Located in front of ‘Playa de las Arenas’ beach, the restaurant ‘La Mar’ offers Mediterranean and market cuisine in which char-grilled meats and garden produce will be the protagonists.

As if it were a recipe in itself, ‘La Mar’ contains the breeze of the sea, a tasty vegetable garden and quality char-grilled meats too. The new Portolito Group restaurant has dropped anchor at Paseo de Neptuno number 36, opposite Las Arenas Beach, ready to offer a Mediterranean menu, with market and local produce. Thus, it is already becoming earmarked as the most personal and delicate endeavour of the well-established Valencian gastronomic group.

The Mediterranean Sea is not only a direct neighbour of the restaurant, but has served as inspiration throughout the project. With a friendly tone, ‘La Mar’ wants to connect with the roots and memories of the diners, transporting them to those beach days when there were no clocks and the only concern was to immerse oneself in the pages of a good book. In fact, it is the waves that have brought the Portolito Group, once again, to the shore of the promenade. It is therefore no coincidence that the new restaurant is adjacent to another of its brands, Portolito Playa.

From nature to the dish

The four ingredients mentioned above form part of the history of ‘La Mar’ and, above all, of the restaurant’s menu. Thus, they give meaning to the different dishes, at the same time as they become a way of life. While the breeze and the sea enliven the atmosphere and the diners, the vegetable garden and the char-grilled dishes aim to tickle the palate. In more detail, La Mar’s menu – which plays with seasonal produce – is divided into the following points: appetizers, from the garden, from the sea and the fish market, from the land, rice dishes and desserts.

The recipes include anchovy dressed as a bride on brioche, smoked butter and chilli ice cream to whet the appetite, or the mi-cuit of grilled marrow and fig ice cream. Then there is the fresh fish from the fish market by weight, and the Requena rice dish with Iberian pig’s tail and cheek, oyster mushroom and grape harvest sweets.

As far as the rice dishes are concerned, the restaurant’s chef will prepare a different one every week, called “El arroz del Chef” (The Chef’s rice), which will come with an explanatory sheet so you can find out more about it. Creativity, respect and affection will give shape to unique dishes with local products.

And what about the desserts? Some stand out, such as the fartón torrija with pistachio cream and horchata ice cream or the creamy orange with almond sponge cake, cacau del collaret and Italian meringue, which is surprising for its shape and interior. As a novelty, ‘La Mar’ has exclusive handmade ice creams.

“We wanted to create a different, detailed and personal menu. In tune with the concept of the new premises, which is inspired by the Mediterranean and our unique way of life”, explains Manu Ragull, CEO of the Portolito Group. In addition, they have adapted it so that vegetarians have a choice of options to choose from.

Between the sea and the sky

The blues of the sea, when combined with those of the sky, become a painting. Bringing those attractive blues to the restaurant was a necessity. They have done so through large windows – if opened, they allow you to enter into the atmosphere of Portolito Playa – and a skylight, which allows natural light to penetrate the room, whose wall is covered by a very original school of fish. This leads to a private room and, a little further on, to a kitchen open to the corridor. The finishing touch is provided by the rotisserie, where all the meat, fish, seafood and vegetables pass through.

La Mar thus joins the different restaurants that the gastronomic group has in Valencia: ‘Portolito Playa’ in Playa de las Arenas, ‘Portolito Centro’ in the heart of the city, ‘Portolito Carmen’ in the emblematic neighbourhood of El Carmen and ‘Portolito Diabola’ in Diabola Market (La Eliana). All of them pay tribute to the Mediterranean, its colour, its climate and its special light.

Report by ‘24/7 Valencia’ team

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

‘La Mar’ photos copyright Carlos Tomas

More info: https://grupoportolito.com/

‘La Mar’

Paseo Neptuno, 36

(46011)

Valencia

Tel: 963 716 290