The Gold Standard
Anyone fortunate enough to have visited the 5 star Kempinski Hotel Bahía in Estepona will testify to the quality of the food. The breakfast buffet alone is worth staying the night for.
A team of in house chefs preparing perfect fluffy pancakes and every form of omelette imaginable for guests to pair with exotic fruit and oven baked breads with pots of fresh coffee. A great start to any day.
The Hotels main restaurant Baltazar Bar & Grill with its urban take on the traditional romantic bodega has proved equally delightful on many a memorable visit, so I was extremely excited to receive an invite to sample the offering at the resorts Spiler Beach Club. Some pre-lunch research had indicated an open fire Argentinian grill, Gillardeau oysters and a tuna bar, bring it on!
On this occasion we were delighted to be joined by the hotels marketing manager Justine Haughey who walked us through the extensive menu and ordered an assortment of new and established dishes to try… Creamy Burrata arrived accompanied by perfectly ripened tomatoes drizzled with a truffle dressing along with Goan Monkfish skewers served with buckwheat tabbouleh and topped with Kashmiri masala gravy.
Having sampled more than my fair share of edible decorations over the years I thought I had seen them all but no … move over pansies and violets its time for gold leaf! Diced king scallops, sriracha tapioca, avocado and basil cress were the ingredients for this visual delight.
Our review team of creative director, editor and photographer began to uneasily test the acceptable alcohol boundaries when dining with a client. A steady stream of delicious cocktails doing little to help the cause! To the main event…Tuna and Teriyaki paella with katsuobushi and a delicately spiced mayonnaise, served at the table with an accompanying wine recommended by our sommelier, seemed wrong to accept but rude to say no, right! Trying hard (and likely failing) not to slur, we concluded this wonderful spring afternoon with fried cheese dumplings dressed with forest fruits and cream, a seasonal fruit platter and an oversized brandy glass half full of iced Pacharan aiding our digestion but doing little to help us eventually exit the restaurant in a straight line.
Open to hotel guests and non-residents, add this to your list of “must trys” for this season. You won’t regret it
Kempinski Hotel Bahia in Estepona
Autovia del Mediterraneo A-7, km 1066, Estepona | +34 952 809 500 | www.kempinski.com