Marbella Club (Club de Playa), Marbella – February 2011

Coming back to Spain for the first time in what seemed like a hundred years, I was invited to a lunch at this little pearl on the Costa del Sol. Its a beautiful hotel, with a small road leading down to the restaurant a few stairs above the beach.

Spain showed its beautiful side, granting us 20 degrees celcius and clear blue sky. Somewhat different from the frosty Luxembourg I had left the evening before.

The lunch buffet is prized at 70 eur which I guess is pretty damn high for Spanish standard. But let me just start by saying that every eur is truly justified. EVERYTHING on the large buffet is fresh. EVERYTHING. Any request is met with a smile and an effort to please.

We ordered pata negra, grilled langoustines and grilled sole. We were invited to have a look at the buffet while waiting for the fish….and soon covered our plates with freshly grilled vegetables, salads, artichokes etc. etc. etc.. It was simply not possible to resist this.

A chilled Marquis de Riscal, Sauvignon Blanc at around 30 eur was the perfect companion.

It later turned out that the 70 EUR did indeed cover the whole meal, the buffet, the pata negra, the grilled langoustines, the grilled scampis, the perfectly cooked sole (which came with freshly steamed spinach and potatoes on the side.

We never ever got a chance to taste the “postres”, – it was “nada mas” but they looked just as fresh and deli as the rest.

The service was outstanding, the meal a blast, the weather as good as one could hope for. Dining in the sun in February, a chilled wind, blue sky, ocean view, chilled wine. What more do you want in life. A small walk down the stairs and you are at the beach…

Conclusion

If you need a great meal for lunch in Marbella, a little bit of heaven. Go there….but be sure to book on week-ends and during the high season. Indulge in the fresh produce and great service while your children swim  in the pool or play at the beach.

It was easily one of the best lunches I have ever had in Spain, and for sure the best buffet I have ever seen in my life. I cant wait to bring the family here, knowing it will take a while, I wish it was tomorrow. On another note the lunch we had was even surpassed by one – a few days later – at a small club in Sotogrande, but thats another story. But that only makes the yearning tougher.

The service was flawless, the lunch outstanding and way beyond any expectations I could have ever had.

My rating for this visit: Food 8p (10), service 5p (5), ambience 5p (5), total score for this visit  18p (20)