There is no question that Nikki Beach Marbella is much more than a beach club, it is a true insitution of the Costa del Sol. Since opening in 2003, it has become synonymous with a very special kind of Spanish summer: white Balinese beds spread across the sand, palms framing the Mediterranean and a crowd who know that lunch here can very easily turn into an entire afternoon.
The Nikki Beach formula, born in Miami in 1998 under founders Jack and Lucia Penrod and now found in destinations from Saint-Tropez to Dubai, follows a recognisable blueprint: striking design, ambitious food and fabulous music.
In Marbella, occupying a prime stretch of the Costa del Sol beachfront, it has also developed a character of its own over the years.
A cabana for chilling out and a pool bed with the Mediterranean beyond are two of the most inviting ways to enjoy a day at Nikki Beach Marbella.
A Menu That Crosses Continents
The menu at Nikki Beach Marbella moves happily between the Mediterranean and Asia, with a few other influences appearing along the way. The watermelon and feta salad is a good example. Juicy cubes of watermelon and creamy feta come with lemon and Thai basil sorbet, while a light smokiness adds another layer to the fruit. It is fresh, colourful and exactly the sort of dish you want on a hot day by the sea.
The sea bass tiradito takes things in a different direction. Cured with beetroot and red berries, it is served over sweet potato purée with passion fruit tiger’s milk. Peruvian technique meets Mediterranean produce in a dish that arrives looking almost too pretty to eat. Then comes a tempura roll with sauce and a crunchy crumble, a nod to the Nikkei cooking that features across Nikki Beach’s international menus.
Tagliatelle with prawns brings Italy into the picture: fresh pasta, a rich tomato sauce and a whole prawn taking centre stage. Even the homemade bread gets its own little flourish, with pieces of candied orange baked into the dough. It is a small detail, but one that says a great deal about the kitchen.
Dessert is a classic tiramisu, finished with a delicate chocolate cocoa leaf and presented in a bowl resting on coffee beans. It sums up the Nikki Beach approach rather neatly: taste and presentation are given as much attention as the other.
A Nikki Beach Marbella, the menu sails through the Mediterranean and goes beyond the silk route, with influences from a miriad of cuisines. Here L-R: Watermelon and feta salad, sea bass tiradito and tagliatelle with prawns.
The drinks offering is equally broad, with an extensive wine list alongside a strong selection of signature cocktails. Among them is the Hakuna Matata, made with Bacardí white and reserve rums, Aperol, passion fruit and orgeat. It is worth mentioning that 20 percent of the profits from it go to Orphan’s Dreams, supporting vulnerable children in Kenya.
Service That Makes You Stay Longer
The service deserves a mention of its own. The team is attentive without hovering, and the meal unfolds at a relaxed pace. Clearly, they want you to enjoy, to stay for as long as you please. Recommendations come directly from the chef, there is no rush between courses and you feel looked after without constantly being reminded that you are being looked after.
Perhaps that is the real luxury of Nikki Beach Marbella. The setting certainly helps, as does the food, but it is the way everything comes together that makes the experience so special: the service, the music, the midday light bouncing off the Mediterranean and the inevitable temptation to order one more drink and stay a little longer.
More information and reservations, HERE.
Author: Lina Ress
Other luxury beach clubs recently reviewed by I-M Inquisitive Minds, include Dolce&Gabbana DG Resort at Hotel Cala di Volpe, Ocean Club Marbella, and Sirene by Gaia Dubai.
Lead image: composite from photography supplied by Nikki Beach Hospitality Group. All other images courtesy of Nikki Beach Hospitality Group.
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