Eva Estepona – Review

Eva Estepona has opened on Playa del Cristo as a Greek-Mediterranean beach-club restaurant with an elevated pool terrace, sea views to Gibraltar and North Africa, and sunset cocktails. By day it’s a mellow pool club with loungers, an infinity pool, a light menu and low-key DJ sets. Then sunset sips lead into terrace dinners by executive chef Alejandro Rivera, or dine inside, choosing from the signature seafood ice counter.

After a long build-up, Eva Estepona has now opened with a gentler style. The high-octane beach club and dinner show once hinted at has given way to a warm, welcoming and mellow destination for lazy pool days and dinners overlooking the Mediterranean. At the heart of it is a Greek-Mediterranean restaurant that spills out to the pool club and a handsome terrace, all moving to an easy rhythm that suits this corner of the western Costa del Sol, writes Andrew Forbes (The Luxury Editor).

Mediterranean Days

The elevated dining and pool deck looks straight over Playa del Cristo, with views of Gibraltar and, on clear days, the outline of the mountains of North Africa. Olive trees ring an infinity pool. Loungers and day beds face the water. You hear the slip of the tide below and a low DJ line that keeps the afternoon moving without tipping it too much into party mode.

Days here stretch nicely: a refreshing dip, a leisurely read, something light to eat, then maybe another swim. The menu embraces the Mediterranean, with mezze to dip into, crisp salads, grilled seafood and locally prized vegetables.

Sunset Sips

From 17.00 to 20.00 the terrace celebrates with sunset sips. Two cocktails for €25 is the standing offer, which draws an after-beach and after-work crowd as the light softens over the bay. The drinks list plays with the Greek pantheon and a touch of theatre. Ares blends rum, Campari, banana and coffee, rich and cold over ice. Aphrodite mixes berry vodka with coconut and mango. Both arrive crowned with a citrus bubble that pops as you lift the glass. Dionysus blends Aperol, strawberry and chardonnay with a cheeky hint of bubble-gum.

Dining with a Greek Accent

Dinner shifts the tone, with a Greek-leaning menu, with dishes created by Executive Brand Chef Serghey Yurchysyn, and artfully prepared in the kitchen of Chef Alejandro Rivera, using Andalusian produce from local organic kitchen gardens and Estepona fishermen. The centre of the room holds an ice counter set around a twisted olive tree, displaying the day’s fish and shellfish. Choose your catch and the kitchen will grill or bake it to your liking.

We started with mezze: tzatziki, baba ganoush, warm flatbreads and a few hot bites for the table. The kitchen keeps a clear line on quality. Every dish uses richly flavoured ingredients, and there are daily specials chalked up once the boats come in. The Greek salad arrives in a broken amphora-style dish that looks theatrical but earns its keep by keeping tomatoes and feta cool. Those local Coín tomatoes were exceptional.

The moussaka with artichoke comes in a hot copper dish, its layers of roasted aubergine, artichoke, potato and stewed beef sweetened by the freshest tomatoes. I chose the entrecôte, sold by the 100 g. Even at 400 g the smallest portion felt generous, well marbled and full of flavour.

To finish we shared the millefeuille, which returns to that amphora idea for dessert and lands with good balance. The wine list covers Greece and Spain with confidence.

The new Estepona Experience

The design ties it all together. International studio Yodezeen has gone for clean lines and warmth rather than theme park pastiche. White walls and handmade mosaics catch the light. Natural stone grounds the space. Inside, rustic lampshades cast a soft glow across crisp linen. The dining room rises to double height, an olive tree at its heart ringed by the ice market. It feels calm at lunch and quietly dramatic at night when the terrace fills, the spotlights come on and the sea turns dark blue. The main restaurant takes around 120 covers, the sea-view terrace closer to 170, with an intimate upstairs room for smaller groups.

This is a beachside restaurant with a pool club that values detail. Day beds are bookable, and there are three private areas for events. Prices sit on the higher side for Estepona, in line with the setting and the level of the guest experience.

Eva’s long delay has led to a better fit for this stretch of coast. Estepona gains a grown-up pool terrace and a Greek-Mediterranean restaurant that understands its place. Softer edges, sharper flavours and a view that commands your attention far more than any dinner show could.