With a cozy space, a new location at the foot of the golf course, Kayena offers an exciting experience. An expert team, and a different concept, everything is new at the Santa Clara Golf Marbella restaurant.

Kayena is the new bet of this golf club that offers original, avant-garde, and very careful gastronomy. It’s ready to surprise both players and lovers of good cuisine who want to enjoy the flavors of Mediterranean gastronomy, letting themselves be amazed by the twist that Javier Morales has given him.

A restaurant that takes you on a journey for all senses

The name surprises our ears, inviting us to begin an exotic journey delighting our five senses. The view is the following. The space, delicately decorated, welcomes us with a natural beauty that leads us to relax. And it continues with the harmony presented by the dishes. The sense of smell wakes up with them. The taste does not disappoint, nor does the sensation of the products on our palate.

This is how we complete the five senses, enjoying each one of them and discovering new mixtures born from hours of work, dedication, and a lot of love for cooking.

The story behind Kayena’s chef

Javier Morales accompanied his mother in the kitchen from a very young age. His vocation would be so clear that he would begin his studies in this discipline at the age of eighteen at the Jacaranda de Churriana school.

After achieving his second higher degree he would start working in Marbella, a city that he has always adored for its cosmopolitan character. First as a waiter, but after two months he would have the opportunity to go to the kitchen of Villa Tiberio: «I spent eleven years there. I put my teeth as they say».

I went through all the roles and then as the second chef. In the meantime, I took several courses, and I continued training until I felt that I was getting a little bored and that I needed a change.

I took a sabbatical year doing a gastronomic route within Spain, a great unknown«, remembers Javier, who would return to Malaga for a while until his new transfer, this time to Florence following the call of love «I spent two years working there, doing routes through Tuscany, getting to know the Italian gastronomic and wine culture, but things did not go well with the girl and I returned to Malaga».

Shortly after, two large projects appeared, the first in Pier 1 and the other, in Santa Clara Golf Marbella. Finally, he would win the latter and seven months ago he took over Kayena’s kitchen.

Kayena is more than a golf restaurant

Kayena opened its doors on July 2021, to offer new options with a chic and modern taste of Mediterranean cuisine.

It’s a twist, a more avant-garde cuisine, more gastronomic, always Mediterranean dishes but with an exotic touch, they are more elaborate and international dishes. The idea is to attract people that admires a good taste with an spectacular view. This is a space like no other, to be something more than the regular golf course restaurant.

«Every week, in addition to the menu, we have 5 new suggestions, so that the client does not get bored. We are starting, learning, evolving”, explains Javier.

We recently premiered a new menu (you can check it out here) with more fresh spring/summer options for all guests.

Menu changes, weekly suggestions, gastronomic days, and pairings, there are many projects that will come for everyone who appreciates the best of Marbella.

«I want it to be good, well prepared and I take great care of the presentations. I like it to be striking, that it enters through the eye, through the nose and through the mouth, if those three things work, that’s fine. When they bring a dish to the table there is a lot of sacrifice, hours and tests, that very few people know how to see it, recognize it and above all, thank it. When I go to a restaurant and I like a dish a lot, I want to say hello and thank the chef,» says the chef.

Book a table and enjoy

Everyone is invited to taste this new experience. We can accommodate up to 60 guests, between indoor and outdoor spaces. You can book a table with us or create an event to celebrate special occasions.

The kitchen is open 365 days a year, from 8:00 Hs to 17:30 Hs, but you can enjoy our cocktails until 18:30 Hs. This schedule may vary between seasons.

Photo credit: Lourdes Molina (Ladies in Golf Magazine) and Daniel Blanco. Story by Ladies in Golf Magazine.