On a golden stretch of Elviria beach, the chiringuito Tony’s that first opened in 1995 has been rebuilt into something more culinary, more contemporary, Tony’s Beach Marbella. Yet the pleasures of the experience are as timeless as ever; a table by the sea, fish off the morning lonja, and the best beach views in town. Yet now, the kitchen is led by Chef Ivo Wakar, and he brings a talent and creativity that is transforming this much loved destination into a sought-after beach restaurant.
The original was built on the beach, closer to the water’s edge and, in time, became a popular chiringuito. The next generation has taken it over and, in spring 2025, it was completely rebuilt.
New Restaurant
What stands now is a triple-height pavilion of wood and glass, easily reached along the Sendero Litoral board walk, with the protected dunes alongside. You arrive at the upper level, where there’s a bar, a panoramic hatch opening onto Ivo Wakar’s kitchen, and beside it a counter displays the day’s catch on ice.
The tables step down from there, so no diner loses the view. The tables themselves are bespoke; wood topped with tile or built from cement resin. Out on the terrace, smaller ones for two and three sit under crocheted parasols. It is a good place for a drink.
Cocina de tierra, alma de mar
We started our summery beachside lunch with cocktails: a Negroni with a dried wheel of orange and a decorative marigold bloom and a paloma dressed with dried flowers, and a palm frond. They were well-made and generous.
Wakar trained at the Basque Culinary Center. His philosophy is cocina de tierra, alma de mar, food of the land, soul of the sea. He is Spanish, though his family is Persian, and that thread reflects in the seasoning more than the menu suggests. For example, the grilled avocados arrived dressed with pistachio and sumac and a dusting of aubergine ash.
The artisan bread came with Casa del Águila, an early-harvest extra virgin olive oil from a house dating back to 1756, with distinctive grassy and peppery notes.
The cheese course included Payoyo from Cadiz, and Savel, the Galician cow ‘s-milk blue cheese that has been awarded Spain’s best cheese, served with Ivo’s own charred aubergine marmalade. Prawns came four ways, raw white ones alongside a selection of grilled red and scarlet prawns, with a delicious smoked-cod mayonnaise.
The main dish was cabracho, rockfish cooked whole over embers and carved at the table into two generous, meaty fillets, one from each side, dressed with finely sliced garlic and green chili. On the table for sharing were six small pans, with roasted peppers and onions, thin fried potatoes, sweet potato, mashed potato, romesco, and a Mediterranean tumble of pine nuts and raisins in a light dressing.
From the desserts menu we chose the flan, probably the most ordinary of Spanish puddings, but here it is rich and crowned with a spoonful of caviar, a buttery, faint taste of the sea, the perfect foil to the creamy vanilla beneath. The flourless chocolate torte was served with toast and a drizzle of oil, a grown-up, nostalgic echo of the pan con chocolate Spanish children grow up on.
New Menu
This elevated kitchen means that the chiringuito pricing has gone. Carabineros are from €25 per 100g, lobster well beyond, and Wakar’s ten-course tasting menu is €95. But the location and vibe are superb, equally matching the quality of the kitchen. Go on a Monday or Saturday, and there is live music. Throughout the year, Tony’s Beach Marbella runs seasonal events, the most recent a bluefin ronqueo.
The Luxury Editor attended as a guest of Tony’s Beach Marbella.
