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    Restaurante Messina

    4.8 (13 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndSpanish

    Restaurante Messina Photos

    RESTAURANTE MESSINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Quiet
    Good for groups

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    Yee Gan O.

    Spain is currently Europe's culinary hotspot and after dining at Restaurante Messina, I can see why. Ferran Adria may have shut El Bulli but his influence still extends far and wide I am a huge fan of molecular gastronomy food and Restaurante Messina was heaven on earth to me. The innovation and imagination shown even in the amuse bouches (or 'snacks' as they call them here) far outweigh that shown in whole menus, even in Michelin star establishments The restaurant is a little out of the way of the 2 touristy areas of the Old Town and the beach but it's well worth the 5 minute walk from the edge of the Old Town As it turned out, I visited on 1 of only 3 nights that chef Mauricio Giovanini has had off since the restaurant opened 8 years ago but his kitchen brigade did him proud in his absence and I was ably looked after in the dining room by his charming and impressively multi-lingual wife Pia and her friendly front of house team. Service was seamless and well organised Choosing between the a la carte menu and 2 tasting menus was difficult as they all offer different dishes and I wanted to try everything. In fact, I even asked if they opened the next day as I fully intended to return the next day to try different dishes! Sadly, they close on Sundays, so I was forced to make a choice and it may not surprise you to know that I went for the longer Tasting Menu Messina! 1. Snacks Never before has such an innocently named course brought such a big smile to my face. A whole tray of molecular goodies arrived en masse, ranging from a stone bowl containing smoke and assorted ham & nibbles, a plate with different single bites & combinations , a bowl with light savoury (I think it was pepper) ice cream & tomato crisps 2. 'Ferrero Rocher' Haha!!! This looked just like a Ferrero Rocher chocolate but it was the most amazing smooth foie gras with nuts covered with gold leaf. If all Ferrero Rochers tasted like this, I'd eat a lot more of them! 3. A brown paper bag of 4 breads was delivered with 2 different dipping olive oils 4. Messina's take on the Spanish breakfast of ham & bread The bread was actually grilled belly of sea bass & the butter made with olive oil 5. Sushi de-fusion Wonderfully fresh tuna sashimi, rice foam, ginger delivered as a liquid nitrogen sauce poured from a teapot. Lovely eaten as 1 bite 6. Squid roe & water potatoes 7, Large red prawn with pure asparagus juice 8. Camembert cheese gnocchi with spinach consomme 9. Red mullet served in its own wonderful soup, rich with flavours of the sea 10. Baby goat from Malaga, cooked sous vide. Strong flavoured meat rendered to wonderful tenderness 11. 'Cheese & wine' As expected by now, given the Messina twist so the cheese came in various forms including powder and ice cream 12. Malibu, chocolate & pineapple A melange of different and complementary ingredients, testures and flavours 13. Although I didn't order coffee, a big box of petit fours appeared. Although I don't have a sweet tooth generally, I did scoff about umm 12 of them! I loved this meal and my only regret was that they weren't open the next night so that I could return to try other dishes like their signature chocolate volcano cake! Restaurante Messina doesn't yet have a Michelin star but I shall be looking out for the next Michelin guide for Spain, which is imminent, to see if they have gained a deserved star

    Starters.  Artistically presented, and delicious!
    Brad D.

    My wife and I had a wonderful dinner here last night. The staff is very friendly, and the hostess (Maria) was very patient with us (our Spanish is rusty). The prices are actually fairly reasonable, so the four-euro rating may need to be adjusted down a bit. While the tasting menu looked very tempting, my wife wanted a lighter dinner, so we opted for single courses. She had the foie gras with cherry chutney meringue and I had the shredded poularde (hen) soup with poached yolk. Delicious! For the main entree, my wife had the Iberian pork with crispy quinoa, dates, and fresh tomato. I had the Entrecte steak with mushrooms comfit and potatoes. We both thought our dishes were superb! For dessert, we both chose the white chocolate and "Olorso" sherry cream with Cointreau and orange ice cream. It was a great way to top off the meal. By the way, we asked Maria for a recommendation for a local Spanish white wine that was fruity but not too sweet. She chose a local moscatel seco from Malaga called 'Botani' from Bodegas Jorge Ordonez. It was a 2011 and very delicious. A great evening, and well worth the visit if in Marbella.

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    7 years ago

    The pictures speak for itself. Amazing Food! Great to go here when visiting Marbella!

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    Rincon de la Ribera - Live music

    Rincon de la Ribera

    5.0(1 review)
    1.2 km

    Anna, the bartender at Claddagh Irish Pub in Marbella, turned me on to this new Spanish restaurant…read morejust around the corner. She told me that they had good, authentic Andalucian cuisine, excellent wines, and reasonable prices and she was absolutely right! There was what I would call a "Mariachi" group on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant strumming four guitars and singing familiar songs I have heard many times in Mexican restaurants in California and Texas. I was told that they are called "Tunos" in Spain, but these four gentlemen were much more talented than any Mariachi group I have ever heard. The guitars and voices were melodically synchronized, rendering four part harmonies unrivaled by some of the best barber shop quartets I have heard. They performed non-stop from 9:30pm until nearly 11:30pm when I finally left for my room and they were superb. The waiter spoke English reasonably well, suggesting wines, starters, and a main course. Nothing I ordered was on the menu. He first brought me a glass of Tempranillo, a dark, robust Spanish red wine with hints of oak along with a "tortilla". Not the Mexican variety tortilla we expect in stateside restaurants and supermarkets, a tortilla in Spain is an omelette made with eggs and potatoes, resembling a very thick piece of quiche the size of a slice of pie. The tortilla de patatas (€2.50), two slices actually, were light yet savory and delicious. Anna had recommended the Gambas al Pil Pil (€9), an Andalucian specialty with prawns baked in a sauce of olive oil, garlic, and chili peppers accompanied by fresh bread for dipping. The ceramic dish came to me still bubbling with 12 small shrimp, slices of garlic, and a few diced red chili peppers. The fresh sliced baguette easily soaked up the decadent garlic infused oil, raising my cholesterol level by several hundred points. I have to admit that this was one of the best dishes I have had in quite a while. The service was impeccable, attentive and friendly, always there when needed but not suffocating. I had no idea how much the check would be when it arrived and when it did, I was shocked! Just €16.10 (less than $18) for three glasses of wonderful wine, s starter and a main course, while enjoying excellent, traditional Spanish melodies - what more could I ask for? Unfortunately, my wife was unable to accompany me on this trip, but even still, this was one of the most enjoyable, affordable dining experiences I have had in quite a while and I will return before leaving Marbella ... sorry honey! I always hesitate before giving the maximum score to any establishment, but I honestly could not find a fault to deduct even a single "bomb", hence ... CombatCritic Gives Rincon De La Ribera 10 Out Of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better ... It Is "THE BOMB"!

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    Rincon de la Ribera
    Rincon de la Ribera

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    El Asturiano - Pan con tomate.

    El Asturiano

    5.0(2 reviews)
    0.9 km

    One of the definitions of intelligence is the ability to learn from one's past mistake. I was very…read morehappy to display (only just!) some intelligence on my recent trip to Marbella Having been disappointed with my lunch at a restaurant on the main tourist beach promenade, I vowed not to get seduced by any more touristy eateries. That evening, I walked from my hotel to the Old Town and spent half an hour wandering round looking at all the menus. Fortunately, I eschewed the pseudo international food and 20 Euro paellas on offer and walked all the way back to my hotel without a clear plan about what to do for dinner. Well, completely by chance, I discovered this gem of a tapas bar just a few doors from my hotel. The first good sign was that the menu was written completely in Spanish with no foreign translated menus available. Secondly, the busy restaurant was patronisesd exclusively by local Spaniards. Thirdly, as in the best Chinese restaurants, there was a wonderful happy din of people enjoying themselves amidst good company and good food. Although I don't speak much Spanish, fortunately my time spent in tapas restaurants in the UK enabled me to spot some favourite dishes. As is the tradition in Spain, my drink arrived with a complimentary tapas - salami on a piece of baguette. The only downer of the evening was that the only orange juice available was in a bottle where I had found wonderful freshly squeezed orange juice almost ubiquitous throughout the resort My bounty of pulpo a la gallega (octopus in olive and paprika), chuletas de cordero (grilled lamb cutlets) cooked medium rare, bacalao fritos (salt cod fritter), jamon Iberico (wonderful cut to order iberico ham) and chipirones (deep fried squid). A wonderful tasty authentic dinner, sat in front of the telly showing La Liga football. The bill at the end of the evening? 22 Euros. Bargain! This was the authentic taste of the real Spain I was seeking and it was wonderful

    Photos
    El Asturiano - Pulpo (octopus) a la Gallega and oxtail

    Pulpo (octopus) a la Gallega and oxtail

    El Asturiano - Chipirones à la plancha

    Chipirones à la plancha

    El Asturiano - Pulpo a la gallega

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    Pulpo a la gallega

    Restaurante Messina - spanish - Updated May 2026

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