Vōvem Estepona-Cancelada — Restaurant in Estepona

I am writing this follow-up to address the restaurant’s public response to my original review, as it contains several statements that are inaccurate and misleading.

This is not written to continue an argument, but to provide factual clarification. Very simply, i could not care less, but being accused of actions that did not occur has prompted me to set the record straight.

First, there was no reason to bring up our first visit at all. Many of the people present that evening — including myself, the person writing this review — were not in attendance on the second visit, which is the one my original review referred to. Bringing up a separate occasion appears to be an attempt to divert attention from the events in question.

What Actually Happened: On the night in question, we arrived on time. The garden was nearly empty — only two tables were occupied. We did not demand “immediate service,” nor was there any “tension.” We were waiting for the rest of our party to arrive and simply requested bread several times, which was finally served an hour later.

The chicken dishes was not simply “in need of more cooking” — they was raw, pink in the center, and the head host gasped when shown the plate. Every other dish had an issue: one steak ordered medium came out well-done, another ordered medium-well came out medium-rare, and all were cold, as though they had been left out before serving. In a fine dining restaurant, cold meat is unacceptable.

We did not refuse to pay. I specifically asked for the bill for the items consumed, but I would not pay for dishes that were left untouched due to clear kitchen errors.

The claim that anyone “threw cutlery at a waitress” is completely absurd. The guest served raw chicken placed her fork down onto the plate with force out of clear frustration; the waitress happened to be behind her at that moment. This was not done aggressively or directed toward any staff member. No one in our party was hostile. In fact, that same waiter recalled their previous visit and apologized for the situation before we left.

To add to that, after the incident, the head host invited us to contact her directly for future reservations to ensure better service — a detail that directly contradicts the restaurant’s suggestion that we acted in an unacceptable manner.

Final Note: An honest acknowledgment and apology for the raw, undercooked food and service delays would have been enough to resolve this. Instead, the restaurant’s response falsely portrayed us as disrespectful and aggressive while presenting themselves as entirely in the right. This is not the standard of hospitality I expect from any establishment, let alone one positioning itself as fine dining.

To address their conclusion: -We did not show disrespect toward the team. -We did not engage in aggressive acts. -We did not manipulate the sitiation — the events described in my reviews are accurate and supported by multiple witnesses. -The suggestion that returning to the restaurant previously undermines my review is irrelevant to the experience in question.

I stand by my original account and present this as an accurate reflection of...

The restaurant business is an incredibly difficult industry, what's even more difficult is finding proper staff. This is where we begin. Just coming off a 14 hour flight we just needed to eat. We arrived home, dropped our bags and went out for a bite. Completely underdressed, and I'm sure we didn't smell the best, an incredibly wonderful smile greeted us at the door. Anna, was her name, she explained that although they did have a packed house she would accommodate us, and asked that we please next time make a reservation. I think she noticed the exhaustion on our faces and took pity on us. As we sat and observed, we realized Anna was not just a pretty face at the door, but a diligent part of the team. She bussed tables, wiped them down, reset the table, walked clients out as they were leaving, always paying attention to what was going on around her. The second incredible staff member, Jose Antonio! We are fans, to say the least of a nice glass (bottle) of wine. We reviewed the wine list and asked for something from the Bierzo area. Something light and fruity. He made a suggestion that is a nice bottle by Raul Perez, but it's a good stand by at this point. He understood that we wanted something a bit nicer and made an incredible suggestion. A Rioja, "Contino" this would not have been my first choice but he assured us, we would enjoy it. Apparently "Contino" had hired a new wine maker Aragon who specialized in the Granacha and he (both, Jose Antonio and the new wine-maker) were spot on! I wanted to "test" him out once more and he came back with a second bottle, a French Bourgogne. This was a second fabulous choice. Jose Antonio asked a few simple questions, and was intuitive enough to have a solid understanding of his clients likes. Well done Jose Antonio! Third, was Jacob. A man who knows his menu, what items worked well together and understood that sometimes a client's eyes were bigger than their appetites. He stopped us short of ordering too much and ensured the food came out in a very specific order. Meaning, he was careful enough to know what 2 small plates complimented each other and worked well with the wine we were pairing. Jacob was attentive to every need, brought out the fresh baked bread as our plates went empty, followed up with water and any other special request immediately. Jacob was all in all, a fabulous person to guide you through a menu that was not complex, but could easily change your experience if you didn't pair it all properly. And yes, sorry Chef. The food was fabulous as well! The experience of having wonderful people can make bad food great. In this case we have excellent food and excellent people. WAIT, Nicolette! How could we not include you! As the manager, you've done a wonderful job at pooling together fabulous talent and you deserve a big 5 stars for that. Your job is incredibly difficult and you've done...

I dined at this restaurant today and felt compelled to share my experience immediately. At first glance, it's a beautiful restaurant. However, the evening started with excruciatingly loud music, attributed to an event. We ordered from a menu boasting dishes at the class level of Dani Garcia's BIBO, setting our expectations high. Unfortunately, things took a turn. Our waiter, who welcomed us, took 20 minutes before bringing bread as a starter. Shortly after, side dishes and half of a main course (sushi) arrived, leaving the rest of us waiting. The sushi lacked soy, chopsticks, wasabi, or ginger. Getting these items required a struggle to flag down a waiter. Despite the awkward atmosphere, the sushi tasted okay. Meanwhile, more guests arrived, and chaos ensued among the staff with dropped glasses and a younger waiter adjusting food with his fingers. Approximately 45 minutes later, the second serving disappointed. Unsalted salmon, oiled vegetable wok, and rice with wagu created a bizarre combination. Another waiter attempted to remedy the situation, finally bringing ginger, side dishes, and soy. Salt was absent and needed to be requested. The table next to us waited around half an hour before placing an order, having to wave down staff for attention. The overall service was extremely poor, with a messy staff. The final bill was reasonably expensive for the subpar experience. Despite an attempt to salvage the situation with a box of chocolates, I won't return personally and advise against others doing so. In this price range, I would recommend a Dani Garcia...