A pleasant surprise! The owner was very welcoming. The restaurant was not very busy so we elected…read moreto sit outside. We selected a 1/2 portion sampler of Andalucían meats and cheeses and an order of fresh cooked potato chips. More people arrived for dinner and we watched their orders be served. Finally after a good 30 minutes, the cold meat and cheese platter arrived with a basket of bread. There were many good meats to try, but just one cheese. The plate was enough for two of us to share. We had finished it and still no homemade potato chips. The table of three across from us finished their meals and beer, paid and left. We kept asking for the chips. Finally after an hour and twenty minutes, they were served. They were excellent. We had to flag down the waitress for another drink at this point. The dining time was an hour and 40 minutes. The bill for one 1/2 portion meat and cheese platter, bread, one potato chips, one sparkling water and two 0,0 beers was just €18. The food was excellent, but, took waaaay too long for what we ordered.

Tipical old Andalusian place, we love it. Very good food. Good price. Very slow service.read more

Great place to spend a night or two while traveling between Málaga/Gibraltar and Cadíz. Too big for…read morea mom-and-pop hotel it is still not your average lodging. The compound is divided in two parts by the Málaga-Cadíz highway but the sides are connected by an underground crosswalk and both have a pool with lounge chairs. The rooms are spacious and bathrooms are compete with bidets. Free covered parking provided. There is a convenience store next door for your snacking needs if you feel overwhelmed by Andalusian menu and don't feel like joining locals and travelers alike at the hotel restaurant. The highway noise can be a bit annoying but that's until you immerse into local ambiance. And it does get quiet at night).

Hotel Nobu is an absolute dream! Situated adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea and alongside "The…read moreGolden Mile", the ritziest part of Marbella, lies this stunning, Andalusian style hotel, that aims to please. I thoroughly enjoyed my entire stay here, and you will too. The lushly manicured grounds are maintained exceptionally well. In fact, they were just adding a fresh coat of stark white paint to the dwellings while I was visiting, which was beautifully accented by cobalt blue wall pottery, containing bright pink flowers. The majestic swans that swim in the man-made stream help make this an even more romantic getaway than it already is. I was seriously living vicariously through those two. Now where was my dream date when I needed him most?! The rooms are every bit as spectacular as the glitzy pictures on their website will lead you to believe. The decor is contemporary meets boho chic and the color palette consists of relaxing, neutral tones. The Deluxe & Junior Suite rooms were both spacious and well appointed. Nobu Hotel goes the extra mile with Natura Bissé toiletries. Anything you could possibly need or want is provided... slippers, combs, bath salts, makeup remover, you name it. There's even night cream for your face, which was quite luxurious. The breakfast buffet was heavenly! Bring your appetite as they do not disappoint. This isn't your typical hotel buffet, it's a major cut above the rest. Pretty much any breakfast food that your heart desires is served and all of it is excellent. Six Senses Spa is close by too, in case you're in need of some pampering. I had an amazing, ninety minute massage with the argan oil upgrade. I thoroughly enjoyed my treatment, as well as the amenities. Every evening, turndown service brought me something special to nibble on and offered me complimentary water bottles. The staff truly made me feel like a princess here. Tip for the ladies: pack an extra pair of flats to carry with you in your purse so you don't slip on the cobblestone bridge in your heels (especially after a few cocktails at Nobu, lol). See photo I posted of the Roman Bridge. This is in no means a complaint whatsoever. That bridge is so picturesque and it's from first century A.D. so it's certainly not going anywhere! I mention it only so that those reading this can plan accordingly. Nobu Hotel Marbella is as good as it gets! You can order Nobu sushi from room service. Need I say more? I will always have fond memories of my stay here (special shoutout to GM John Thomson for taking such good care of me). I hope to return for another visit in the near future, next time I'd like to stay during the summer months. I'm convinced this is the nicest hotel in all of Marbella! Highly recommend.

El Cortijo Blanco is located near Marbella just off a main road. First impressions may be affected…read moreby the proximity to the busy road, but once you get inside the complex you don't even notice it. The Cortijo is just down the road from it's sister hotel , the Pueblo Andaluz, and guests of either hotel can use the facilities of the other. The Cortijo is a great little place. It's set out in Andalusian style and has a great atmosphere. Rooms are large and very clean. Facilities at the hotel include a pool,. library, bars, entertainment, table tennis and internet (1 euro for 12 mins). The entertainment team are great, there is plenty organised if you want to take part, but they don't try and force you into anything. The food is good with plenty of choice at each meal. Great value, I would definitely return.

Overall this is a great little restaurant, with neat ocean views in the daytime (though we were…read morethere at night and couldn't see much). Indoor and outdoor seating, year 'round, though in Feb, it was low 50Fs at night, and we had to sit inside. As with many of the beach towns in the Cadiz province, the dining room was chilly, because it is equipped for warmer temps most of the year. They also have a habit of leaving the door open, so I was in my coat the whole dinner. :-) Our menu was in Spanish, but our waiter was helpful about offering to describe things, if certain dishes were unfamiliar. It was easier for him to describe in Spanish, so I interpreted from there. He did find an old English menu to help my husband, but it didn't have all the current dishes, so we worked on it until all was copacetic, with food on the way! This place is more of a fusion restaurant. It has good reviews on a variety of rating sites, so that sold me, though I did want to stick to more uniquely Spanish food on this trip, be it traditional or newer. I just wanted to eat the region, authentically. We tried to go with the most indigenous dishes we could. I was surprised that when I asked the (young) waiter what dishes were most authentic to Spain, he came up with things that to me, are totally American. For tapas-like apps, we had the patatas con ajo y aceite de oliva, which was very good, but looked and tasted much like potato salad (thought it might be more like Andalusian Tortilla de Patatas). We also had a salad with fried chicken poppers, goat cheese, and salsa verde, which, again, was tasty, but much like something from home. My husband had the octopus (pulpo) entree with patatas bravas. It was perfectly cooked, with an amazing tenderness for what is usually a pretty rubbery texture. He was very pleased. My seafood limitations made me go with another Yelper's tip about the beef cordon bleu (even though it wasn't Spanish), and, unfortunately, I could not have been more disappointed. It came with a very orange cheddar sauce, that was like something from Ruby Tuesday's. I managed a few bites because I was starving, but my husband ate the rest. Just not my thing. Dessert was, again, very tasty, but the lemon torte had a meringue-y topping, much like yet another dish from home. The meal was for the most part very tasty, presented beautifully, and the staff was great. I just did not realize, from my research, how fusion-y this place was, and had hoped for more authentically Spanish/Andalusian dishes.

Best meal I had in Spain. Patatas bravas, beef cordon bleu, and croquettes were all fantastic…read more Beautiful outdoor table facing the ocean. La mejor comida que he tenido aquí. Patatas bravas, cordón bleu, y croquetas todas eran fantásticos. Bonita mesa afuera, mirando el mar.

We visited this quaint restaurant a few years ago while in El Puerto de Santa Maria. The food was…read moreabsolutely delicious, the atmosphere was cozy, and the chef was a delight to speak with. We went on a quieter evening so I can speak to the service when it's busy but I imagine everything is still fantastic!

Puerto Escondido is one of the best restaurants in El Puerto. It's like that little treasure which…read moreonly a few can find, hence its name Puerto Escondido which means Hidden Harbor.The food is excellent, a fusion of traditional Andalusian and worldwide cuisine -Mexican, Peruvian, Eastern,..The patio is an awesome choice for dinners. Pablo Terron, the chef, will receive you as a friend more than a customer. It's worth a try for sure!

Whenever I visited the south of Spain, I used to go for traditional restaurants - The raw material…read morein the region is spectacular, and I used to think that modern cuisine and good looking dishes were just an excuse to serve low quality food... until tonight! Zoko combines the best tuna I have ever had in Andalucía, with fun dishes and delicious ingredients. We started with the Tacos De Camarón (fun concept replacing the typical Mexican corn tortilla with Tortillitas de Camaron - Simply genius). We continued with Costillas de Atun (smoked flavoured and rare cooked tuna that melted in your mouth - Mind blowing), we continued with the Fidegua Quemada (fidegua with squid and shrimp marinated with traditional paella sauce and a bit of teriyaki - incredibly tasty), and for the final dish, we chose Pornografia de Atun de Almadraba (a mix of sashimi, sushi, and tartar with the best tuna I have had in years. All properly marinated with exquisite sauces and seasoning - Indescriptible). Conclusion: A place you can not miss during your stay in Zahara de los Atunes

Fusion Andalusian food…read more High quality meal with a difference. Our second visit in 2 years and not disappointed

There is so many things to love about Marbella, Spain. We happily booked on our Marriott trade in…read morehere for a week into a 3 bedroom villa to celebrate our daughter who's a recent graduate and multi state bar pass attorney. We made it here after being in Madrid for 3 nights with our youngest who works for the FS corporation. I mention that, because one thing that happens in our stay was appalling and trust me , FS employees always notice.. First , this resort is beautiful. It's right on the beach. A beautiful gym; multi pools , including a heated one inside; a kids pool & play area; BBQ areas and multiple outlets for eating. The lobby is small, which made check in a bit slow. There is a market place, but it's pricey as it's on property. But it gets you what you need & our girls loved that it had quick pizzas and Euro snacks on the ready. There is a grocery store down the way , also pricey , but cheaper than on Marriott's property. The villa itself could use a bit of a renovation but it's very quiet and so nice and near so much in S. Spain. We had a large balcony over looking the grounds. The location superb. The villa itself was outfitted perfectly for our daughters and us for the 6 day stay. We had one misfire at the on site restaurant: his name is , ' Rofo' and he is a tyrant. He works at El Med, as a host --- maybe a waiter and wins the award for the rudest, most obnoxious staff member we encountered in Europe this year.. yes. The entire year. He sat us at 830, maybe closer to 9pm? But being in Spain, that is usually the dinner hour. We had been traveling all day so we heard music in the restaurant and one of our daughters had a headache and asked to sit on the patio, which he took issue with. She saw him roll his eyes as we sat at the outside table , ( he said we had to sit by 'his' door and order from the limited bar menu), so she left for the room & we went inside, which again aggravated him and he rolled his eyes again. He slammed the menus down and told us to hurry and order. He then placed bread on the table that we didn't want , ( charging us for it) & returning to say 'yes?' .. meaning he wanted our order. We ordered quickly. This was the vibe through our quick dinner; and when we listened to the great entertainment, that we loved and decided to order dessert since it seemed others were? He yelled at us, 'HURRY UP!! IT's almost 10 and we close!!' While tapping his watch and saying , 'I I , EYE EYE EYE O!' .. to that I finally said , ' that is NOT okay .. you are rude !' And he said ' you showed up late and chef is waiting !' .. I had NO clue what this man meant .. but we wanted our check and I was so angry and humiliated we vowed to never go back to this restaurant again. Moreover, it's a Marriott where we have over a weeks plus worth of points for this trip in Europe like we do every year and the American brands employee treated us that badly at dinner after our long day ? So that was our one HUGE issue. We did check out a day early and leave for Barcelona. The spa was also closed and that is not mentioned anywhere on any site or when you check in- it's only when you ask. That said most of our time here was great. It's a lovely location. There needs to be more restaurants with more variety open and a spa. Some updates are needed but I think we will definitely return and maybe Rofo will have a new career somewhere else :-)

Great food and service. No one told us a reservation was recommended though. Beautiful water views!read more

Located just off a main road, near to the towns of Marbella and Puerto Banus. On first sight this…read moredoesn't look like the greatest place for a holiday. However, once you are on the complex, the main road is not noticeable at all. The hotel is set out like a typical Andalusian village and is lovely, with lots of flowers and plants all around. It's extremely well kept and everything is spotless. Rooms are spacious and clean with good sized bathroom. The restaurant is excellent, and the food is high quality with plenty of choice. Every other night is a theme night, such as Italian, Mexican etc and a lot of effort is put in. Just across the road is the bar and pool and this is also where the entertainment takes place. This is mainly a French hotel, so if you want to go somewhere with lots of English people then it's not for you! Brilliant place for a holiday.

We stayed one night at this wonderfully situated hotel in the center of the white village of Arcos…read morede la Frontera. Given its location if you have a car you will be parking in the newer part of town in the parking garage and either hiking up hill 15+ minutes with your luggage or taking a taxi. We took a taxi. The streets are crazy narrow even for the professionals. We arrived early and were able to check-in. The woman at the front desk was delightful and super helpful (she also checked us out and ordered us a taxi). Fortunately I booked a superior room and it had a stupendous view of the valley below. The hotel is right on the edge of the cliff. The hotel is an old palace so it has its quirks but the room was big and the balcony huge. There was a safe and a small frig and tea kettle. The price was pretty good but it was off season. Not a big deal given the room we had and it was the weekend but the main square of town right outside the front door is in the midst of major construction so it could be loud on weekdays depending on the room. This project looks like it has a long way to go... Thumbs up.

I wanted to love this hotel. Located at the top of Arcos de la Frontera, and overlooking a cliff,…read moreit's the perfect location for a hotel on a mountain. Our room was nicely decorated, yet a little on the old side. Felt convent-like, especially due to the picture of the Virgin Mary behind the bed. The kicker though was the large roach, which I watched scurry across our bathroom floor one night. Wifi was a little spotty, but that seems to be par for the course in the hotels I visited in Andalusia. Breakfast, which costs ~30 eur/two people was good, and includes fruits, meats, tea, and coffee, but it was by far the most expensive meal we had in Arcos de la Frontera. I'd recommend having breakfast only once, so you can enjoy the view from the restaurant windows of the valley below.