Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
DIM the lights, fill your glass, now cue the music… a brand new dinner jazz night is a must try for music lovers this winter in Marbella.
The glamorous restaurant Nomad, in Nueva Andalucia, has introduced the evening to mix cool music with delicious dining every Thursday.
Like Ronnie Scott’s celebrated dinner jazz nights in London’s Soho, you eat supper while being transported away thanks to the dulcet tones of singer Little J (Lilliana Jones). CHECK.
But don’t expect this to be all John Coltraine or Miles Davis covers.
Au contraire, her repertoire began with a superb cover of Bill Withers’ Ain’t no Sunshine, followed by indie hit Creep, by Radiohead. “I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo… what the hell I’m doin here?” she intoned with the exact timbre of a pleading Thom Yorke.
You’re entertaining us, my dear, and that she certainly did over two sets of around 30 minutes, the first kicking off at 8.30pm. Prince, Amy Winehouse, this was hits a plenty, but all laid out with an imitable jazzy flavour.
And, of course, it was not so loud that you couldn’t talk, or indeed, eat, which is the point of a dinner/jazz evening.
I am already a big fan of this hip, new restaurant, which has had a new overhaul for 2025.
While before it was beautiful, now it is stylish too, with incredibly contemporary decor, both sumptuous and cutting edge in equal measure.
You get a choice of seats from tables near the front where Little J sings alongside her jazz guitarist. Or outside on warm nights on the terrace, or further in at comfortable banquette tables. We went for the latter, bringing my son for a week-night outing.
A set menu comes with three main courses – in January this is Napoletana rigatoni, which has a burrata, basil oil, sun-dried tomatoes and pistachio pesto, Marinated Korean chicken with jasmine rice, which my son loved.
Or the slightly riskily-named Tel Aviv fish, which has Lebanese spices to balance up the dish…in fact it is these classic Middle Eastern flavours that bring it to life.
It is actually delicious, but what makes it different is the way it is cooked on half a pitta or flat bread.
Before the mains come we are treated to a superb mixed tasting plate, very generous, which comes out with calamari with tartar sauce, fried green ‘padrón’ peppers, crispy Lotus chips and spicy edamame.
Alongside these are ‘sweetcorn ribs’ which come in what the restaurant calls ‘Nomad magic dust’ or basically a green yuzu dip, and finally – best of all – truffle arancini rice balls with truffle mayonnaise, pickled cucumber and Parmesan on top. Yummy.
Finally as Little J comes back knocking on towards 10pm we are thrust a pudding tray, yes literally that, which comes loaded with slices of chocolate brownies, cream puffs and raspberries…It’s a nice mix, and almost as good as the music.
