☰Bar La Lonja

A straightforward tapas bar near the port fish market (la lonja) at La Caleta de Vélez, the kind of place that serves the fishermen and market workers rather than the beach tourists. The tapas here — gambas al ajillo (prawns in garlic oil), croquetas de jamón, a slab of tortilla española — are exactly what they should be, cooked in the traditional way without elaboration. The wine is local and cheap. A sharp contrast to the tourist-facing beach bars on the Paseo Marítimo. Lunch only; closes by mid-afternoon when the market empties.