Restaurante Firmvm — Restaurant in Almuñécar

Restaurante FIRMVM clearly sets out with high ambitions, promising a "unique gastronomic experience", and in some ways, it delivers. The service team was genuinely friendly and helpful throughout our visit, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere. The dishes themselves are undeniably creative and consistently "nicely displayed on the plates," showcasing a clear artistic flair. It's evident that "the chef knows what he is doing technique wise" – the individual components and their execution are often good. However, for a restaurant aiming for such an elevated "evolution menu," there were several points that kept the experience from reaching its full potential. While friendly, the service, at times, didn't quite match the ambitious level of the cuisine. A small detail like a chipped wineglass, unfortunately, isn't the thing one expects from a fine dining establishment, suggesting a need for sharper attention to detail. The primary challenge with the "evolution menu" was its sheer scale and pacing. For a menu this large, the portions for each course were simply too generous. We found ourselves "already full" well before reaching the two main courses, which significantly hampered our ability to fully appreciate the latter half of the meal. This impacts the overall enjoyment and the intended "evolution" of the dining experience. Furthermore, the menu's "build up" could benefit from more thoughtful curation. We noticed a succession of similar preparations: two courses featuring iced ingredients, followed by two with a tartar, and then three courses that contained (deep) fried ingredients. While each dish might be individually well-executed, this repetition in texture and temperature created a sense of monotony rather than a dynamic progression. The wine pairing, despite the restaurant's "extensive list of wines available", also needs to be taken to a higher level. We felt there was a lack of "synchrony and timing with the courses," which is crucial for a truly integrated gastronomic experience. With such a comprehensive list, the potential for exceptional pairings is clearly there, but it wasn't fully realized during our visit. Ultimately, while the chef's technical prowess is undeniable, the "evolution menu" we experienced felt a little too complacent in its overall design and flow. FIRMVM has the ingredients for greatness – incredible talent in the kitchen and a fantastic wine selection – but refining the menu's progression and the wine pairing's integration would truly elevate it to the "unique sensory experience" it aspires to be.

Note: Photo of the sea bass...

Second visit: we came back after trying the tasting menu the first time (see below) and rating it 4 stars. This time we tried the menu and it was exceptional. 5 stars for sure. The steak tartare was out of this world. All dishes were creative and tasty. Service, especially from Miguel, was top notch. We liked everything. I don’t understand why some of the dishes we tried from the a la carte menu were not featured on the tasting menu!

We’ll be back for sure.

First visit: I would love to give it 5 stars because the staff is incredibly nice and because the restaurant delivers exceptional value for the price but we had the tasting menu and left with - mostly positive -mixed feeling. We do try a lot of tasting menus, including at Michelin-starred restaurants and so I'll try to be as objective as possible:

Pros: Some of the dishes were excellent (duck brioche, lemon sorbet, the fish, some of the appetizers). The bread was amazing, which is rare in Spain. The servers are extremely nice and seem to enjoy working there, they provide good explanation for each dish. The rhythm was very good with optimal wait between the courses. The wine pairing was great and very affordable. I tried wines from little known estates in Spain that I would have never ordered myself. The restaurant itself is very nice.

Cons: The quantity of food is disproportionate for a tasting menu. I understand that the Almunecar crowd may expect lots of quantity for a menu that is pricier than the average in the area, but it is just too much food. Some of the dishes were just banal or failed - albeit creative - attempts at reaching a high level of refinement (e.g. the lettuce dish, the "croissant with scallops", or the main dessert). The waiters did get busy at the end and didn't keep the wine pairing on track until the end, but that wasn't a big issue.

Conclusion: I think this place is awesome and is worth going to, you'll have a good time and eat well, but they could perfect it by dropping a few dishes from the menu and focus on their best dishes. For example, their main dessert was creative but a bit too eccentric and childish: I would suggest make a simpler more refined dessert and add the creative one as an extra...

We are used to come and eat in Almuñécar so we can confirm this is THE BEST restaurant in town nowadays after a few visits. The menu is simply excellent, with multiple options that will invite you to return again and again. The ingredients are carefully selected and combined, including both local and international ones, offering flavors you can’t easily find anywhere. The atmosphere is very relaxed but lively at the same time, located on a square with an interesting mix of local and foreign customers. The decoration is superb, with a modern and attractive style. The service is extraordinary, efficient, kind and honest. Although more expensive than the average price in Almuñécar, the price quality is unbeatable, far beyond any other restaurant you may find in the surroundings. A similar restaurant in a big Spanish city would cost twice at least. But if you are in a lower budget, there is also a tapas menu to taste some delicious plates, so there is no excuse to pay a visit. To sum up, you can have dinner anywhere in Almuñécar, but if you are looking for an experience, then eat at Firmum.

PS: Our favorites were stewed bull’s tail rice and Singapore...