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

This superb restaurant run by the congenial brothers Jorge and Nacho Rodriguez moved down from the hilltop to a new venue right on the seafront in early 2018. The light and airy dining room has stunning sea views, and there's an outside terrace as well. The dishes, all creatively presented, include traditional options like grilled sardines, oven-baked lamb, and braised oxtail as well as more innovative choices like skate in Champagne sauce, which goes well with the excellent local white wine, Calvente blanco. The desserts are sublime, particularly the cheesecake and the selection of tropical fruit. The three-course menu (€15) offers a particularly good value.

The modest, old-fashioned exterior of this local favorite is a bit deceiving: inside you'll be greeted not with stodgy decor but with spacious dining rooms with soccer memorabilia, photos of famous patrons, and tanks of fish. Seafood choices include fried or grilled squid, spider crab, lobster, sole, red snapper, and sea bass. If you're not a fish eater, though, you'll have to make do with little more than a roll and dessert. The latter includes homemade rice pudding and chocolate mousse. This is a popular venue with locals and tourists, so go early to be sure of a table—especially if you want to dine outside on the lovely terrace on the plaza.

Right on the sands at the southwestern end of La Carihuela, this family-run restaurant has been serving up fresh fish and seafood for over 50 years; not for nothing is it a regular winner of the best espetero prize (maker of grilled sardines). Sit in the bright and airy interior dining area, furnished in jaunty nautical navy and white, or grab a table outside on the beach to soak up the Mediterranean vibe. Highlights on the menu include any of the grilled fish (ask for daily specials) and a good choice of rice dishes. Finish with a cocktail on the frontline 'armchairs' as you watch the waves.  

Fresh seafood and crisp fried fish star on the menu at this busy chiringuito (beach restaurant) on the western seafront near the tall chimney. Eat inside in nautically themed decor or outside on the terrace on the sand. Sardines grilled over olive-wood charcoal are the best in town in season (May to August), and barbecued whole fish is also worth trying. There’s a good selection of salads including pipirrana de pulpo (octopus). Desserts aren’t so good, but nearby Marcello and Maiten serve ice cream. Service is always swift and efficient even when the venue is packed. If you like quieter dining, go midweek.

Down the road from the tourist office, this ordinary-looking restaurant serves excellent and abundant Spanish cooking for some of the best prices in the area. Inside, traditional wine barrels share space with modern leather stools, pine furniture, and a flat-screen television, and there's also a pleasant outside terrace. Open all day from early to late, the mesón serves breakfast, snacks, tapas, lunch, and dinner—it's often bustling and more than a little loud. Specialties include pulpo a la brasa (grilled octopus), berenjenas fritas (fried eggplant), and pío antequerano (cod, orange, and olive salad). The service is friendly, although it can be slow when the restaurant's busy. Portions are large, so they're best for sharing. Finish off with a liqueur or something from the impressive gin list.

Tucked away in the casco antiguo, this small venue with upstairs and downstairs dining offers a taste of Córdoba tapas and Montilla wine in Marbella. There is a good choice of tapas (from €2.50) and sharing plates, including homemade croquettes, cold cuts, fried fish (the squid is particularly good), and the house pisto (ratatouille) served with a fried egg or pork.

Tucked into the elbow of a narrow street near the main church square, this restaurant serves up superb Spanish dishes, including albóndigas de ibérico en salsa de almendras (Iberian pork meatballs in almond sauce) and bacalao frito sobre pisto de verduras (fried cod on ratatouille). The three-course daily menu with a half bottle of wine (€19.50) offers a wide range of choices. The interior is warm and rustic, with lots of dark wood and beamed ceilings. The tapas bar comes with a tempting display of light bites (from €4), and the wine selection is well conceived and extensive.

A firm favorite with locals who flock here for the value cuisine, Taberna Gaspar offers a long list of traditional seasonal dishes on a handwritten menu. Portions come hearty, so go for sharing plates, or ask for the dish of the day (weekdays only) if you're less hungry. Sit outside on the shady terrace or inside under lofty ceilings and next to eclectic antiques such as matador outfits, telephones, and glass siphons. Service is friendly and efficient even when every table is packed to capacity. 

Come to this sprawling, noisy restaurant for the experience rather than the food, which is fine but not spectacular. There's no menu—waiters circle the restaurant carrying various dishes (tapas and main courses) and you choose whatever looks good. The bill is totaled up according to the number and size of the plates on the table at the end of the meal. On the El Palo seafront, Tintero specializes in catch-of-the-day seafood, such as boquerones (fresh anchovies), sepia (cuttlefish), and the all-time familiar classic, gambas (grilled prawns). Be warned that it's packed on weekends with expats and boisterous Spanish families. 

On a river bend between the hamlets of Árchez and Corumbela, this friendly venta offers traditional country cooking at its best. Sit outside on the shady terrace for stunning views of the valley as you dine on generous portions of grilled meats (pork, veal, and chicken) and salads or tapas. Finish with a house dessert such as natillas (custard) or crème caramel. The staff don't speak much English, but their friendliness more than makes up for possible language barriers. Book if you plan to eat here on weekends or go midweek for a quieter lunch. Be sure to check out the Mudejar churches, with their minaret towers in Árchez and Corumbela, before or after your meal. 

Ask the locals which beachfront chiringuito they prefer and El Yate will probably be the answer. Run and owned by an affable cordobés family, the menu holds few surprises, but the seafood is freshly caught, and meat and vegetables are top quality. Have the classic Córdoba salmorejo (thick, garlicky gazpacho, topped with diced egg and ham) as a starter. Then you may be tempted by the barbecued sardines; or choose a freshly grilled fish like dorada (sea bream) or lubina (sea bass), or a more substantial paella. The back terrace with its sea and sand views fills up fast, but the dining room is pleasant too, given its large and light picture windows. Service is friendly and fast, although little or no English is spoken. Desserts are the usual limited choice of crème caramel, rice pudding, and the like, but they're locally made.