Elegant, welcoming and focused on the finest quality food and wine, Rancho Grille is a dining experience you won’t want to miss.
These days, luxury brands are not just about the product anymore, they’re all about providing a memorable experience. Rancho Grille has been doing this for years, and it’s fair to say they’ve perfected it, with a seductive mix of ingredients that begins with a timelessly stylish and welcoming décor, an accessible location with private parking off the A-7 in Las Chapas, good service and above all beautiful ingredients and wines. Together, they produce the kind of dining experience that will have you coming back regardless of whether it is for a romantic dinner for two or a lively group gathering.
Expect the best meat, fish and seafood fresh from the market and a wine cellar that has few equals in this part of the world. It is the product of owner Ghislain’s passion for and knowledge of quality wines, which he lovingly sources from across Spain and beyond its borders. The same applies to the finest cuts of meat, fresh produce and the fruits of the sea delivered by expert suppliers. “They won’t make the delivery unless it is really fresh and top-notch,” says Vera, who runs the Rancho Grille in Las Chapas and Grill del Puerto in Puerto Banús with her partner Ghislain.
The Rancho Grille has a delightful summer garden and terrace, and a wonderfully welcoming restaurant that simply draws you in during autumn and winter. It features a cosy bar where you can begin the evening with an aperitif before choosing from a variety of options ideal both for big groups and intimate dinners. On an autumnal evening we enjoyed a table in the Wine Corner but still felt connected to the overall ambience. With glass bodegas all around, selecting the right bottle to start the evening with is just the thing, and the choice fell upon a Champagne Rosé Loix from the restaurant’s very own Champagne producer in Epernay (France).
This gorgeous tipple was followed by a glass of barrel-aged white wine from Rioja, El Flako. Fragrant and gentle, with a slightly unctuous texture, it is indeed more interesting than the sharper, fruitier dry whites normally drunk in summer, and it proved to be a fine companion for beautifully presented starters that included fresh salmon sashimi with ginger, soya and wasabi emulsion, tuna tataki, incomparable wagyu caviar and homemade Belgian chicken croquettes with mushrooms in a Madeira wine sauce that simply has to be tried. This flavour sensation takes the concept of croquettes to a new level, while the mussels – another Belgian speciality – where halved in quantity so that a main course could become a starter.
Beautiful Wine and Great Food
Having already enjoyed a feast at this point, we switched to red wines to complement our main course choices, and on this occasion, we couldn’t resist the temptation of choice cuts of meat on the hot stone. Here the soft-as-butter, melt-in-the-mouth perfection of a Chateaubriand was set against the marbled delight of a quality Wagyu fillet steak. We decided there couldn’t be a single winner as both were as close to perfection as can be, and the evening was complete when we sampled a selection of Ghislain’s outstanding red wines. The first was Crápula Soul (94 Peñin points), created in the Murcia region from mainly Monastrel grapes, with body added by an addition of Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Its full flavour with notes of herbs provided an interesting comparison with the 2014 Alto Moncayo Veraton from Campo de Borja. A master among Garnacho wines, it is the sibling of a vintage that scored 100 Parker points – in other words, extraordinary. The third red wine we tasted was a Rioja labelled R&G – for the collaboration between French master winemaker Michel Rolland and the bodega of Javier Galarreta. Noticeably more French in its flavour and impact, this beautiful wine was another perfect marriage with the delicacies we were enjoying within the richly ambient restaurant.
The desserts that followed kept the feast going and upheld the consistently high standards enjoyed throughout. They included gorgeous fresh profiteroles with vanilla ice cream inside, a coulant of black chocolate and tiramisu, all homemade, and you can also indulge in a Belgian chocolate fondue. The wine that partnered these dishes was a real find – a sweet red by Crápula that is richly flavoured in the mouth with a dry aftertaste, indeed a true experience. Rancho Grille does fine quality food, wine and ambience so well, offering in the process a unique dining experience. The restaurant has just presented its special New Year’s Eve menu as well, so why not see in the year in delectable style?
WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY KEVIN HORN
CN340, Km 187,50 (Las Chapas exit), Marbella. Tel: 952 831 922