visit the "network"
GORKI
Location: Guadalmina commercial centre
Great choice of very reasonably priced wines and wide selection of Spanish dishes and tapas. Great service.
LA GALERIA
Location: Benahavis
Converted art gallery attracting lively and fashionable clientele.
SAN PEDRO
FLANKER
Location: San Pedro town, near Supercor
Rugby-themed bar serving tasty tapas and excellent choice of drinks. Attracts young and trendy crowd.
PUB CHARLES
Location: town centre
Traditional cosy pub with attentive bar staff who make your evening as enjoyable as possible.
PUERTO BANUS
MIX BAR
Location: front-line
Intimate bar, stylishly decorated. Good music and friendly staff.
MUMBAI CAFÉ
Location: front-line
Stylish bar with great views of the port - upstairs. Sometimes have a DJ playing.
PORTSIDE
Location: front-line, in front of Linekers
Busy English bar with TV screens and small terrace out the back.
SALDUBA PUB
Location: front-line port entrance
Great bar to people watch. Large seating area outside and good meeting place.
THE EDGE
Location: second-line
Relaxing, spacious bar with live music and wide range of drinks to choose from.
BEDROCK
Location: Avenida Julio Iglesias
Jurassic-theme nightclub promising great fun and music till early hours. Ideal location at end of Banús.
BLUE BAR
Location: front-line
Great people-watching spot drinks and cocktails, day and night.
DREAMERS
Location: Puerta del Banús
Arguably Banús´ favourite late night venue with line-ups including top international DJs. Check out Fuel and Hed Kandi for some of the best sets and live percussion in town.
GLAM
Location: entrance of Banús
Stylish club featuring funky house and various weekly promotions. Open till dawn great for ending a night in the port.
HABANA
Location: Puerto Banús exit end of front-line
Popular venue, with dancers, lively atmosphere, great tunes and Latino feel.
PANGEA
Location: Club de Mar, next to tower
Attracts stylish crowd, the rich and famous. Stunning terrace overlooking some of the most impressive yachts in the Med.
LIQUID LOUNGE
Location: Marina Banús
Contemporary and stylish surroundings, good music and delicious food cocktails a must.
NEWS CAFÉ
Location: front-line
Great for drinks, day or night. Cool tunes and fashionable crowd great views over Banús.
SIDHARTA
Location: second-line
Chilled-out Middle Eastern ambience with sofas, cool music and plenty of atmosphere.
SINATRA'S
Location: entrance of Banús front-line
The starting point for any night in the Port. Open day and night, big favourite with tourists and locals all-year round.
TERRA BLUES
Location: Plaza de la Comédia
Fun, lively atmosphere - attracts funky, alternative crowd.
TGI FRIDAYS
Location: Marina Banús
American-themed bar and restaurant with bar flaring and great service. Two for one on all drinks every day 6-9pm.
NUEVA ANDALUCIA
THE POINT
Location: Aloha
Popular venue serving wide range of draught and bottled beers, cocktails, wines and spirits large terrace and great service. Open 4pm till late every day.
GOLDEN MILE
LOFT
Location: Marbella Mar
Contemporary and modern surroundings mixed crowd, open late. Various promotions and events.
LULU'S
Location: Marbella Real
Visit a must for the funky design, great tunes and best cocktails in town.
OLIVIA VALERE
Location: just off Golden Mile
Exclusive atmosphere and stunning surroundings. One of Marbella's most established and talked-about venues.
SUITE
Location: Hotel Puente Romano
Stylish Moroccan-themed venue playing cool beats and attracting fashionable crowd.
MARBELLA
CAPRICE
Location: Old Town
Small and friendly creperie/bar, stylishly decorated.
FRANK'S CORNER
Location: beachside near Sköl Hotel
Rock bar with memorabilia and snooker tables.
KELLY'S BAR
Location: beachside near Sköl Hotel
Irish bar with TV screens, wooden floors and friendly staff
BAMBINA
Location: Old Town
Funky venue attracts hip and lively crowd. Great music, cocktails and atmosphere. An Old Town must.
RUBI´S
Location: Puerto Deportivo
One of Marbella's favourite late-night venues. Live DJ sets and plenty of atmosphere worth a visit for the crowd alone. Open till very late.
TANGUITO
Location: Old Town
Another Old Town must cool setting, good music and very reasonable prices.
EAST OF MARBELLA
FLUID LOUNGE & BAR
Location: Elviria
Trendy bar with outside terrace. Very popular with the locals.
PUB CASI CASI
Location: Elviria
Busy pub with seating area outside.
THE GARDEN BAR
Location: Rocas del Mar, Calahonda
Relaxing, family-owned bar serving food on a lawn looking over the sea.
KUDU
Location: Elviria Hills
Popular bar restaurant with cosy log fire and contemporary design.
SILK'S
Location: Torre Real
Wide range of champagne, spirits and wine served in sophisticated surroundings with excellent service.
MIJAS COSTA
BAR UNIQUE
Location: La Cala de Mijas
Stylish bar with friendly bar staff, in the middle of the square.
BIDDY MULLIGANS
Location: La Cala de Mijas (square)
Busy bar with live music and traditional pub décor, with TV screens.
MAX BEACH
Location: Riviera
Sip cocktails from the decked terrace, watch live sports fixtures inside or relax upstairs, taking in breathtaking sea views.
VIEWS
Location: La Cala, above Mijas Playa
Enjoy cocktails and champagne in stylish and modern surroundings.
La Meridiana
Address: Camino de la Cruz, s/n.
Type of Food: Mediterranean
Tel.no: 952 776 190
Website: www.meridiana-notte.com
Everything is of excellent quality at this jet set favourite where Mediterranean-Andalucian cooking is prepared using only the best local ingredients in an elegant Moorish building surrounded by gardens. Closed lunchtime and from 7th January to 11th February.
Goizeko and Dalli's
Address: AV. Buchinger, s/n.
Type of Food: Basque
Tel.no: 952-764803 or 687868822
This Basque restaurant opened in July 2004 and is a luxurious setting for an exquisite meal, with service and wines to match. Highly satisfying and equally priced. Closed lunchtime and from June to September.
La Hacienda
Address: N-340, Málaga-Cádiz, km 193.
Type of Food: Mediterranean
Tel.no: 952 831 267
Website: www.restaurantelahacienda.com
La Hacienda is housed in a large villa 12km east of Marbella. The Schiff family continue to offer modern cuisine based on local produce and the recipes that made their Belgian father famous in transforming the gastronomy of the Costa del Sol. Closed lunchtime and Mondays in July and August, Tuesdays in July and in January.
Altamirano
Address: Plaza Altamirano 3
Type of Food: Traditional Local Fried Fish Dishes
Tel.no: 952 824 932
Excellent value for shellfish, Malaga fried dishes and fish a la espalda in this restaurant in the historical centre of Marbella. Closed Wednesdays and from 6 January to 22 February.
El Portalón
Address: N-340, Cádiz-Málaga, km. 178.
Type of Food: Spanish
Tel.no: 952 861 075
Website: www.elportalonmarbella.com
Excellent choice of dishes ranging from their renowned roasts to the dish of the day which will be created from whatever is freshest at the market that day. Good service and an excellent wine list. Closed Sundays.
Los Cañizos
Address: La Bajadilla.
Type of Food: Local fish dishes
Tel.no: 952 865 550
Excellent fried fish, grilled sardines on a skewer and baked fish dishes . Good value for money. Closed Mondays and from 9 December to Easter.
Marbella Club Grill
Address: Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso Von Hohenlohe, s/n.
Type of Food: International
Tel.no: 952 822 211
Website: www.marbellaclub.com
An attractive location for dinner whether in the dining room in winter or outside in the garden during the summer.
Antonio
Address: Muella de Ribera, Puerto Banus
Type of Food: Seafood
Tel.no: 952 813 536
Antonio's is located on the front line of restaurants at the jet set marina of Puerto Banus. It is one of the longest established restaurants where you can enjoy excellent seafood dishes whilst watching the beautiful people go by.
Santiago
Address: Pº. Marítimo Duque de Ahumada, 5
Type of Food: Seafood
Tel.no: 952 770 078
Website: www.restaurantesantiago.com
This institution on the seafront promenade has long been considered the place to go for the best seafood in Marbella. Santiago Dominguez continues to ensure that his restaurant's fine reputation is maintained. Closed November.
marbella restaurants 
In 1974 the Prince Fahd arrived at the city after having broken the bank of the Casino of Montecarlo . Until his death in 2005 he was the dearest and most profitable guest of Marbella, where his retinue of over thousand people spending petro-dollars was welcome, including the then-anonymous Osama bin Laden .
In the eighties the most known face was Gunilla von Bismarck , who represented the jet set . In 1987 the kidnap of Melody Nakachian, daughter of a weapons struggler and the Korean princess and singer Kimera , put the city in the focus of the media.
In 1991 the builder and president of Club Atlético de Madrid , Jesús Gil y Gil was elected by wide majority for mayor of Marbella for his own party, the Independent Liberal Group ( GIL in Spanish), promising to fight petty crime and the loss of glamour. He used as international image of the city to the actor Sean Connery who later renounced after his image was used for electoral purpose by Gil.
During his rule, the city experimented extensive building activity, often without regard for the existing urban plan. New plans were stopped by the Andalusian government. Spanish celebrities spent summers there. The maverick style of Gil's was apparent as he despised town-hall formalities ruling from his office at the Club Financiero. He was criticised by the major parties of Spain ( PSOE and People's Party ) that however could not convince enough voters to oust him. The presence of criminal lords from the Russian mafia was also criticised. Gil's GIL extended to other Costa del Sol towns like Estepona and across the Strait of Gibraltar to the Spanish African cities of Ceuta and Melilla .
This period brings an appraisal of the city but also suspects and investigations of corruption begin. Jesús Gil had to resign in 2002, after being jailed for diverting public funds for Atlético. He was succeeded by Julián Muñoz, a former waiter then well-known for being romantically engaged with singer Isabel Pantoja with more than one hundred trials for corruption hanging on. Muñoz was overthrown by his own party which elected as new mayor to Marisol Yagüe, a former secretary. Muñoz and Gil took part in a scandalous debate in television were both accused each other of having robbed public funds. The situation exploded in March 2006, when Yagüe was also jailed when the city council was near bankruptcy. According to the attorney, Muñoz and Yagüe were puppets in the hands of Antonio Roca, a councilman who got the job after failing in private business and gathered a huge wealth while working as a public servant. While Yagüe was in jail the council was run by Tomás Reñones , a former Atlético de Madrid football player. On April 8 the Spanish government decided to suspend the council. That was the first time such a decision was taken in Spanish democracy.