As soon as you enter the Boho Club domain it is clear that this is a special place: even in terms of the Marbella Golden Mile.
The resort occupies the old Swedish Forestry Center, a kind of colonies that functioned as a place of retirement for high officials of the Swedish Government. The resort owners, Quartier Propertiesalso Swedish, acquired the farm from their government and, although they have completely renovated the rooms, the place still has a certain camp-like air, albeit full of love and luxury.
But beyond the pleasantness of the place, what attracts non-residents to the Boho Club, which opened its doors just before the pandemic broke out, is its gastronomy. His kitchen, directed by the chef from Malaga Diego del Rio, which achieved the Michelin star for El Lago, is served non-stop from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and has a very varied offer. It is not uncommon to see a couple having eggs Benedict at the same time, a group of friends drinking champagne and some executives eating the tasting menu, which is also served all day (except Fridays and Saturdays).
On the menu, but especially on the menu, Del Río wanted to capture a cuisine with cosmopolitan touches, but in a local character marking. A difficult balance in which to be faithful to its essence, but trying not to scare off a majority foreign clientele.
“Our clientele is very, very diverse,” acknowledges the chef. “There are those who come and open up, they understand, they want to try something from here. And then we have the type of client that costs more, he is more conservative and does not leave the jack, knight and king. You have to make a kitchen that appeals to those who are looking to eat well, to those who don’t care, to those who are more gourmet… It’s like a relationship of a marriage. We get to know each other, there are times we fight, other times we are fine, until we reach an agreement”.
Despite this tug-of-war, Del Río has not given up putting local delicacies on the menu. There is Malaga goat, an animal that no Swede even imagines can be eaten, and that the chef nails in one of the best dishes on the menu. There is Estepona octopus, where one of the largest fishing grounds for the cephalopod in Spain is found. And there is, of course, a lot of orchard, present throughout the entire menu through very well-crafted soups, stocks and sauces.
The most difficult thing for the cook has been having to sometimes give up treating the fish the way he likes it, but if you come to eat, count on finding them in the perfect point. On our visit we ate an unbeatable red mullet, accompanied by onion soup, ginger purée and payoyo cheese cream.
“Our culture is tasty, juicy fish”, explains the cook. “And the foreigner, no. He doesn’t understand the low point of the fish. He wants it past. He always has the meat if they ask for it to the point I add one more and the same with the fish. As they see it at the point, pearlescent, brilliant, they throw it at you”.
A reference to eat well
With this wide sleeve, Del Río has achieved something unthinkable, and that is that a resort be a reference for eat well for both foreigners and locals.
Its tasting menu of ten passes, at 85 euros, is of a level typical of a veteran chef who already knows what it is to have a Michelin star. And considering the place where it is served, it is even cheap. The bills come out because there are many customers willing to leave a fortune in their bulky cellar, managed by the sommelier Richard Mena. And because, in addition, the restaurant is full.
“In Marbella we have many venues of this magnitude and the show or spectacle always prevail much more than the cuisine, the detail, the service”, explains Del Río. “Here from minute one the kitchen has prevailed. In summer we can give the best 250 or 230 places”.
The cook explains, however, that in general the level is improving a lot gastronomy of Marbella. In part because with the rise of telecommuting there is an increasing number of regular customers, who repeat in the restaurants where they eat better.
“Since April 2020, the number of people who come here to Malaga with teleworking is brutal, because we also have good connections to the international airport and you get to Germany, Sweden or Norway in three hours at once”, explains Del Río. “The population is increasing, because they come here to work from home and maybe once a month because they have to go to their office to report.”
And all this means that, little by little, the foreign public appreciates the goodness of the local gastronomy. “In the beginning they asked me for butter but at close range and today it’s the other way around, we’ve turned the tables and they want oil,” concludes Del Río.
What to ask for: the very long tasting menu is the best option to get to know Del Río’s cuisine, but many of its dishes are also offered on the menu. The goat and red mullet are essential, but it is best to be advised with whatever is in season.
practical data
Where: Urb. Lomas de Río Verde, 144. Marbella (Malaga)
Half price: €85 menu. Wines from €32/bottle.
Bookings: 952157222 and on their website.
Schedules: It is open daily, but the tasting menu is not served on Fridays or Saturdays.
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