cellar, not very extensive, does maintain a good selection of red wines from Ribera del Duero and Rioja, as well as some wines from the D.O. Sierras de Málaga, all at a fair price.

Blue fin tuna tataki : tuna tataki has few secrets when it comes to preparing it, on the other hand it's a dish that is already becoming too repetitive on the menus of Malaga restaurants. On this occasion, a proper cut and quality tuna.

Revuelto de matanza: Interesting and visually appealing scrambled egg made with some of the classic sausages from the 'matanza' (annual killing of the pig), that is, blood sausage, paprika and small pieces of pork. Raúl should be more daring and present a scrambled egg where juiciness is present.

Roast leg of kid: A roasted goat leg that arrives at the table at the point of perfection so that the flavour and juices remain uniform. Appropriate size, good quality Canillas goat and a traditional garnish to enhance this dish.

Entrecot: Definitely where Raúl is most comfortable is cooking over coals. The three colours of a good beef cooked over coals appear in this Retinta veal ribeye steak. Without a doubt, one of the most successful dishes.

Las Brasas de Raúl: Address: Plaza Gloria Fuertes, 7. Tel: 675 477 778. Closed: Tuesday. Opening times: 1 - 4.30pm and 8 - 11.30pm.

Prices: Patatas bravas: 6.50€; Entrecot: 25€; Leg of kid goat: 18€

Rating: Kitchen: 6.5; Dining room: 6; Wine list: 6; Rating: 6.5 / 10