Marbella restaurants have made this an International gastronomic destination with Michelin star chefs, food from all over the world and fine dining brands like the famous Nobu cooking up delightful dishes for an adoring clientele. Find out where to enjoy the best food and ambience to suit your taste!
D-WINE: GOURMET AND WINE LOVER’S HAVEN
It is difficult to find a restaurant which prioritises wine as much as it does cuisine, but D-Wine in Marbella has managed to strike the ideal balance between the two and much of the magic has to do with having found the perfect staff.
D-Wine is home to Spain’s largest collection of wines. It has received honours from The World of Fine Wine for its three-star wine list and from the Wine Spectator, “for having an exceptional wine list and displaying a deep commitment to wine.”
The common element that runs through most dishes on D-Wine’s menu is simplicity, painstaking preparation, and a respect for fine produce. The venue itself, meanwhile, is one that never fails to impress. It is a bit like coming home to a warm fireplace, great glass of wine, fantastic food and the finest of company.
FANNING THE FLAMES OF GOOD TASTE AT ORIGEN
When the last vestige of the summer season comes to a close, is the best season to visit one of the best gill restaurants in Marbella– Origen, founded by the group that also owns trendy tapas grill venue, Hacienda Patagónica.
The big secret of its success is three-fold: quality, technique, and ambience. This is one of the few places on the Coast that you can order a rib-eye cooked Maillard style, your steak delicately ‘caramelised’ on the flaming grill. At Origen, a variety of woods are used to heat meat up to just the right level in which smokiness, a gorgeous golden exterior, and a juicy, flavourful interior, are married to perfection.
Origen is a veritable classic when it comes to enjoying a great steak in the centre of town. Dressed in wood, red brick, and an open kitchen where you can see the staff at work, it is no less than a treat for meat lovers. Trendy yet casual, exquisite in quality yet laidback in spirit, it is the perfect spot for a business lunch, but is just as wonderful for couples wishing to be embraced in warmth while they enjoy a knockout meal.
VOVEM PASEO MARÍTIMO: A LOVE OF FINE FOOD
If you enjoy good food made from choice produce, fine wines and a comfortable, cosy ambience, then Vovem is an experience to savour. Set on the Paseo Marítimo beach walk in the heart of Marbella, it offers flavour from start to finish.
On a winter’s night you long for something hearty and warming. Thoughts turn to stews and steaks but venture out to a good restaurant and you also wish for the finesse and creativity of a skilled chef, the warm embrace of a stylish venue and the welcoming hospitality of sincere good service. On Marbella’s Paseo Marítimo, overlooking the long beaches and Mediterranean, Vovem stands out as a first-class dining venue that combines all the above.
It’s all about feeling comfortable, and in the rounded leather booths that’s hard not to do. Wagyu delicacies join the choicest cuts of meat to produce a mouth-watering array of options that will have meat lovers’ toes curling. One of the features of Vovem is the impressive, specially made grill where the experienced chefs can be seen in action as you enjoy the first course.
LA PLAGE CASANIS: MUSIC, LOVE, & FOOD
At La Plage, it’s all about welcoming diners into a cool, trendy atmosphere where they can relax dressed in their favourite cotton dress or head up from the beach, wrapping a sarong around swimwear. In the summer, live DJ music hits the perfect spot as the sun fades over an orange horizon. In winter, the place is still happening as always. The restaurant spans various areas – the beach, vast outdoor dining areas, and the indoor restaurant for the odd rainy day. The décor is 100 per cent natural, with bamboo sticks and overlaying artistic shade installations creating intricate patterns on the floor when the sun hits.
At La Plage, his eye is centred on fish and seafood dishes (though meat dishes are also on point). On the day of our visit, our starters included Vietnamese nems (super crisp and appetite-whetting), gyozas (classic Japanese dumplings filled with chicken and grilled vegetables), and salmon tartar (graced with fresh avocado, pine nuts, and a heavenly walnut bread toast).
We shouldn’t end our report without mentioning the wine list, which contains an impressive selection of Spanish and international wines. The cocktail list was also impressive.
99 SUSHI BAR & RESTAURANT ANANTARA VILLA PADIERNA PALACE
the 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant at the luxurious Anantara Villa Padierna Palace is far more than a sushi bar, it’s one of the finest dining experiences available today in Marbella and surroundings.
The Anantara Villa Padierna has become a landmark and one of the most luxurious resort hotels on the Costa del Sol; it now forms part of the prestigious Anantara hotel brand, an established concept of luxury in Asia. The Anantara Villa Padierna Palace is the first Anantara resort in Spain, providing the perfect backdrop for a very special dining experience.
The 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant has a charming terrace that takes in this atmosphere, but for all but the warmest months of the year you’ll want to enjoy the wonderful ambience and décor of the interior, which will come as a surprise if you base your expectations too much on the name. Firstly, the restaurant’s design isn’t very obviously Japanese in its look, and secondly, it is far removed from a normal sushi bar, for this is one of the most elegant restaurants in the Marbella area – with service and food to match.
NEW WELLNESS CHEF AT THE MARBELLA CLUB HOTEL
Andrés Ruiz is the perfect fit for the Wellness team at the Marbella Club Hotel. Unlike many stressed-out chefs who work too many hours and neglect their health, he is passionate about health and fitness. The Marbella Club Hotel has worked hard to raise the bar for the wellness industry on the Coast.
At the MC, Andrés will be concocting creations made primarily with lean chicken and fish, foregoing red meat for an extra health push.”Many of the dishes will be vegan, made with tofu, seitan, tempeh, beans, and seeds – without sacrificing an iota of flavour.”
Andrés wants diners to know that nutritious food need not be boring – quite the contrary! “Healthy haute cuisine is my thing. Vegan dishes, for instance, can taste just as good as those containing meat. In fact, there is nothing you can’t do with the right technique. You can make delicious soups, stews, and even meat-free ‘steaks’ that don’t make diners feel that they are making any sacrifices.”
LA CAMPANA: SCANDINAVIAN INSPIRATION
Styrbjörn Holm has donned many hats in his lifetime, directing hotels, running popular restaurants like Magna Café, and even starting up his own vodka brand. Without a doubt, however, he has met his match in his current position – that of owner and Head Chef of his own restaurant, La Campana (in Nueva Andalucía).
His eye for detail is present in the brand-new décor of La Campana, which adds plenty of sophistication and sartorial flair to the space. Serious grey-hued walls are married to designer chandeliers, modern art, photography, and an eye-catching image of a leopard at one end of the restaurant. The ambience is elegant yet laidback – quite a hard balance to achieve yet one that seems effortless at this establishment. A brand-new terrace was added to the restaurant for outdoor dining, perfect for a romantic dinner on a balmy evening.
Every Chef is famed for a dish, product, or technique. In Holm’s case, the secret is definitely in his sauces. He has assistants in the kitchen, yet he makes every elaborate one of these by himself. Arguably best known at La Campana is the lobster sauce, which makes a lovely dipping treat for the selection of fish and seafood dishes.
Expect to find Holm’s creative interpretations of classic dishes at La Campana.
PIERRE MARCOLINI: ARCHITECT OF FLAVOURS
Pierre Marcolini has opened a brand-new store at El Corte Inglés.
There are chocolates of all sizes and textures, and many of the tablets contain 75 per cent or 85 per cent chocolate. Another thing that will delight you if you are a health buff is the fact that these chocolates are low in sugar; prime importance is given to the rich flavour of the chocolate itself.
Whether you are looking for the perfect gift, you are in the mood for a deep black coffee, or you wish to boost your energy with chocolate, head to Pierre Marcolini at El Corte Inglés. Take your kids along, for they will surely be as fascinated as I was with the artistic colours and shapes that clearly speak of this chocolatier’s authentic passion for quality and originality.
MAISON LÚ
Maison LÚ is an exciting new fine dining restaurant on the Golden Mile and if you’re looking for an experience that is as refreshing and different as it is delicious, then you should definitely treat your senses to its seductive delights.
Maison LÚ is part of a ‘universe of LÚ’ created by Michelin-star chef Juan Luis Fernández. Though still young, the supremely talented Juanlu has a significant amount of experience and training at the side of the great masters of cooking in Spain. Armed with this, he has created a wonderfully vibrant ode to the artistry of French cuisine, blended with a love of the traditional kitchen of his hometown, Jerez de la Frontera.
Not surprisingly, sherry is one of his favoured ingredients, and while it and superb cuts of fresh fish from the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters of the Iberian Peninsula represent some of the Spanish foundations of his culinary offering, the classic rotisserie reimagined with a modern twist forms part of the French influence. As a result, Maison LÚ presents a collection of dishes and above all flavours that will raise your eyebrows, caress your soul and absolutely delight your taste buds.
EL CHIRINGUITO AT THE PUENTE ROMANO
If you could choose one word to describe El Chiringuito at the Puente Romano in the peak of summer, it would have to be ‘lively’. Busy with families, couples, and even businesspeople in the mood for a sumptuous seafood meal, the restaurant is a veritable institution among foodies, as is its elegant sister, Sea Grill, just a few steps up from the beach.
On display, freshly caught salmonetes, sea bass, jumbo king prawns and other delights catch your eye as you make your way through the bar to your table. Also on hand is an expert ham cutter slicing two finely displayed patas into paper-thin slices.
Whether a paella and espeto cooking workshop, or a private romantic dinner for two appeals, the staff is ready to make it happen. And if espetos happen to be your thing, then you will most definitely be learning how to make them at El Chiringuito. “We have a master espeto cook who has been making this quintessential Malagueño dish for 55 years,” marvels Thomas.
The expert doesn’t just prepare espetos in the four-metre, sand-filled boat, either. Whole fish such as turbot and seafood such as squid and lobster are also grilled ‘on a stick’. Espeto-style cooking is just one of many world techniques employed at the Puente Romano.
SUMMER AT OCEAN CLUB’S AMAÏ RESTAURANT
Few clubs manage to capture and nurture the essence of summer quite like Ocean Club does year after year. The oceanfront haven, which boasts a huge saltwater pool, pristine white leather beds, and a to-die-for list of wines, Champagnes and cocktails, is one of Marbella’s most hotly solicited party destinations.
However, its restaurant, AMAÏ, is also the perfect spot for families, friends, and locals wishing to take a break from work to enjoy a magnificent meal washed down with an award-winning bottle of wine or chilled Champagne.
It truly does feel like you are sailing from port to port as you read Ocean Club’s menu beneath the coolness of elegant white shade sails. A wealth of international influences abounds, with Thai, American, and Morroccan culinary inspirations holding sway. The menu is ample – both in its starters and main choices – which is great for people with a hearty appetite, as well as those after something healthy and light. It makes sense that the menu looks to foreign lands (as well as the sparkling Mediterranean) for inspiration.
Published by essentialmagazine.com