I would be hard pressed to think of a more relaxing way to pass a few hours than absorbing some Mediterranean-reflected rays of sun and watching the shadows of Marbella’s palm tree-lined harbor go by.

If this atmosphere isn’t enough, try it on one of Odin Café’s outdoor sofas while sipping on a cerveza, vino tinto or espresso.

Situated steps away from the yachts of Marbella’s central harbor on the Costa Del Sol, Odin Café specializes in atmosphere, with surprisingly good music and refreshingly friendly service untypical in Andalusian cafés. Odin strives to treat the customer where other cafés seem to come up short: your tea comes in a French press with fresh tea leaves and each drink comes with complementary crisps and olives (the same ones I buy fresh from Marbella’s weekly open air farmer’s market).

With free wireless internet and more than reasonable prices, it can literally be a challenge to tear yourself away on a sunny day. On a lazy Sunday, if you share my fascination, or derangement depending on how you look at it, you might simply be entertained by the quality level of people-watching as the harbor starts to bustle with a mixture of stylish jet-setters and Spaniards dressed in their finest Sunday attire spending the day with family. If you find yourself getting hungry after a couple of hours, no problem. Odin provides a menu of gourmet pizzas and salads, including a weekly chef’s specialty. I suggest the scamorza pizza, which comes topped with Serrano ham, mozzarella, tomato, cherry tomato, rúcula and, of course, scamorza, an Italian cow cheese like mozzarella but twice as nice.

Odin is not only an afternoon stop, so you need not worry if you prefer to spend your midday sunbathing on the beach, visiting historic sites or exploring one of the nearby white villages set back in the Sierra Blanca mountains. With tasteful heat lamps for the chillier off-season nights and an outdoor projection screen for films or important fútbol matches, Odin is well equipped to deliver you a tranquil experience into the evening.

The café has a creative list of cocktails including a sweet mojito with an unusual kick. On weekdays, Odin stays open until midnight, on weekends until 1 a.m., and during peak season in the summer months, crowds will hang around until after 2 a.m. By night, on any given weekend you will find a mix of locals and tourists listening to live DJ’s who spin lounge, reggae, jazz, samba and soul.

The combination of central waterfront location, cocktails, music and ambiance makes Odin the perfect place to start a Friday or Saturday night before moving on to a discotheque in Marbella’s white washed historic centre, just minutes away by foot. If you’re passing at all through Marbella’s tourism-centered Paseo Maritimo, a stretch of beach front lined with hotels, upscale stores and restaurants, don’t pass up a stop at Odin.

Odin
Puerto Deportivo Local 5
Marbella, Spain
Tel: (0034) 952828029

- Reviewed by Sam Falik (sfalik@gmail.com)

Sam Falik lives in Andalucía and travels extensively throughout Spain, including Madrid, Granada, and Sevilla.