Its proximity to the Mayan Monkey Chocolate Factory and a fortuitous internet search led us to Tomillo Limon, in Mijas pueblo. A big plus to this area is their large and affordable parking lot (1 € for the day) which leads to the main plaza, only a couple of minutes’ walk to the restaurant.
Tomillo Limon is a couple of blocks away from the main plaza, and was empty when we arrived at 2pm last Saturday. It has a small outdoor terrace facing the street but we chose to eat inside as it was very hot. The temperature and the ambiance inside were welcoming, as were the two servers who led us to our table. I ordered a mint lemonade, and my husband ordered a Spanish sidra. We were both happy with our refreshing drinks.
The menu is quite eclectic, from Spanish and Andalusian classics to Asian favorites, to fusion dishes. Allergens are noted and there’s plenty of gluten free dishes to choose from. We first ordered the fried chicken strips for our 7-year-old and they came perfectly cooked, with a lovely breading. Our son ate them all. In the meantime, we ordered some tapas that started coming out slowly, enticing our appetite…
The portions were generous, and each dish was cooked to perfection. The croquetas de bacalao (cod fish croquettes) had great texture and flavor, the Sri Lanka chickpeas tasted delicious with a hint of turmeric and other aromatic spices (we even took leftovers home!). Their bao with pulled pork was soft, moist, and very well balanced.
There was nothing silly about their “paparruchas”. We had not tried this dish before and decided to give it a go. It is a simple dish, but very well made: potatoes with cream, streaky bacon, and parmesan cheese. The portion was big and filling, but it was the flavor that kept us going. So delicious!
Last but probably the best dish we tried were the gambones at Pil Pil. We like this dish and have tried it in many places before. But this time, at Tomillo Limon, it was different. So much so that we asked the chef how he prepared it and he corroborated what we were thinking: he makes a consomé (broth) with the heads of the prawns that he adds to the oil and garlic sauce. Pure umami! Highly recommend to seafood lovers.
The bill came and it was great value for all the goodness we had just eaten. We left Tomillo Limon with happy hearts, full bellies, and a desire to return.