Cà Maréin opens in Marbella: the new Italian restaurant on the Golden Mile

Marbella’s Golden Mile has a new restaurant by the Mediterranean. Cà Maréin has opened its doors at Coral Beach with a concept that combines Italian cuisine, Spanish produce and a dining experience designed to flow naturally from lunch into the evening, just steps from the sand.

The project is backed by Fortune Family Group, the UK-based hospitality group behind Lita, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Marylebone, London. The kitchen at Cà Maréin is led by chef Emanuele Pollini, who brings his own interpretation of coastal Italian cooking to Marbella.

The result is a 200-seat restaurant with several terraces, bars spread throughout the venue and direct access to a private beach area.

A restaurant designed for an entire day by the sea

Cà Maréin is not intended to be just somewhere to stop for lunch or dinner.

Its layout connects the restaurant with the promenade and the beach through a series of spaces designed to create different atmospheres throughout the day.

Two open-air terraces extend towards the sunbeds and the Mediterranean, while a third glazed terrace can remain fully open during the day and be enclosed later in the evening or when the weather changes.

The idea is simple: start with coffee, spend time on the beach, sit down for lunch, enjoy an aperitivo and stay for dinner without leaving the same destination.

Italian cooking with Mediterranean produce

The food is firmly rooted in Italy, but the concept has been adapted to its Marbella setting rather than simply transplanted from elsewhere.

Pollini was born in Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, and began his career on Italy’s Adriatic coast, where the availability of fish was shaped by the season, the weather and the daily catch. That early relationship with the sea still plays an important role in the menu at Cà Maréin.

Fish, seafood, vegetables, meat and seasonal produce form the basis of a menu that combines Italian techniques with ingredients sourced from Spain.

Fish and seafood take centre stage. The catch of the day is displayed at the restaurant’s fish counter and can be served raw, lightly dressed, cooked over charcoal or prepared according to recipes from different coastal regions of Italy.

The menu also includes fresh handmade pasta, pizza, meat and seasonal vegetables.

From sea bass carpaccio to scorpionfish lasagne

The menu combines familiar Italian classics with dishes that make the most of local and Spanish ingredients.

Among the antipasti is sea bass carpaccio with Oro di Cabras bottarga, alongside classics such as Vitello Tonnato and Fritto Misto.

The primi include homemade scorpionfish lasagne and potato gnocchi with red prawns, Datterini tomatoes, prawn bisque and basil.

Seafood continues into the main courses with dishes such as sea bream all’Acqua Pazza, a traditional southern Italian preparation, and grilled sea bass with salmoriglio, the Sicilian-style herb and citrus dressing.

Spanish ingredients also feature throughout the menu. Galician beef is served in an interpretation of Filetto al Pepe Verde, while one of the pizzas combines cured ox beef, Fior di Latte di Agerola and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Cocktails and a wine list focused on Spain and Italy

The drinks menu has been designed around long, relaxed days beside the sea.

Classic Italian aperitifs such as the Negroni and Americano appear alongside house cocktails using fruit, herbs and spices.

Highlights include the Melon Spritz, made with gin, Martini Bianco, St-Germain, melon and lemon verbena; the Tonka Sbagliato, combining vermouth, Aperol, Campari, Prosecco, cherry and tonka bean; and the Padrón Margarita, with tequila, mezcal, mango, grapefruit and jalapeño.

The wine list places particular emphasis on Spain and Italy, with additional selections from France and a broad range of champagne. Albariño, Andalusian whites, Barolo, Burgundy and Provençal rosé sit alongside sherry, dessert wines and Italian digestifs.

A design shaped by Italy, Andalusia and the Mediterranean

The seafront location also plays a major role in the restaurant’s interior design.

Rather than recreating a traditional Italian restaurant, Cà Maréin uses warm sand-coloured stone, natural wood, woven rattan, linen and neutral fabrics to connect the space with Marbella’s coastal setting.

Fabric-lined ceilings and pergolas soften the sunlight, while open areas keep the restaurant closely connected to the sea breeze and beach.

A private dining room for eight to ten guests has also been created behind the wine cellar for those looking for a more intimate experience.

A new addition to Marbella’s Golden Mile dining scene

The arrival of Cà Maréin adds another high-profile opening to the restaurant scene on Marbella’s Golden Mile.

Italian cooking, seafood from the daily catch, Spanish produce, seafront terraces and direct beach access come together in a venue designed to move at the same relaxed pace as a day beside the Mediterranean.

Cà Maréin is now open at Coral Beach and is set to become one of Marbella’s new restaurants to discover this season.