Beachside dining experiences are not restricted to outlying beach areas. Amàre Beach restaurant offers a refined option near the Paseo Marítimo in downtown Marbella.
Most people turn right when they reach the beach promenade at the bottom of the marble-tiled Avenida del Mar – the one of the Dalí statues – but next time do yourself a favour and head in an easterly direction, towards the charming La Bajadilla fishing harbour.
On the way you will encounter a lively yet more authentic, less ‘touristy’ section of Marbella’s popular Paseo Marítimo. The views along the sandy beach out to sea are splendid, and on a clear, sunny day you really do feel like you’ve landed in the tropics.
Just past the iconic Hotel Fuerte Marbella is the Playa San Ramón, which besides being a rather secluded stretch of beach is also home to the Amàre Beach.
It is the seaside extension of the Amàre Beach Hotel Marbella, an adults-only resort venue where stylish design and the opportunity to relax in an environment free of rowdy kids add to one of Marbella’s finest rooftop chill-out and cocktail bars.
On terra firma, though really no less panoramic is the beach club itself – from the sunbeds and open air restaurant the views along the Med take in the classic array of Gibraltar and the undulations of Morocco’s rocky coastline.
The Amàre Beach restaurant is a grown-up venue where understated refinement goes hand in hand with a chilled atmosphere and an enticing menu that is perfectly balanced to satisfy a lunchtime craving for summer’s sensory delights.
The white camouflage-style netting does a perfect job of keeping off the sun’s glare while maintaining a pleasant outdoor feel, and in so doing sets the tone for a very pleasant beachside dining experience complete with relaxing chilled background music that later (Tuesday to Sunday) in the day revs up with live DJs.
The perfect summer mix
The menu is certainly well-conceived for the venue, offering a very tempting array of especially fish, seafood and also vegetarian options that are delicious but light.
The dips of ravioli filled with provolone are a case in point, but on a gorgeous early summer’s day we were seduced by the vegetable and prawn tempura with a gorgeous Ras el Hanout mayonnaise – which is a less creamy version with more ‘character’ and flavour.
The deliciously crispy and flavoursome starter was washed down with a glass of Pablo Claro Sauvignon Blanc, the biodynamic fresh white house wine.
The Amàre Beach is the kind of place just made for relaxing in the sun in style, enjoying a midday snack between beachside sessions, or simply dropping by for a meal or cocktail. As a result, the dishes are light and focus on taste and quality rather than quantity.
That said, the flame-grilled Cebon beef sirloin certainly doesn’t leave you hungry. The same is true of the equally well-prepared grilled Barbate tuna served wok-style with vegetables. This choice red tuna cut the Japanese way melts on the tongue, though the grilled cod was another of an array of tempting options.
I loved the chilled-out summer soundtrack playing in the background, but later in the day the beach club also livens up to the tunes of live DJs, adding brio to an already enchanting Marbella setting by the sea.
The streets, avenues and squares of the town are nearby, but here on the beach the feeling is secluded and rather privileged. In keeping with its fusion offering, the Amàre Beach restaurant’s dessert menu will raise many an eyebrow with creations such as a sweet sushi variety with rice pudding, chocolate and fruit.
In the summer sun we opted for an exotic fruit brochette, while I was also highly intrigued by a traditional Torrija – a Spanish version of French Toast – served with a soup of white coffee from Ethiopia.
Such unexpected pleasures sum up this delightful beachside restaurant in the heart of Marbella, which masters the summer classics well while adding innovative surprises to friendly, attentive service and a setting that is hard to beat.
Words Michel Cruz Photography Kevin Horn
Open 11:00 to 19:00hrs. Av. Severo Ochoa 8, Marbella. Tel: 951 560 714.