You eat very well in Marbella, and knowing the right places makes all the difference. We have chosen these one by one, with real care, and they are the ones we recommend to our guests when they ask.
A step from home, in the old town
La Niña del Pisto is a classic Andalusian tavern with a wide range of small plates to share. It is three hundred metres away and it is our choice for a simple meal done well. We suggest the pisto, the salmorejo and the flamenquín. Around €20 to €30 a head.
Altamirano is also three hundred metres away, on an old town square with a very pleasant terrace, and it works particularly well for sharing. The fried calamari, the tomato with tuna belly and the anchovies. Between €20 and €30.
Lekune has a different formula that we like a great deal: the waiters come round with individual pintxos and you take whatever appeals. They do not accept bookings, so it is worth arriving early. The potato omelette, the cod and the battered hake. €15 to €25, eight hundred metres away.
With the sea in front of you
Los Mellizos, on the promenade eight hundred metres along, has sea views and notable value for the quality it serves. Grilled fish, aubergines with honey and anchovies with lemon. Between €20 and €40.
La Barca, five hundred metres away and also on the promenade, is traditional cooking done properly: first-rate fish and shellfish, rice dishes and fish over coals. €50 to €70.
La Milla, two and a half kilometres along, is a beach restaurant with the sand beside you, top-quality produce and magnificent views. We save it for a special occasion: €60 to €80. Rice dishes, grilled fish and fried pescaíto.
When you fancy something else
Leña, at Puente Romano three and a half kilometres away, is chef Dani García's restaurant and here meat is the point. The burger, the T-bone and the chistorra. Between €40 and €60.
Pizzería Picasso, by the marina in Banús, is an institution and a good plan with children. No bookings. Pizza, burgers and the Picasso salad, €20 to €30.
The espeto, not to be missed
The espeto is one of the hallmarks of this coast: a sardine threaded onto a cane and grilled over embers on the beach itself. The whole secret is the distance from the fire and the salt. The traditional stand is an old boat filled with sand, burning olive wood. If you see that boat smoking on the sand, sit there.
People here say sardines are at their best in the months without an R: May, June, July and August. There is a reason: in warm water the sardine feeds better and puts on the fat that makes it succulent over coals. You will find good sardines all year round, and the seasonal ones are especially full of flavour.
A host's tip: order the espeto at the start of the meal rather than as a main. You eat it with your fingers, practically standing, and it tastes best straight off the fire.
What to order at a chiringuito
If you sit down at a beach restaurant and want a safe bet, this always works. Fritura malagueña to share: anchovies, red mullet and squid, straight out of the pan and very hot. Boquerones victorianos, the small anchovies from the bay, in vinegar or fried. Conchas finas with lemon, an indulgence worth its price. Ajoblanco in summer, a chilled almond soup that goes down beautifully. And in winter, if you see it on the menu, order gazpachuelo: a fish soup with mayonnaise, of seafaring origin, and one of the best things you can eat in this province.
One tip of ours that may help: look at the fish display before you sit down, rather than the menu. Whatever is there that day is what to order.
For a drink, a coffee or a churro
Soleo is a hundred metres away on the promenade, and it is our sunset spot. Terral Club, five hundred metres along Ricardo Soriano, and Café Central, right in the old town four hundred metres away, are two city classics. For breakfast the way it is done here, Churrería Ramón, also four hundred metres. And as a treat, Cappuccino Grand Cafe a kilometre and a half along and the Marbella Club at three and a half.
If you are looking for something specific
We review this list from time to time to keep it current. If you want something that is not here — an anniversary dinner, a table for ten, gluten-free or vegetarian options — write to us and we will recommend the right place. And if you come back from one of these with a different impression, we like to know: it helps us look after the list for the guests who follow.
Espeto photograph: Daniel Sancho · CC BY 2.0
Manuel · Arlequin Suites