In a warm and nostalgic revival, the iconic Marqués de Nájera stew has made its return to Marbella, marking its 50th anniversary in style. Once a cornerstone of the town’s Christmas social calendar, the event was held on November 20 at the Kimpton Los Monteros hotel in Marbella. Around 140 guests were in attendance, a more intimate gathering than its heyday, but one steeped in tradition and symbolic meaning.

A Storied Tradition Revived

The Marqués de Nájera stew event dates back to 1972, when it was founded by Ángel Fernández de Liencres y de la Viesca, the fourth Marqués de Nájera. At the time, the Marqués served as honorary president of the Los Monteros complex. The very first iteration took place in the hotel’s restaurant El Corzo, a venue that would go on to earn a Michelin star.

Over the years, the stew event became more than just a meal, it evolved into a hub for Marbella’s elite, a high-society gathering point, and a signal that the Christmas season had officially begun. According to Marbella historian Paco Moyano, it was originally “a public relations operation”, a clever way to bring together collaborators, travel agents, media figures, and other stakeholders around a festive table.

At its height, the Marqués de Nájera stew dinner drew up to 400 people, making it one of the marquee social events in Marbella. Moyano reflects that the Marqués understood something fundamental: shared meals build long-lasting bonds. “There is no doubt that the Marqués de Nájera was very clear about this,” he says.

Who Was the Marqués de Nájera?

Though born in Madrid in 1896, the Marqués de Nájera’s influence extended deeply to the Costa del Sol. He built strong ties with local society, starting in Torremolinos, where he was involved with the El Remo restaurant in Montemar, a favorite among celebrities.

His career on the coast blossomed further when he helped promote Malaga’s first golf course. In 1959, he became the first director of the Golf Hotel Guadalmina.

Later, he formed a special relationship with Los Monteros hotel when he met banker Ignacio Coca, a central figure in Marbella’s development. As Moyano explains, being “honorary president” was not just a title, for the Marqués, it meant engaging deeply in public relations, helping Los Monteros thrive and elevating Marbella’s social landscape.

The 2025 Comeback: A Modern Twist on a Classic

This year’s rebirth of the event owes much to the recent reopening of the Kimpton Los Monteros hotel. For the anniversary dinner, the setting was the hotel’s Jara restaurant, where guests enjoyed a carefully crafted menu of traditional dishes, starting with appetizers and progressing through a four-course feast: noodle soup, chickpeas with potatoes and vegetables, a hearty meat stew with chorizo and black pudding, and finishing with the “madrileña bola,” a classic Madrid-style meatball preparation.

Chef José Carlos García, holder of a Michelin star and the head of the hotel’s gastronomic project, led the kitchen. To ensure guests would enjoy the cozy, celebratory feel without feeling overly stuffed, his team began preparing the stew on Monday, allowing each component to gently simmer and develop flavor, all while keeping it refreshingly low in fat.

A Celebration With Meaning

For the hotel’s director, Merry Antoja, the return of the stew was more than a dinner, it was a “mythical event,” a piece of Marbella’s social DNA that deserved a modern reinterpretation.

She emphasized that the revival isn’t just about restoring a tradition, but about bringing it into the present: the stew now has a “more modern and contemporary style,” intended to light up Marbella’s Christmas season and raise that first festive toast.

Guests agreed. Those present described the moment as “marvellous,” noting that the return of the Marqués de Nájera’s stew felt deeply symbolic, a reconnection with Marbella’s golden years blended with today’s elegance.

Why It Matters

This revival resonates for several reasons:

1. Cultural significance: The Marqués de Nájera stew was more than food, it was a pillar of Marbella’s social calendar, particularly during the 1970s. To bring it back is to revive a slice of local history.
2. Strategic timing: Hosting it just before Christmas continues its tradition as the kick-off event for holiday celebrations in Marbella.
3. Modern reinterpretation: While the menu is faithful to tradition, the approach (lower fat, refined technique) aligns with contemporary tastes and wellness expectations.
4. Hospitality rebirth: The event’s return highlights the rebirth of Kimpton Los Monteros, reinforcing the hotel’s role as a social and gastronomic anchor in Marbella.

Looking Forward

After fifty years, the Marqués de Nájera stew could once again become a hallmark of Marbella’s festive season, not just as a tribute to the past, but as a bridge to the future. The continued involvement of the hotel, recognized chefs like José Carlos García, and local society suggests this could become a new tradition for the next generation.

As the hotel’s Christmas calendar indicates, the stew is part of a larger holiday program that marries glamour, history, and conviviality. In doing so, the Marqués de Nájera’s legacy, both as a social connector and visionary promoter lives on.