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.
Classic and Traditional Reimagined
Much of the best inspiration in today’s culinary world comes from the desire to delve into tradition, culinary lore, and almost lost memories of favourite family dishes to emerge with a treasure of ingredients, techniques and flavours that can be used as the starting point for a dining experience that is modern, yet founded on hundreds of years of knowledge of and love for the bounty of the land and sea. What’s more, such cooking is modern and sophisticated but also vernacular and therefore represents the land and culture that surrounds you.
In the case of Juan Luis Fernández, the seductive mix is a modern reimagining of traditional Andalusian cuisine blended with the classic mastery of the French kitchen. The result, I can verify, is quite simply delicious, and more, for it succeeds in offering something that is novel, new and exciting to those accustomed to more mainstream types of menus. The beauty of Juanlu’s oeuvre is that it never gets silly in the way of reconstructed food that needs explaining, tiny morsels on a large plate or over-indulgently abstract cooking. This is creatively inspired food that certainly hits the spot but remains what many would call ‘real’.
Get Ready to Enjoy
The restaurant’s prime location on the Golden Mile is well utilised, with a relaxing front terrace and bar where a drink can be enjoyed before or after the meal, a cosy inside dining room with a stylish big city feel, and a large terrace with views of La Concha that offers space, ambience and elegant décor: all designed by renowned architect Jean Porsche. The menu includes snacks, a raw bar, a selection of starters, and then for a larger appetite the rotisserie and low-fat meats and fish grilled on embers, which by the way produces a beautifully soft texture and lightly smoky flavour.
There is also a daily list of ‘fresh catch of the day’ specials focused primarily on fish and seafood, and as we contemplated the options, we sipped on gorgeous freshly made peach and maracuja iced teas. The choices made, octopus and an Iberian potage, seemed familiar, and we were fairly sure that we knew what to expect, but once they came we were blown away. If you ever wonder how chefs can come up with novel dishes you’ll want to visit Maison LÚ and marvel at Juan Luis Fernández’s technical and creative mastery, for these were dishes taken to another level – the octopus fine and delicious, set on a bed of refreshing cucumber and garlic foam – while the wonderfully savoury potage was quite simply one of the most delicious soups I have ever tasted.
An Experience Not to Miss
Awoken by this experience, we felt emboldened to select a 2017 Sancerre Les Vallons from the Valle de Loire, a full-bodied white with a subtly oily undertone. This proved to be a great match for delicious main courses in the form of a classic coquelet with mash and gorgeous Périgord sauce, and a red mullet prepared, presented and flavoured in a way that takes an honest fish fillet to another level of sublime.
The desserts could have struggled to match the very high level set, but they didn’t. Once again surprising and excelling, this time in the form of classic Spanish Torrijas – but not as you know them – rather sautéed and caramelised to perfection, and a frozen rice pudding with cinnamon vanilla that straddles the line between pudding and ice cream. For those who love fine food and discovering new sensations in a refined but relaxed atmosphere, Maison LÚ is an experience you simply cannot deny yourself.
WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY KEVIN HORN & MAISON LÚ
Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, 269, Marbella. Tel: 951 210 000.