Serafina, the celebrity-favored Italian import from Manhattan, has quietly wrapped up the build-out of its first Spain location in Marbella and is now in hurry-up-and-wait mode. The restaurant sits in the Marbellamar area just off the N-340, tucked beneath the Bless Club Marbella complex, and sports a bright yellow facade lined with hundreds of bottles. The company says construction is complete and it is only waiting on municipal permits, after which it plans to open sometime between Easter and the start of summer. Founders Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato gave a small group an early look this week, calling Marbella a natural next step and teasing a menu stacked with crowd-pleasers like penne alla vodka, cacio e pepe and truffle pizza.
According to Serafina, the brand launched on New York's Upper East Side in 1995 and has since grown to dozens of locations worldwide, including 13 in New York City alone. The company highlights its insistence on importing key ingredients from Italy to preserve the flavors that turned the chain into a celebrity go-to in the Big Apple.
Where It Will Be And When
Local press reports say the new outpost has been built in the Marbellamar area next to the N-340 and is now simply waiting for the green light from city hall before opening its doors. As reported by Sur in English, the restaurant is hard to miss, thanks to that bold yellow exterior. The chain has indicated that the official launch window runs from Easter to the start of the summer season, which gives Marbella diners a fairly tight countdown.
What To Expect On The Menu
A report carried by EFE highlights several of the dishes set to follow Serafina from New York to the Costa del Sol. On the pasta side, the menu will feature penne alla vodka, farfalle al limoncello e gamberetti and a classic cacio e pepe. Pizza options will include a truffle-topped version and the "Di Vittorio" with burrata and prosciutto. The brand says many of the ingredients for these plates will be shipped in from Italy to keep the Marbella offerings in line with its New York signature dishes.
Name Fight And The Local Scene
Marbella regulars may already know an Italian restaurant called Serafina on the local dining circuit, including at Plaza Village in Puente Romano, and the New York group's arrival comes after a legal dispute over the name that ended up in court, according to local reports. Menuweb lists a Serafina at Boulevard Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, while Sur in English has reported that the copyright battle over the name predated the latest expansion. For diners, the New York group’s entry simply means another heavyweight contender in a lineup that already includes Marbella’s upscale beach clubs and Golden Mile favorites as summer edges closer.
Vittorio Assaf said Marbella "perfectly represents the spirit of this new stage for Serafina: cosmopolitan, vibrant and deeply connected to the pleasure of living," in comments reported by EFE. The owners have also left the door open to further expansion in Spain, and this opening is poised to serve as an early test of how U.S.-rooted restaurant brands fare on the Costa del Sol this year.
