Restaurant Review - The Orange Tree - Comments

A foodie�s heaven

Poster: Sam Jones 01/10/2007

The Orange Tree has caused quite a stir on the Coast’s culinary grapevine since its arrival in 2003. There’s a feeling of really experiencing Marbella Old Town at The Orange Tree, as the scent of dama de noche drifts through the restaurant − sitting on a cobbled street on a corner of Orange Square.

But it’s not just the enchanting Old Town setting which keeps people returning time and time again: excellent service and exquisite food offer a combination of "creative contemporary cuisine with clean flavours". The small and selective menu changes every six weeks, and is kept interesting with an emphasis on the freshest seasonal produce. Vegetables, herbs and fresh fish are hand-picked at Marbella’s market every day; and the Irish beef fillet is one of the finest you could hope to find. Homemade bread is baked in different flavours such as fennel, red pepper and mustard seed, and served with tapenade and pickled garlic.

On this, my second, visit to the restaurant we tried a tempura of prawns on a pink ginger and Chinese vegetable salad, with mango and sweet chilli dressing; and pan-fried crab cakes, with watermelon salad, lime and coriander dressing − both making perfectly light entrées for what was yet to come. As a main course, I chose anis and honey-glazed duck breast, with nutmeg-scented spinach and beetroot-crushed potato; while our photographer opted for the mouth-watering roasted rack of lamb with sun-dried tomato and mint-crust, served with fondant potato and Mediterranean vegetable gratin.

Dishes at The Orange Tree are wholesome yet modern, creative and perfectly presented. Fine wines flowed throughout the meal and we were treated to a Montana Chardonnay from New Zealand, and a 2004 Pago de los Capellanes from the Ribera del Duero region. Desserts − a melt-in-the-mouth mint-infused strawberry frappe with Russian strawberry mousse; and a fresh pineapple mille-feuille with passion fruit mascarpone, and kiwi sauce − were delicious and, pulling out all the stops, we sampled a selection of cheeses served with Malaga wine-infused apricots and walnuts, as the port made its way around the table. An espresso martini served in martini glass and sprinkled with fresh coffee beans rounded off an extremely enjoyable dining experience.

What also stands The Orange Tree apart from other restaurants is the service and attention to detail (owners Frank and Irene will go to any length to make your evening as enjoyable as possible). The atmosphere is inviting and friendly, and the international staff ensure a welcoming feel. The restaurant does get extremely busy (reservations are highly recommended and New Year’s Eve is already completely booked), but diners can enjoy a pre-dinner drink in the tranquil setting of Zest, the restaurant’s sister bar, while waiting for a table.

The Orange Tree is an all-round restaurant and, open daily from 6.30pm, is also an ideal venue for families and kids. An extremely well-priced early evening menu, served alongside the main menu, offers an interesting sample from the a la carte. Freshly-made soup of the day and delicious vegetarian dishes are also available.

(Breakfast, lunch or light evening meals can be enjoyed at Zest, in the Constitución square.)

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