Living on the costa

the prestigious Michelin food guide updates every year a list of restaurants that it recommends visiting, and that last June incorporated new culinary offers with the flavors of Asian, Mexican or local cuisines to taste in the town of Marbella with the addition of Thaissence, Mantarraya and Areia.

The list is made up of a total of 16 local restaurants, many of which already hold the Michelin star, as is the case with Nintai, The Lake or Messina, wearing a red guide award, or Skina, which has two badges.

The Incorporation of new establishments to the Michelin recommended restaurant guide is a incentive to achieve a recognized star in the world of gastronomy, which is a plus of quality when sitting at the table.

The Thaisence restaurantlocated in the old town of Marbella, received official confirmation from the Michelin guide at the end of May with only 9 months of opening, according to the CEO of the La Ciudadela group, Miguel Cerván, who has indicated that he does not know the reasons that the inspectors have assessed, but pointed to “the whole experience.”

“We understand that they have valued the quality of our gastronomic proposalas well as the careful decoration of the space and, of course, the wonderful care provided by our room team”, highlighted the company representative, who stated that being part of the guide represents “great pride and recognition of the hard work carried out by the entire team during these months, but also a great responsibility that we accept with modesty”.

The culinary offer of the restaurant is based on “a traveling cuisine in which the influences of Thai cuisine are enriched by the Peruvian, but with a common element such as the product from Malaga, local and zero kilometer, which enriches the proposals”. The most popular dishes this month have been a salmorejo for 9.5 euros, a tuna ceviche for 24, Thaissence mussels for 18, a bluefin tuna sweat for 26 euros or black cod and green tea for 28, among others.

Another of the restaurants that Michelin has added to its list of recommendations in the June update is Manta Ray MX, specialized in Mexican cuisine and located in the heart of Marbella’s Golden Mile. The establishment is presented as “the landing of chef Roberto Ruiz in Marbellaa journey through the almost 8,000 kilometers of the Mexican Pacific coast that results in a light cuisine, easy to understand and very enjoyable, where techniques as particular as shaken or carved fish have a place, ”they have pointed out.

The climate of Marbella and the proximity of the sea inject the restaurant’s menu and encourage that “ceviches, fish and seafood take on a special role” and are complemented with “cocktails designed to accompany the humidity of the environment with formulas based on mezcal and their own chipotle chili liqueurSmoke, which complete a selection inspired by the paradisiacal beaches of the Pacific”.

Thus, they highlight dishes that can be tasted for less than 50 euros such as a guacamole with scallops and jalapeño pepper emulsion for 19 euros, a taco of carabinero a la diabla with enchipotlada sauce, guacamole and pico de gallo for 25 or grilled marrow with toasted red tuna toast and emulsion of serrano peppers for 39.40 euros.

The areia restaurant completes the list of Michelin recommendations, located in the urban area of ​​the city and specialized in “seasonal products”, offering “an average ticket of “70 euros”, according to its owner, Carlos García.

The hotelier has alluded to the “illusion” that has generated the inclusion in the list of Michelin recommendations, which “gives me the strength to continue working hard” after opening last January. The culinary offer is made up of recipes made with “few ingredients to add value to the product” fresh and seasonal, highlighting specialties such as a courgette flower stuffed with payoyo cheese, Iberian veluté and tomato tartar; a tuna tartare with pistachio soup; a beef shank with mashed potatoes and its own juice, or Rossini sirloin with Perigourdine sauce.

The “careful service” of the restaurant or a “seasonal cuisine” are the aspects that the restaurateur has emphasized, with “fresh products” that make “the menu change every season of the year”.