Tiptop Location

The dining venue is predominantly outdoor on an extensive descending terrace with multiple wooden canopies offering plenty of shade, luxury sofa seating, solid dining tables and comfy chairs, and a bar area with sliding glass doors that can be closed in inclement weather. It is very vibrant here with a myriad of coloured cushions and the multi-striped canvas atop the awnings. From this platform, the views across the rolling cork oak hills to the sea beyond are simply breathtaking. In the words of Sales and Marketing Director, Chloe Brandalac, “it’s a place to Chill and Grill.”

You will be warmly welcomed by the multi-lingual Restaurant Manager, Ricardo Nunes, who hails from Lisbon and he will take good care of you during your dining experience. We were shown to a nice wooden table in front of the open kitchen, where you can see the dishes being prepared on the 5 metre BBQ grill by Executive Chef, Leandro Caballero and his team.

The menu is compact and enticing, as befits a venue which is open to the public and where you can enjoy a visit to the large swimming pool alongside, with sun loungers commanding the same panoramic vistas, combined with a leisurely lunch. It is also sufficiently versatile to cater for dinner under the stars – one of the best possible pastimes in September.

Fayre Full Of Flavour

We shared Bluefin Tuna Slices in Dill and Radish Oil, and Grilled Avocado, Red Chilli and Honey Extra Virgen Olive Oil as starters, finding ourselves impressed with the presentation and even more so with the appealing flavours of both dishes. These went exceedingly well with a chilled bottle of Sunday Bay from Marlborough, New Zealand. With our appetites nicely teased, we were looking forward to the mains of Grilled Sea Bream and an impressive 800g Cowboy Steak derived from beef matured over 40 days. The accompaniments to complete these dishes were Giant Asparagus and Patatas Fritas al Romero (Rosemary).

It soon became very clear that all of the plates sampled had a wonderful smokey taste conferred by the BBQ, heightening the experience considerably. As the evening progressed, with the sun setting over the hills and the light changing, we found ourselves immersed in a joyful cocoon at our table. We even found space for two delightful desserts: Roasted Mango with Yoghurt Ice Cream and Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Ice Cream, both exhibiting the same smoked tendencies.

Quality Drinks

HI-SO bar has a range of Cocktails and Champagnes which you can enjoy at any time of day or to toast a special occasion. The wine list contains some interesting vintages, and you can order various varieties of Jerez by the glass. There is also an impressive collection of Gin and Whisky to select from.

A Place To Play

As you can imagine, HI-SO is a fantastic setting for a party or event. Following the success of their recent Summer Party with a live DJ and entertainment from 3pm until midnight, they will be repeating the experience again on Saturday 17th September – dress in white!

Cortijo

Another great dining concept at SO/ Sotogrande is the nearby Cortijo Restaurant, which will become the main evening venue this autumn, with tapas, wine and music on the ground floor and haute cuisine on the floor above. We will have to come back to try that soon!