Occidental Puerto Banús in Marbella has begun the summer season with a fully remodelled terrace, ideal for an authentic Mediterranean dining experience in Puerto Banús. 

The hotel celebrated the reopening of its restaurant, Arrozante Marbella, on Thursday, July 3 with a party attended by over 150 guests, including clients, collaborators, strategic partners, media, and local institutions.

Guests enjoyed a sneak peak of the restaurant’s new menu, featuring tapas such as gildas, shrimp salad, and fried fish. The evening’s highlight was the live preparation of rice dishes by chef Eloy Ridao, joined by Edu Torres from the fifth generation of the Molino Roca family, known for their expertise in rice cultivation.

Arrozante Marbella with “Spain’s most expensive rice”

Attendees tasted what Edu Torres called “Spain’s most expensive rice,” featuring king crab, carabinero shrimp, and caviar, along with a rice dish with chuletón from the native Cazurra cow, a breed from northern Spain. The premium beef is matured using a unique vacuum process that incorporates mycology, improving the meat’s flavour and texture to a remarkable level.

The evening featured locally sourced, high-quality products from Mazzocco Gourmet, paired with Ramón Bilbao’s new white, rosé, and garnacha wines, which will complement Arrozante Marbella’s menu of over 20 rice and fideuá varieties throughout the season.

Arrozante Marbella is introducing ‘Las Noches de Arrozante,’ extending its usual lunch hours (Wednesday to Sunday) to include dinner service with live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Aiming to challenge the idea that rice is not for evening meals, these nights will offer guests and non-hotel visitors a selection of signature paellas, rice dishes, tapas, fish, seafood, and premium meats in a lively atmosphere.

Award-winning rice dishes at Arrozante Marbella

The restaurant benefits from the expertise of Carlos Otaola, one of Spain’s most acclaimed rice masters, whose restaurant has earned multiple national and international awards. Arrozante Marbella uses exceptional ingredients, including the exclusive “Dinamita” rice from Valencia’s Albufera, awarded the “Espiga de Oro.”

Arrozante, a unique gastronomic concept by Barceló Hotel Group focusing on signature rice dishes and paellas, is featured in twelve of the group’s properties across Spain, including Andalusia (Almería, Cádiz, Granada, Huelva, Málaga, and Seville), Madrid, Murcia, and Tenerife.

As well, Occidental Puerto Banús offers two hours of free parking for restaurant guests and a day pass option for visitors to enjoy the hotel’s pool during the morning or afternoon.

Occidental Puerto Banús is in Avenida Rotary Internacional, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Web: www.barcelo.com.

The Casa de Las Tejerinas, in central Estepona, opens its doors to a unique art exhibition by Turkish artist Tijen Ercen.

Titled A Celebration of Sustainability and Creativity, the watercolour showcase in Sala 2 will run until July 16 with free admission. Visitors can explore the display Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm.

The exhibition features seventeen large-scale watercolour pieces, each beautifully painted with a distinctive approach where art and environmental consciousness meet. Ercen, who left Turkey in 1977 to settle in Germany and built a 40-year career in the pharmaceutical industry before embracing her artistic passion in retirement. Her creative journey has always been influenced by modelling, fashion, design, and a deep fascination for colour, now being channelled into works of art.

Ercen’s process is as unique as her vision. She repurposes used coffee capsules and antique frames and then fills them with coloured epoxy resin while preserving their dents and other imperfections. “I don’t repair, polish, or paint them,” she explains. “Some frames I choose have damage to their original shape, style, or colour.” This approach not only makes sure each piece is one of a kind but also shows her commitment to recycling.

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Benalmadena Council has taken a giant step toward improving the aesthetic image and organisation of the town’s shopping areas with new measures on terraces, street furniture, facades, and establishments.

The initiative focuses on standardising the appearance of terraces and commercial spaces, particularly in Benalmadena Pueblo, to create a cohesive, ordered and inviting environment. “We are working alongside businesses and associations to create an attractive and orderly commercial setting that encourages people to enjoy and shop in the town,” said Raúl Campos, the Councillor for Commerce.

Main new rules include the standardisation of awnings and partition screens. Awnings must, from now on, be grey with aluminium frames, featuring only the establishment’s name in black, with no commercial branding allowed. Side partitions will consist of wrought iron bases and glass at the top, with the option to display the establishment’s name in vinyl or screen-printed lettering.

The council also approved measures to standardise fruit, vegetable, and produce displays for businesses with authorised public space usage across the town. Similar measures have been in place for some time in Mijas Pueblo. These displays must harmonise with the building’s facade and be elevated to comply with health and safety regulations.

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