19 Best Restaurants in Granada, Andalusia

Located southeast of Granada's cathedral, this modern hot spot is a world apart from Granada's usual traditional tapas bar. It attracts an eclectic crowd of students, families, and businesspeople with a diverse international menu, including Mexican fajitas, Vietnamese nems, and Greek souvlaki. Seating is outside on the pleasant sidewalk overlooking the Botanical Garden or inside in two sizable dining areas.

The modern wood-paneled dining room and warm lighting form the perfect setting for the creative Andalusian cuisine cooked here by local chef Lola Marín, who learned her trade with some of Spain's top chefs, such as Martín Berasategui. The eight-course tasting menu changes weekly (cold and hot starters, fish, meat, and dessert), and you can opt for wine pairings.

Tucked away in the warren of alleyways in a restored Albayzín villa, this lovely restaurant offers what may be the best food in the area. There's a formal dining room, an outside garden with pear and quince trees, and a roof terrace with Alhambra views. House specialties include codillo asado con salsa de manzanilla (roast pork with dry sherry). The owner welcomes diners personally and keeps a very close eye on the kitchen.

Also known simply as Casa de Vinos (Wine House), this place, up a pedestrian street just behind Plaza Nueva, is a must for Spanish wine lovers. The cozy interior is reminiscent of a ship's cabin, with wood paneling lining the walls along with more than 200 bottles of Spanish wines. A different wine is featured each week, and vermouth and sherries are on tap in barrels behind the counter. Choose from tapas (€4.50–€7) or cold meats, cheeses, and pâtés, served on 11 different types and sizes of boards (€10–€25). The house board includes three cold meats, goat cheese, and two pâtés.

This lively bar (with sister branches on Plaza Nueva and in Calle Navas) is a big favorite with locals and draws crowds whatever the time of year. Specialties include fried fish and seafood—try the surtido de pescado (assortment of fried fish) to sample the best—as well as sesos (fried lambs' brains). No reservations are taken and seating is inside or outside with views of the Plaza de Bib-Rambla, so arrive early (1:30 pm or 8 pm) to grab some bar space or a tall table outside.

A block from the cathedral across Gran Vía, this is a delightfully typical Granada bodega with low ceilings and dark wood furniture. In addition to the wines, specialties here are plates of cheese, pâté, and embutidos (cold meats). You can also order a bandeja tradicional that comes with a taste of all traditional Spanish tapas or the value menú del día (weekday lunch only; €14).

Around the corner from the cathedral, this is one of Granada's longest-established fish restaurants. Catch-of-the-day fish and shellfish, fresh from the boats at Motril, are displayed in the window at the front of the tapas bar, adjacent to the cozy wood-paneled dining room. Fish both frito (fried) and parrillado (grilled) are good choices, and this is the only place in Granada serving angulas (glass eels). If it's chilly, you can warm up with caldereta de arroz, pescado y marisco (rice, fish, and seafood stew). There are tables outdoors overlooking a busy plaza.

Chef Nuria de la Torre's menu combines local staples with unusual partners. The lasagna has a venison base, asparagus pairs with smoked sardines, and Iberian pork steak comes with piquant Canary Island mojo picón sauce. The short but sweet dessert menu includes pineapple infused with ginger and cured goat’s cheesecake, plus a daily special. LP vinyls serve as placemats, the menu sits tucked inside Asterix albums, and corks line the walls checkered with cookbooks and Granada memorabilia. Book ahead for a guaranteed table.

Simply but tastily does it is the maxim here, one of the standout venues on the bustling restaurant strip. Julio and his chef have taken traditional recipes and fresh produce to create a menu combining local favorites (such as remojón granadino (cod and orange salad) and plato alpujarreño (meat, potatoes and egg) with Spanish classics like pulpo a la gallega (octopus) and croquettes. Dining is intimate, with fairy lights and trailing bougainvillea, and there’s a small outside terrace.

Even if you aren’t a vegan, the plant-based menu won’t disappoint at this quirky restaurant, located just a block east of Casa de los Tiros. You’ll find a good choice of food such as vegetable lasagna and seitan cordon bleu. Sit inside and take in the vibrant murals, or sit outside on the quiet terrace, blissfully sunny in winter and shady in summer.

Just off Calle Puentezuelas, this authentic patio complete with original pillars serves specials such as house cod (with prawns and clams), best enjoyed with a cerdito (a \"little pig\" ceramic jug of sweet white wine, so named for its snout pourer). This is a busy venue, especially on weekends, and reservations aren't accepted, so arrive early (1:30 pm for lunch or 8 pm for dinner) to snag a table. You can also put your name on the list and order a tapa at the bar while you wait.

One of the more sophisticated establishments on Plaza Bibrambla, this restaurant champions Andalusian produce, with the emphasis on seasonal and local goods. They include Pajuna cattle beef and pink tomatoes, in recipes taking the Mediterranean as their theme. You dine under the original wooden beams on comfy moss-green armchairs. The kitchen is open from 1 to 11 pm, and booking is advisable.   

The interior may look a bit bare, but whatever this fish restaurant lacks in warmth it makes up for with the food. It serves simple but high-quality dishes like grilled mullet, dorado baked in salt, prawns with garlic, and monkfish in saffron sauce. The tapas bar, which is more popular with locals than the dining room, offers classic dishes (from €2.50) like migas (fried bread crumbs), beans with jamón serrano (dry-cured Spanish ham), and tortilla del Sacromonte (tortilla with lamb testicles and brains, as traditionally prepared by the Sacromonte Gypsies). Service is friendly.

The Moroccan tapas at this small and bustling venue make a pleasant change from the traditional local fare. Tagine, couscous, and kefta are all menu staples. You’ll find a selection of Middle Eastern dishes as well, also available in vegetarian versions. Choose your complimentary tapa with your first drink and then go for more tapas (from €2) or sharing plates. The plato de degustación (selection of tapas) gives a good overview of the house best.

Sweet and savory treats come into their own at this family-owned business in the city center. Top of the specialty list are piononos (sponge bites filled with caramel and custard) and pastela (Moroccan chicken pie). Eat in with a drink at the bar or in the small cafeteria space, or take out to feast on in one of the nearby squares.

This bar and restaurant, just off Plaza Nueva, is in a 17th-century palace with a stunning patio (complete with original marble columns) and peaceful garden. The menu emphasizes meat dishes such as chuletas de cordero (lamb chops) and the house specialty, braised rabo de toro and giant croquettes known as croquetón. Eat in the lovely downstairs patio or in the elegant restaurant upstairs.

Run by Basque chef Álvaro Arriaga, this restaurant sits on the top floor of the Museo de la Memoria de Andalucía just outside the city (it's well worth the taxi drive) and has panoramic views of Granada with the Sierra Nevada behind. Choose from two tasting menus (€80 for six dishes and €100 for nine dishes), both with one surprise after another and available with Andalusian wine pairing.

A charming surprise nestled at the foot of the Albayzín by the Darro, this sleek contemporary space in the shadow of the Alhambra offers a selection of specialties. The diverse menu includes Spanish omelet with yellow chili, char-grilled avocado with fresh tuna, and grilled meats. There's also an extensive rice menu, including a vegetarian paella. The outermost tables on the terrace have stunning views of the Alhambra and its foothills, particularly at night. 

Underneath the arches just off Puerta Real, this modern bar and restaurant has a reputation for being one of Granada's chicest venues. It's known for fresh seafood, including oysters and red shrimp, though generous portions of chargrilled steaks, steak tartare, and fresh foie gras are a hit with carnivores. The cocktail list is extensive.