42 Best Restaurants in Costa del Sol, Costa Tropical, and Costa de Almería, 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.

One of the eastern Costa del Sol’s foodie treats sits in a pleasant central square with its signature ruby-red feature wall. Chef Sergio González combines the best of local produce with more exotic touches to perfection: the tuna tataki comes with custard apple; and duck, local mango, and grilled avocado accompany the tomato salad. Red tuna takes center stage on the seasonal menu, where you’ll also find fresh fish, grilled meats, and a short list of vegan choices. There are also good-value tasting menus (€70) and an extensive list of tapas that are a gourmet world apart from the rest of the bars in town and on a par with the best in Andalusia.

Set in the pine-clad foothills of Sierra Blanca with panoramic views of the Mediterranean, this “secret oasis in Marbella” offers Andalusian-French fusion cooking, with innovative dishes created by award-winning chefs (and brothers) Jacques and Matthieu Lagarde. Their maxim is sustainable local produce—they have their own garden and orchard, and forage in the nearby woods—and all dishes showcase the seasonal food calendar. Don’t miss the charcuterie of the day (the Lagardes make and cure their own), the butternut with Mexican red pipian or the fresh fish dishes. You’ll also find perhaps the only mashed potato with horseradish in southern Spain. Good-value tasting (€85) and lunchtime (€32) menus are available. The outside terrace enjoys a fresh breeze and sea views, while inside is rustic with an open fire for cooler days. La Cascada also has a pop-up, Le Patio, with quick bites and live music on July and August evenings. 

Sandwiched between the Museo Picasso and Fundación Picasso is one of Málaga's largest wine collections (there are more than 600 on the list). The two historic mansions that make up this restaurant include an original patio and 17th-century stone wine vats; you can sit on barstools in the beamed tapas section, where the walls are lined with dozens of wine bottles, or dine on the airy patio, which is covered with stained glass. Each of the creative dishes here can be paired with its own wine if you wish: crujiente de ternera (crispy beef) with fino sherry, for instance, and black cod with purple potato and coconut sauce arrive with white Málaga wine. Wine and olive-oil tasting sessions, led by the owner, are available on request.

Between the casco antiguo and the seafront, this innovative restaurant has an unpromising plain exterior, but forge ahead: the interior's contemporary elegance in gray tones and wood make for cozy surroundings for a quiet dinner from chef Mauricio Giovanni, who renewed his Michelin star in 2025. The seasonal tasting menu has an international slant, with more than a sprinkling of Spanish cuisine in its unusual fusion dishes, such as local mini shrimp with blue cheese and gazpachuelo soup with squid. If there are four of you, book the chef's table for a tailor-made menu and a more hands-on dining experience.

Mediterranean cuisine based on fresh, local produce takes center stage at this restaurant, which has both a minimalist, intimate dining room and a pleasant terrace that's heated in winter. The seasonal menu (it changes four times a year) highlights local fresh produce including fish. Service is excellent, and there's a good-value tasting menu (€65 for eight courses) and an extensive wine list.

Perched high in the hills above Fuengirola, this is one of the best fish restaurants on the Costa del Sol. Holder of regular and green Michelin stars, chef Diego Gallegos champions sustainable and healthy cuisine, and his on-site aquaponics facility raises most of the fish and vegetables used here. As a result, 90% of the ingredients are ‘homegrown’ with the remainder sourced locally. Freshwater fish such as trout and sturgeon take pride of place on the tasting menu (four aperitifs plus nine dishes), where you’ll also find organic caviar and smoked fish. 

This long-established vegetarian restaurant has a large, pleasant dining space decorated with vibrant artwork. It's best known for its excellent, vast, and bargain-priced lunchtime buffet, which includes salads and hot dishes like red-lentil croquettes, vegetable paella, and soy \"meatballs.\" Leave room for the house-made desserts, all delicious. Vegans are well catered to. Biodynamic wines and beer are available, as are more mainstream Spanish varieties.

Alquemy in the cuisine and cocktails comes into its own at this funky venue at the heart of the city center. The restaurant has a laboratory vibe, with nods to pop art and the Simpsons, while waiters wear lab coats and appetizers come in test tubes. Stars on the menu combining local produce with traditional recipes include the Peruvian sandwich, ensaladilla de gambas rojas (red shrimp salad) and croquetas de Carmela Morales (with 90% Iberian ham). Live DJ sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings.

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.

Around the corner from the Mercado de Atarazanas, this is Málaga's oldest bar, founded in 1840. Málaga wines and finos flow straight from the barrel, and the walls are lined with sepia photos of old Málaga—including some of Picasso. Wash your wine down with plates of cheese, shrimp, or cold cuts.

Tucked behind the Picasso Museum, Araboka has a well-deserved reputation as an excellent gastro bar serving Mediterranean dishes made from local produce. Inside, the restaurant is contemporary with low lighting and plant motifs on the walls, and outside there’s a pleasant terrace. Sharing plates is encouraged, and the maître d' offers good advice on wine pairing from the extensive list.

Andalusian cuisine meets Basque tradition at this authentic restaurant in the heart of the older part of Fuengirola. Dine on fresh local produce either outside on the pleasant corner terrace or inside the rustic dining room. The menu takes Andalusian cooking as its base but adds Basque traditional dishes in a unique and very tasty north-south fusion. Try the txangurro (Basque-style crab), milhoja de foie con queso, membrillo y manzana (mille-feuille with foie gras, quince, and apple), or the house specialty, duck. There's also the cozy Charolais Tapas bar next door where you can enjoy inexpensive tapas (from €2.50) and sharing plates. The wine list runs very long and staff offer good advice on pairing.

Tucked away to the north of the old quarter, a block from the Museum of Glass and Crystal, this bustling restaurant offers a range of traditional tapas and sharing plates, plus a good choice of rice dishes, all served in generous portions. The decor inside is eclectic, with vintage children’s bikes and amateur artwork taking center stage, while the small outside terrace (tables for two only) provides a quieter dining option. Despite the large number of tables inside and the rush of locals at weekends, service is efficient and always with a smile.

Just under the Don Pepe Hotel and right on the promenade, this is the perfect spot for some refreshment before or after a long stroll along the seafront. Done in orange and white with wicker chairs and navy director seats, this outdoor café--restaurant has a fitting nautical theme, and if the temperature drops, blankets and gas heaters are at the ready. Meals are available all day, starting with a range of breakfast options and continuing with brunch-style dishes such as Caesar salad with king prawns and omelets, or something a little more filling like minute steak. Drinks are on the expensive side, but the ocean view is well worth it.

Popular with malagueño families who flock here on weekends for the legendary fresh seafood, this restaurant seats 170 inside and 150 outside in an attractive square, one block back from the seafront. Try for a table overlooking the mermaid fountain. This is a good place to indulge in fritura malagueña (fried fish) or arroz marinera, one of 12 different rice dishes prepared here; others include lobster rice, vegetable rice, and black rice flavored with squid ink. The generous set menus feature different types of seafood, fish, or rice dishes. Service can be brisk and impersonal.

Right on the sands at the southwestern end of La Carihuela, this family-run restaurant has been serving up fresh fish and seafood for more than 50 years; not for nothing is it a regular winner of the best espetero (maker of grilled sardines) prize. 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.

If you've done any traveling on the Costa's main A7 highway, you've doubtless spotted this place, high in the pine-clad hills above the village—the views from the dining room stretch all the way to Africa on a clear day. The dishes, made with the freshest ingredients, have a definite touch of northern Spain, and the restaurant and tapas bar are both popular with a sophisticated Spanish clientele. Highlights include traditional stews such as fabes con almejas (beans with clams), creamy rice with king prawns, and steaks grilled over oak wood embers. There's an extensive wine list.

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.

Set among the Palm Walk near the cruise-ship terminal and with first-class views of the harbor, this restaurant has become a firm favorite with locals and visitors. Sit inside the modern glass cube for elegant dining or outside for a more informal meal (or just coffee). Try the homemade croquetas (croquettes) with squid and red pepper or octopus carpaccio for starters, and follow with one of the paellas—the highlight is the arroz caldoso con bogavante (creamy rice with lobster) or fresh fish. Make sure you leave plenty of room for the canutillos de almendra con mousse de chocolate blanco (almond snaps with white chocolate mousse). Service is friendly but slow when busy.

This bright and airy restaurant is one of the best spots in the village for quick bites (tapas start at €4), pastas and pizzas, or a more substantial fish or meat dish. Spanish classics such as patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) and croquettes sit alongside bao buns and tacos. There’s a good choice of salads and a range of dishes for vegetarians. The pleasant outside terrace looks out over the main square, with refreshing shade under the palm trees.

Just a block from Plaza de las Flores, a 200-year-old building hides this sleek, modern wine bar, serving some of the best tapas in town. Choose from a long list of hot and cold pinchos (small snacks)—the rabo de toro en hojaldre (oxtail in pastry) and graten de bacalao (cod gratin) are perennial favorites—tostas, and miniburgers, or from the à la carte menu, where meat dishes star. The wine list has more than 300 labels (including some of Spain's best), and the friendly staff can offer advice on pairing options.

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.

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 €4) 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.

Attached to the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, this small restaurant offers a range of Mediterranean dishes and sushi best enjoyed on the riverside terrace. Sharing plates include hummus or Vietnamese rolls with Málaga kid goat; highlights on the main menu are carrillada ibérica (stewed Iberian pork), tuna steak, and a long list of sushi. The terrace is also great for summer evening cocktails.

Located on the west side of town, about a 10-minute walk from the center, this modern restaurant specializes in rice dishes; there are 13 on the menu, including the signature baked rice with pork and the squid rice with prawns and chickpeas. Fideuá (similar to paella but made with noodles instead of rice) also features on the menu. There's a good choice of sharing plates of croquettes, cold cuts, and seafood, as well as innovative salads. Sit inside in the elegant dining room or outside on the shady terrace on the plaza. 

Chef Jose Antonio Moyano takes traditional Málaga cuisine and gives it an innovative twist in all his dishes. Go for local favorites such as the fideos tostados con alioli de pimientos asados (baked pasta with pepper aioli) and the daily stew, or the beetroot carpaccio with smoked eel or the calamar con crema de apio (squid with celery puree). Finish with the "salmon sandwich with chips" for dessert, one of the best culinary "deceptions" in the city. Many dishes come as halves or wholes, so you can share and try a variety of dishes. There are also two value tasting menus (€40 or €55), with wine pairing options available. The venue is small, so be prepared for an intimate dining experience.