Fons Restaurante — Restaurant in Estepona

We visited the restaurant on a Tuesday (today!) Amd it was surprisingly busy... the setting is beautiful; a wonderfully restored finca, but the location is a bit random. The initial greeting was a bit off (as we did not make a reservation) as I’d estimate around a fifth of the tables were taken, but we went with it... the staff seem to be a little pre occupied with other things going on In the restaurant, and whilst they are quick to take your order, the general service is amongst the worst we have experienced this summer (we live here!)

The wine is super expensive by the glass (10€ Per glass for a dreadful rioja and 14€ Per glass of Ribera which was very good, expensive for a glass of drinkable red!), so I’d suggest just buying a bottle - again, no help or suggestions from the staff on wines...

Starter and main we great for both of us (oysters, Vitello tonato, fillet steak and grilled sole fish) but the dessert (homemade profiteroles apparently) tasted like they came from Iceland. We left pretty much the entire dessert and after an hour of our plates being left on the table we asked for the bill, and there was no mention of “was there a problem here”. Also worth mentioning that when we said the salt pit doesn’t let salt out, only to be told “that’s the pepper”, doesn’t really help (neither the salt or pepper worked, only a minor thing but again an example of the service to expect here).

This could be a great restaurant, but the prices are just way too high (the above came to €135!) and for the location and service it just isn’t worth it. This restaurant is up against some of the best on the coast, as I can only presume that all these 5* reviews came from clients who haven’t tried anywhere else to eat other than estepona marina??

To give an example, this is the same price as what you’d pay at a Dani Garcia restaurant, or (a perfect example) either Casanis in Marbella’s stunning old town, at the fabulous monkey club at the puente romano hotel on the golden mile - similar menu, similar price, but nowhere near the food quality or service received at either of these two examples, not to mention the area differences (Fons is pretty much on the motorway in the middle of nowhere!)

A real shame, massively let down by the staff tonight and we will not be returning...

During our third visit to the restaurant within the past year, we were once again captivated by the charming décor upon entering, featuring an inviting indoor dining area complemented by a spacious terrace. However, despite the initial promise, our dining experience fell short of expectations.

Regrettably, the culinary offerings failed to match the ambiance. On our first visit my order of lamb arrived undercooked on the first attempt, and though replaced, the subsequent dish was overdone and tough to eat. While acknowledging that occasional missteps occur, such inconsistency was disappointing.

Our second visit, accompanied by family, proceeded smoothly, resulting in an enjoyable evening. Hence, we returned with optimism, only to encounter unforeseen challenges.

Upon arrival, the lack of a greeter at the entrance left us uncertain, necessitating our initiative to locate staff within the dining area. Once seated, we encountered a wobbly table, requiring attention which was momentarily forgotten despite our alert. Additionally, there was a delay of 20 minutes in taking our order and waiting another 20 minutes to clear the plates interrupted the flow of our meal.

Although the sea bream and fillet steak were satisfactory, the prolonged waits tarnished the overall experience. The absence of dessert menus further compounded our disappointment as we waited another 15 minutes for this, eventually prompting us to depart without completing our meal.

Considering the elevated price point of 130.00€ for only two plates of food and a couple of drinks, the standards expected from a reputable establishment, the subpar service was disheartening. While the staff expressed regret for the shortcomings, it was evident that our expectations were not met.

In a competitive culinary landscape, consistency and attentive service are paramount. Regrettably, this establishment fell short on two out of three occasions. As such, while hopeful for improvement, we regrettably cannot endorse nor envision a return to this venue.

It will be interesting to see if this restaurant will last another year as 2 of the 3 visits were poor in this very...

The place looked great but that is about it. We were seated promptly and immediately asked for a bottle of sparkling water and some lemons. 20 minute later after repeatedly asking, we finally got out water. The dinner - rock solid. As in sold as a rock, no oil no butter on the table.

The waitress was argumentative and had a general negative attitude. When we asked what happened with the menu, and why it was different from online, they said it was changed. Needless to say we wouldn’t have gone there with the current menu. The waitress was almost in the mood to start yelling.

The other waiter who made out steak tartar had the same general negative attitude. Just randomly putting items at preset amounts and complaining when we didn’t want something.

Overal, hugely negative. It was my birthday as well and my girlfriend let them know. They didn’t even say hey happy birthday. Likely didn’t like an Indian man with an attractive blonde. Avoid - we told out...