Restaurant Review - El Patio de los Perfumes
Enchanting setting in Old Town El Patio de los Perfumes
Tucked away in the bustling streets of Marbella’s Old Town, El Patio de los Perfumes is one of the Coast’s hidden gems. Winding back from the restaurant’s main bar, where a cool crowd sip cocktails with bistro-style tapas, a candlelit corridor with bowls of fresh oranges, Moroccan red terracotta décor and furniture inspired by the Orient creates an air of escapism.
French windows open onto a beautiful bougainvillea-filled courtyard where music plays from an indoor chill-out lounge which becomes a dining room during winter − complete with log fire and cosy bar, perfect for whiling away a long winter night.
One thing that stands out at El Patio de los Perfumes is the fusion of cultures – a captivating mix of French, Spanish and Oriental décor fused with relaxed Moroccan ambience. Collections of quirky objects scattered throughout the restaurant tell stories about the owners’ travels (they owned a small hotel in Costa Rica beforehand). Of French origin, Vincent and Sophie set to work on a project which now attracts a consistent and varied clientele.
The fusion of cultures and styles is reflected in the menu, which combines the finest Mediterranean cuisine with a classic French touch. We chose two "melt-in-the-mouth starters": grilled foie gras with caramelised apple, and warm goat’s cheese reduced in malagueño wine; followed by salmon fillet papillote with rosemary, tomatoes and mushroom in olive oil from Jaén, and pork fillet with "dark beer" sauce and mashed sweet pumpkins.
It may come with being French, but Vincent knows a thing or two about wine. He treated us to a Vizcarra Crianza 2003 from the Ribera del Duero region – one of the finest wine-growing regions in Spain at the moment. Vincent’s interesting list of French and Spanish wines includes a rare Pingus which, at €1,000 a bottle, we thought we’d save for another time.
A highlight at El Patio de los Perfumes is the twice-weekly "real" flamenco show which we watched and enjoyed over a devilish dessert.
