2 Best Restaurants in Costa del Sol and Costa de Almeria, Spain

This justly popular restaurant is housed in an 1860s building that also incorporates an 11th-century Moorish well. Time may have stood still with the setting, but the cuisine reflects a modern twist on traditional dishes, including seafood mains like bacalao con cebolla, miel y pasas con crujiente de espinacas (cod with onion, honey, and raisins) or rabo de novillo con almendras (oxtail stew with almonds). Desserts such as the milhojas de manzana (apple mille-feuille) are also good, and the wine and gin lists are among the best in the city. The restaurant is fronted by a popular terrace and tapas bar (first tapa free) that is generally filled with a boisterous business crowd.

This popular, central spot serves fine regional specialties, such as arroz de marisco (rice with seafood), cazuela de rape en salsa de almendras (monkfish stew with almond sauce), and the delicious kokotxas de bacalao en salsa de ostras (cod cheeks in oyster sauce). The surroundings are rustic-yet-elegant Andalusian: whitewashed walls, dark wood, and exposed brick. If you're open to a splurge, go for the lobster. Book ahead to be sure of a table for dinner.