Chef Jesús Mulero opens new gastrobar in Torrox

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With Alicante-style rice dishes featuring prominently on the menu, La Pataleta will be open all year round and will offer a varied programme of events

SUR in English

Torrox

Thursday, 15 January 2026, 16:59

After a successful national and international career, chef Jesús Mulero will fulfil one of his professional dreams in 2026: opening a restaurant in the province of Malaga. On 17 January, he will open La Pataleta, a gastrobar in Torrox that is set to complement and enrich the town's culinary offer. It is a gastronomic and cultural project that will be open all year round and has strong links to the local area.

With an investment of €200,000, the new establishment will occupy an iconic restaurant that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and will be transformed into a gastrobar with four different areas: a chill-out area, a gastrobar, a restaurant and a takeaway service. It will also create between four and five direct jobs during the winter, which will increase to a dozen during the summer season.

With Andalusian roots on his father's side, the chef acknowledges that “he was eager to invest in the province, and that is how this powerful project came about, with plans for the next two decades, developed in a historic half-century-old building in Torrox Costa”. This new project comes after the successful launch of the Fuenteplateada Boutique Hotel in Segovia, and he is particularly excited about his new venture.

The inauguration is scheduled for Friday, 16 January, with an event attended by the president of the Malaga Tourism Board, Francisco Salado, and the mayor of Torrox, Óscar Medina. “On Saturday, 17 January, we will open to the general public,”announced the chef. The establishment, which will remain open all year round, will have opening hours this winter from noon to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., closing on Mondays.“In summer, we will be open continuously for 14 hours, with takeaway service available throughout, offering everything from chicken to rice dishes, all prepared so that customers can take them home with them directly from the seafront promenade,”he reveals.

The gastrobar's menu will reflect the talent and extensive professional experience of Jesús Mulero, whose cuisine will allow diners to enjoy influences from Brazilian, Portuguese and Belgian cuisines, among others.“We will start with a special winter menu, with dishes such as duck breast, pork cheeks with mushrooms, or foie gras, which are different from the usual dishes available in Malaga, precisely out of respect for this gastronomy and to distinguish ourselves from other restaurants in the municipality. We don't want to compete with the more typical local cuisine, but rather complement it,”explains the chef.

One of the gastrobar's main specialities will be Alicante-style rice dishes. "They will showcase our commitment to culinary fusion, moving away from classic paellas, with innovative dishes such as duck breast with apple, or lobster head with pumpkin. In addition to black rice dishes, vegetable rice dishes and “señoret” rice, which is prepared with chopped seafood," he explains.

A special “presentation” menu

To showcase the quality of its dishes and to attract and build loyalty with clients, the gastrobar will offer a special menu for only £20 from Monday to Friday during its launch period.“It will include a starter, main course, drink and dessert, with the main attraction being the possibility of choosing a rice dish,’ says the chef.

In addition to its gastronomic offerings, the space has been created with a clear social and cultural vocation. The restaurant will host exhibitions, stand-up comedy, concerts and small private events, and can be hired for celebrations such as birthdays or meetings, all in a privileged setting, located just 15 metres from the sea.

La Pataleta will be open to all types of customers and will also be pet friendly, designed as a meeting point for locals and visitors, where gastronomy, culture and the environment come together in a single project.

More information:

Address: Av. de España, 7, 29793 El Morche, Málaga.

Phone: 951 55 35 74.

Web: lapataleta.es

Instagram: @lapataleta_1976