Saltao de Mar, a new restaurant from Madrid’s Azotea Grupo, has opened at El Lago Club in the Benahavís hills above Marbella. It brings contemporary Peruvian cooking with a Mediterranean accent from one of Spain’s recognised culinary families.
The kitchen is led by father and daughter Víctor and Paula Gutiérrez, the family behind Tayta in Salamanca, the only Peruvian restaurant in Spain to hold a Michelin star, along with two Repsol Suns. In addition to Víctor’s star, and Paula was recently named Spain’s Best Chef of 2026. At Saltao de Mar they read Peruvian tradition through a Mediterranean lens, across ceviches, precise crudos, hot bites for sharing and fish from the grill.
The Menu
Early signatures include a corvina tiradito with avocado tiger’s milk and jalapeño, an ají de gallina croquette with turmeric mayonnaise, anticucho-style chicken skewers with purple potato, scallops in a coconut, fennel and mint emulsion, smoked and caramelised eel nigiri, and the house namesake, the Lomo Saltao.
Saltao de Mar is the first Marbella venture from Azotea Grupo, the group behind singular spaces such as the Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes and El Campero. It is designed for the full arc of the day, from breakfast through lunches by the water to cocktail afternoons. The design is a minimalist, lake-facing dining room, and lounge areas that cover a sun-splashed terrace. Pisco sits at the centre of the bar, from a welcome Momento Pisco to a cocktail list built entirely around the Peruvian spirit.
The Setting
The location is a story in itself. El Lago Club is the new wellness, sport and lifestyle club at Real de la Quinta, the resort development in the Benahavís hills with views of the sea, the Istán lake and La Concha. The club is arranged around a large lake ringed by a walking, running, and cycling route, with a roof garden that runs the length of the building. The facilities reach well beyond the restaurant. There is a Le Max wellness centre, the exclusive Madrid brand’s first move south with just 450 memberships, a 25-metre indoor pool with lake views, a spa with hydrotherapy circuit, jacuzzi, cryotherapy pool, sauna and hammam, a natural-sand lake beach, a six-hole executive golf course, tennis and padel courts, a children’s area, and non-motorised water sports on the lake, from kayaks to paddle surf and water bikes.
For a coast rarely short of culinary openings, this is a notable one. A new setting, a wellness destination taking shape in the Benahavís hills, and a kitchen with real culinary heritage bringing sophisticated Peruvian cuisine.
Saltao de Mar is open daily from breakfast onwards, with an average spend of around 50 to 60 euros. We look publish a full review later in the season.
Contact Details
Website: www.realdelaquinta.com
Address: Av. Real de la Quinta, 29678 Benahavís, Málaga, Spain
