Marbella is one of the Costa del Sol’s most popular tourist and international cities. This place of tourist interest is famous for its culinary diversity, with dishes from all over the world and a plethora of restaurants. Hence one of the main challenges is finding the best Italian restaurant in Marbella.
To do so, this post constitutes a guide for travellers where you can find some of the city’s best Italian restaurants, from the most popular to the piaceri best kept secrets of the locals. To reach them, the best option is to have a hire vehicle so you can travel around the city freely, spending as much time as you like enjoying the best restaurants in Marbella.
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Marbella’s most popular Italian restaurant
Da Bruno Ristorante
If there is one Italian restaurant in Marbella which is a must for visitors to try, it has to be Da Bruno. This restaurant, which has been cooking the most exquisite dishes since 1977, has up to four branches around the city. Its restaurant on the seafront promenade (Da Bruno Sul Mare) has a romantic style and a large terrace where you can enjoy the best dishes.
Its menu doesn’t just feature the classics from Italian cuisine, based on pizza and pasta, but it also boasts seasonal elements that change regularly. The most popular dishes on its menu are lasagne, fresh pasta with lobster sauce and Da Burno pizza, with porcini mushrooms, Bresaola, rocket and white truffle oil. It also has a large meat and fish menu with an average price of 15 euros per dish.
Marbella’s most typical Italian restaurant
Pizzería Roma
One of the classics among locals is Pizzeria Roma, known for being the creator of the bun-pizza (bollo-pizza), a dish which is similar to Malaga’s famous ‘camperos’. This consists of focaccia bread made to look like a pizza and is one of the locals’ favourite dishes.
The restaurant is located in the heart of the Calle de los Naranjos street, number 17, and is a family restaurant with an old rustic style wood-fired oven where you can find the most typical dishes of Italian gastronomy. Customers all agree that the service provided by its staff is excellent and the dishes are unbeatable in terms of value for money. Despite the diverse menu on offer, the king of all dishes is the ‘bollo-pizza’.
Italian restaurants in Marbella’s old town
Ristorante Annarè
Situated in the heart of Plaza de los Naranjos, this Italian restaurant in the centre of Marbella is a fantastic option for visitors taking a stroll around the old town. Ristorante Annàre has a menu with the big classics of this typical cuisine, including bruschettas, focaccias or burratas.
It also offers options other than its pasta dishes and Neapolitan style pizzas, including meat and fish, although visitors simply must try the fried pizza, grandmother’s lasagne or the paccheri ai frutti di mare seafood dish. The price of the menu ranges between 15-25 euros with an average price per dish of 13 euros.
La Casa di Giorgio
After a stroll around Marbella’s old town, one of the best Italian options for dinner is La Casa di Giorgio. Situated in the peaceful Plaza de Juan de la Rosa, this restaurant is popular thanks to the delicious tomato base on its pizzas, as well as the customer service.
When it comes to being value for money, it is quite affordable, with large portions. Pastas range between 9 and 12 euros in price, while pizzas are cheap, with an average cost of 7 euros. Among the most delicious dishes on the menu we can find pear ravioli with Gorgonzola cheese, fettuccine in squid ink (al nero di sepia) with curry sauce and prawns, and pizzas with a thin and soft base.
Casa Tua
Casa Tua is one of the more gourmet options among the Italian restaurants in Marbella’s old town. With a medium-high price range, this Italian is a small venue but features a terrace where you can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and delight in the best Italian cuisine.
This restaurant specialises in pasta dishes, meat and fish, without any pizzas to be found on the menu at all. Notable among its star dishes are the shrimp carpaccio (carpaccio di gamberi), swordfish marinated in orange, lemon and pink pepper and served with beetroot alioli in escabeche, the fillet of Irish beef with sautéed spinach and fois gras and truffle butter. Finally, to finish, the homemade tiramisu is an absolute must.
Vegan Italian restaurant
Gioia Plant Based Cuisine
It is really hard to find an Italian restaurant in Marbella with plant based cuisine where vegan, vegetarian or coeliac customers can enjoy their dishes. However, Gioia is an exception and it boasts gourmet quality. This restaurant is situated in Avenida Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe and its menu amazes visitors.
Since 2016, Gioia has been offering an extensive menu of pasta dishes and other plant-based specialities with an incredible flavour achieved in each of its dishes. The stand-out dishes include courgette lasagne, strawberry gazpacho with cashew nuts and sour cream, or the ravioli made from coconut pulp and carrot and stuffed with ricotta, black garlic and a walnut and parmesan cheese sauce. The average price per dish is between 8 and 16 euros.
Italian Restaurant in Puerto Banús
Pizzería Picasso
The seafront promenade of Puerto Banus beach is home to Pizzería Picasso, with forty years of experience in preparing authentic Italian food. This Italian restaurant in Marbella is in the top 10 restaurants on TripAdvisor, and is the best option for eating with sea views.
Its menu is characterised for offering generous portions with varied dishes, from salads to risottos and meat dishes, burgers or pasta. The pizzas stand out most, they are renowned in the area, with the ‘serrana’ and pepperoni pizzas definitely worth trying. This pizzeria is also famous for its pasta dishes, as well as the Picasso spaghetti with tomato, langoustines, mussels and chilli clams. To finish, the cheese cake is the best option according to its customers. The average price per dish is around 15 euros.
Gourmet Italian restaurant
La Scala
La Scala is located in Elviria, 6km from the city’s historic quarter, so it is advisable to go by car. This restaurant has a private interior courtyard surrounded by vegetation where you can enjoy live music, ideal for a meal as a couple or with friends.
La Scala is characterised for working with high quality produce to create a varied menu with starters, pasta dishes, pizzas made in a wood-fired oven or grilled meats. The star dishes include scallops with lemon in a creamy Parmesan and crispy ham sauce, Café París steak, and prawn and courgette ravioli. The average price of the menu is high, with an average of 22 euros per dish. There is a children’s menu and vegetarian options available.
A guide to Marbella’s Italian restaurants
Undoubtedly, there is a wide range of Italian restaurants in Marbella, from the most traditional to ones that break away from the traditional concept of pizza and pasta. They all have an international character focussed on an audience from all over the world. You can see the location of all of the restaurants that appear in this guide on this map.
