La Tienda and Casa Curro, small gems in Marbella Old Town

Heading into Marbella Old Town is always a treat. It feels like you’ve been transported to a another world. The little winding streets, full of interesting shops and different bars. The beautiful hanging flowers, it’s as if you’re in somewhere completely different from the coast only 10 minutes walk away. Tucked down one of the smallest lanes sits La Tienda and Casa Curro, 2 small restaurants part of the same group that serve incredible modern Spanish cuisine with a few twists.

Small plates, sharers and favourite dishes

We started off with a very interested dish like nothing I had seen before. Fresh prawns in a bowl of ice with cava and limes. You tweezer out the prawn from the water, peel and eat. With an interesting extra coating of fish eggs, this is a real experience and unique taste. Next up came the scallop cured in tiger milk with coriander oil, a small but delicious smack of flavour with a soft consistency that just melted in your mouth. From then on we shared the tuna tartare with green pepper salad, another tuna tartar served on a shiso leaf, and the roasted artichoke flower, beautifully decorated with a cream sauce and some fried ham and parmesan to give it a salty punch. For the meaty main the sliced beef tenderloin arrived cooked perfectly rare with roasted pepper, Spanish sauce, mashed potatoes and a bowl of crispy hand made fries. All washed down with a delectable bottle of red, crisps house white and finished off with a hot, oozy chocolate fondant and ice cream.

The service is quick and efficient and friendly. They know what they’re talking about. The staff are knowledgeable about their wines, their food and they know that it’s all good.

Two restaurants with different strengths

The two different restaurants sit across the road from each other, both busy and bustling. Casa Curro is more meat-based and has a shop selling their own products. La Tienda is more fish, sushi and has a semi private dining area on offer. It’s not a cheap night out, it’s definitely one for a treat, with the sharing plates at around €40 and the other dishes at €11 each for small tasters, it really is somewhere to go for a celebration.

Ambiance, seating and overall experience

The tables and decor are perfectly fitting with the vibe. Dark moody woods and exposed brick. Huge, beautiful wine glasses with scarily thin stems, table wear rustic with tasteful pops of colour. You can sit at high tables on bar stools dotted around the edge of the restaurant or at the sit up bar to watch the action of the food is being prepared.

Queues of people at the door explains why they have the have a two-hour time limit on your table. It’s more than enough to enjoy the food before heading into the old town for a mooch, shop or drinks elsewhere.

All in all it’s a the perfect spot for a delicious meal in stunning surroundings.

La Tienda and Casa Curro are open everyday from 13:30pm to 12am, located at C. Pantaleon, 5, 29601, Marbella. For bookings visit the website or call 951127251