When I visited: August 2017

Location: Marbella, in Amare Marbella Beach Hotel

Rating in the Michelin Guide: Not in the Guide

Dining Owl Hoot rating: 3/5

What to wear: Could go casual / in swimwear

Ambience: Chilled

Course of the meal: Sushi platter

If I could change one thing: Smaller dessert options

Review:

Marbella is as chilled and sunny as you would expect, but a culinary surprise was the weight of Japanese influence on the food. As well as the gorgeous fresh Spanish seafood, there are plenty of sushi and sashimi choices and ingredients like yuzu are in plentiful supply.

Amare Beach is the go-to place for a languorous lunch if you are at the Amare Marbella Beach Club Hotel (or in the area). You can linger over cocktails (including the ‘Marbella’ itself – a fruitier pina colada), sangria or wine, and/or sample some of the food. I would particularly recommend the sushi platter or the tempura salad. None of the food options are small though – even a sorbet is served in a massive container. The matcha dessert with yuzu is another example of the Japanese influences.

Amare Beach reminded me a lot of other chilled beach-side lunch places like Coast in LA and Salt in Barcelona. It has the added bonus of in-house DJs doing day sets (Cynthia is super-cool and Anthony’s set is perfect to chill to over a long afternoon).