Restaurante Messina is Marbella’s Michelin star vacation spot restaurant, led by husband-and-wife workforce Chef Mauricio Giovanni and Maitre d’/sommelier Pia Ninci. Uncover with us the Messina ’24 tasting menu, a case examine of ‘much less is extra’, the place every beautiful plate is a restrained, minimalist creation, the place solely a small variety of distinctive substances are wanted to ship an abundance of charming flavours.
Pia Ninci and Mauricio Giovanni absolutely took a chance after they left their charming, bijou Messina restaurant in Marbella’s previous city after simply two years to open the strikingly new, and far bigger premises in 2005. But it has paid off, and the restaurant has held a Michelin star since 2016 and has been instrumental in elevating the bar of wonderful eating within the metropolis.
Bijou Beginnings
Messina initially opened in 2003. It was the place I first met this pioneering younger couple, bringing subtle eating to Marbella’s previous city. The restaurant’s title is evocative of Mauricio’s grandparents’ love story. Initially each from Messina in Sicily, they emigrated along with their households to Argentina through the First World Battle. They by no means knew one another in Sicily, however by likelihood they moved to the identical metropolis and neighbourhood in Cordoba, Argentina, the place they each grew up, met, and fell in love.
New Look
We’ve got returned to Messina to devour the subsequent chapter within the enthralling story of this restaurant. 2024 sees a brand new Messina, with the eating space utterly remodelled, whereas upstairs a very new house has been created, ‘insIDe’, which is the non-public eating space of Messina, in addition to a culinary working house for Chef Mauricio, the place he can experiment and create.
Downstairs the brand new eating room is an ideal oasis of calm and elegance – a cool and refreshing place for summer season eating. The tall walled and windowed modern house embraces you with a heat welcome. Every element is taken into account and curated, from the to beautiful ceramics and tableware, to the handcrafted window blinds with a design that may be a visible metaphor for the restaurant’s DNA that encompasses their kitchen workforce, the Entrance-of-Home workforce, Messina purchasers, suppliers, and the exception produce used.
A refined inexperienced attire the woodwork, contrasting with the uncomplicated concrete pillars and the simplicity but sophistication of the sensible white tablecloths. The signature Messina minimalism stays, but it feels hotter, and much more welcoming. A string of incandescent mild bulbs hangs over the brand new Chef’s Desk, the place diners can get pleasure from front-row seats to the brand new open kitchen the place Chef Mauricio and his workforce work their magic with virtually meditative calm, whereas Pia, front-of-house supervisor, Maitre d’, welcomes company with pure heat, earlier than displaying her abilities as sommelier and mixologist.
The Chef’s Desk is an innovation, defined Chef Mauricio. He tells me, ‘I’m fairly shy, however with the renovation of Messina I made a decision to take a step ahead. That’s why I made a decision to create an open kitchen and the brand new chef’s desk in order that I might be extra involved with our prospects in a extra pure method, not simply going out to greet them. The chef’s desk is a really private house the place I can work together with company, the place we get to know one another higher, and I can share with them among the secrets and techniques of our preparations and strategies. I need to say I’m actually having fun with it!’
The brand new design is one thing that’s motivated by company. ‘We frequently need to enhance for our prospects,’ Pia tells me. She continues, ‘We love what we do, and we actually get pleasure from it when folks have an immersive expertise in our restaurant, and we imagine that this redesigned house will elevate and full our buyer’s expertise.’
Messina Menu ’24
The brand new Messina Menu ’24 is a delight. From the second you devour the tasty pigeon tapas and the pre-starter morsels together with pine nut pesto with Atlantic mackerel, and an ingenious Andalusian almond paste, you already know you’re in for a unprecedented expertise. The champagne of selection is Veuve Clicquot Additional Brut Additional Previous, a exceptional mix of their Maison’s oldest vintages.
That is actually wonderful eating, however Mauricio and Pia have stayed true to their roots after they first opened Messina again in 2003. The Michelin star hasn’t modified their need to make nice meals approachable and actually pleasurable. Pia tells me, ‘High quality eating nonetheless (fortunately) stands for excellence, however having a well mannered, skilled service doesn’t imply you aren’t shut and pleasant to diners. Our company turn out to be associates and are a part of the success of Messina.’
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Our meal began with signature cocktails, expertly combined by Mia – mine a up to date tackle a Bare and Well-known and my eating associate had a Messina Negroni. Each are ready and served with finesse. Service flows in a refined, measured, and environment friendly method, making a relaxed setting for our feast of 10 beautiful plates, the place painstakingly ready reductions, sauces and emulsions add a punch of unpolluted flavour to every dish.
We started with marinated prawn with a blue cheese mousse – a light-weight and refined dish. That is adopted by scallops with a lamb aspic, a transparent inventory that’s reworked from strong to liquid on the desk by the elegant servers wielding culinary torches. It’s a bit of second of theatre on this oasis of calm. The flavours are extraordinary.
The squid ‘gazpachuelo’ is a homage to an area recipe, however right here elevated to a refined, balanced dish of fish with its roe. Extra seafood follows, with the Norway lobster with mushrooms, served with shavings of truffle, ready on the desk. One other shock was the Rubber-lip grunt, a fish I don’t typically see on menus right here, however a delight, once more served with a flavoursome inventory, which had a contact of sweetness that married fantastically with the parsnip Vichyssoise.
Two meat plates embrace sweetbreads with grilled leak, and chargrilled Picanha, with an intense seared crust. There have been two desserts, together with a exceptional purple apple strudel ice cream that’s ingeniously ready to look like a pastry. Elevated additional accompanied by a glass of Valveran gourmand cider.
The petit fours are handmade goodies, ready by the pastry chef. You can also make your choice from a group of classic chocolate packing containers.
Style and aesthetic
Every dish is a visible delight too, and I ask Pia concerning the affect of social media on the eating expertise. Pia explains that ‘Because of social media, wonderful eating is extra accessible, and folks can see dishes and get to know many nice cooks. Usually our company already know the menu from seeing different visitor evaluations on Instagram. You don’t should belong to a sure social class to go get pleasure from wonderful eating. Everyone can get pleasure from a Michelin expertise.’
Curiously Mauricio declares he’s unfazed by the present deal with social media. In reality, he doesn’t have an account or observe the networks. ‘I’ve at all times averted being influenced by present meals tendencies. I wish to have a really private delicacies and elegance’ explains Chef Mauricio. He continues, ‘Solely when prospects or associates touch upon our Messina posts does Pia let me know so we are able to reply. For me style and approach is rather more vital than the aesthetic. Each points should be balanced.’
This can be a Michelin star restaurant, however Chef Mauricio tells me it’s all concerning the company. ‘The motivation has at all times been the identical no matter criticism or recognition, and the easiest way to repay a buyer’s belief in us is by giving them an unforgettable expertise.’
I’m so grateful to have been in a position to dined once more at Messina and expertise the newest chapter within the restaurant’s story. It’s virtually 20 years for the reason that Messina first opened its doorways in Previous City, a tiny house of just some tables. I requested Chef Mauricio if he had any nostalgia for these days. He tells me, ‘The reality is there may be a whole lot of nostalgia, for these moments, not solely making our work desires come true, however of shared moments of life. Not solely was Messina born there, however every thing that Pia and I are at present started there too.’
Data
To be a part of the Messina story, get pleasure from lunch or dinner, Monday to Saturday.
