If someone were to ask me what my favourite restaurants were on the Costa del Sol, I would probably identify ones located in Nerja. And I’m not really sure why that is. Part of it is likely because we have eaten out considerably more there than in any other town. Often, we have been in Nerja visiting and need to eat in a restaurant, and sometimes when we have stayed in Nerja, we have met friends in a restaurant.
Over the time of this stay, we did notice that things had changed quite a bit since we were last here. The pandemic, and the related reduction in the influx of visitors, caused a number of restaurants, which were all open the last time we were there, to temporarily shut down for either February or February and part of March. I’m sure this will swing back the other way as winter visitors increase. That said, there were still plenty of really good restaurants to choose from.
In general, there are great restaurants all up and down the Costa, and we truly love the food experience in Spain -both purchased and cooked at home meals, and meals we have had in restaurants. I think this is related to European culture in general. My impression is that food is valued and grown and sold in a manner that ensures taste and quality.
It also seems that the restaurant experience is more greatly valued and practiced in Europe. If you are going to a restaurant in Spain, you are usually there for an extended experience, not a quick bite followed by a quick departure. I think diners have come to expect quality food when they dine, and those preparing and serving the food take pride in putting great food on the table to be enjoyed.
But maybe that’s just me.
RESTAURANT DINING IN SPAIN
Before I start this little dive down into the restaurants we enjoy dining at in Nerja, I think I need to provide some details about how restaurant life in Spain differs from the experience in Canada.
The Lunch Hour
Lunchtime occurs at a very different point in the day than it does here. The official lunch break, during which many businesses are closed, typically runs from 2 PM to either 4:30 or 5 PM. Many restaurants will not even open their doors until 1:30 PM.
That’s not to say you won’t be able to get lunch at noon like you may typically be doing at home. Several types of restaurants are open all day, like “Cafeterias”. And others can be found which know “on which side their bread is buttered” and will open earlier for ex-pats and tourists.
Tipping
As you have probably heard, regarding about all of Europe, tipping is not expected the same way in Spain as it is at home. If you really enjoyed your meal, it is common practice to leave the coins that make up your change. There is certainly no obligation to leave 15% or 18% of the bill.
By way of example, if we had a lunch that cost us €17.27, I will normally leave the €2.73 change as a tip out of a €20 bill. If we have really enjoyed the meal and the dining experience provided by the staff, we might tip as much as 10%.
The Bill (La Cuenta)
As I have reported previously, wait-staff will not bring you your bill in a restaurant until you ask for it… that would be very rude. Part of the reason for this is that in Europe, restaurants aren’t rushing to turn over the tables to get more diners in each and every day. If you go out for dinner especially, it is understood that the table is yours for the evening. You are not going to get rushed out.
When you feel you are finished and it’s time to go In Spain, you simply say “la cuenta, por favor” (the check, please). Sometimes it will even take a few minutes for you to catch a waiter’s eye to ask for the bill because they are not constantly scanning the room and looking for people who they think should be leaving. All of this is a very lovely aspect of dining in Spain.
Payment
A second thing we noticed this year that was different from our first stay in Nerja, was that restaurants were now all happy to take charge cards, where previously no business wanted any part of them and the high fees the card issuers charged restaurants to use them. I suspect this change is related to fear of Covid infected Euros.
Menú del Día
A very important aspect of eating in restaurants in Spain that you need to know about is the “Menú del Día”. Oddly enough, this concept was initiated by Franco in 1964 and made into law in 1965. It may well have been the only good thing he ever did. 🙂
Because the main meal takes place mid-day in Spain, he mandated that all restaurants had to offer a three-course meal at a reasonable price on weekdays. This popular concept has continued over the years.
The Menú del Día generally includes three courses: Primero (starter), Segundo (main course), Postre o cafe (dessert or coffee). I have to report that we avail ourselves of it whenever we are eating at a restaurant mid-day where possible.
THE RESTAURANTS
I would like to tell you about some restaurants that we have eaten in and would not hesitate to recommend to Snow-birders. You never really know if someone else will like what you like, but a recommendation is a good starting point if you are new to town.
And why not develop a little ranking system to let you know how much you should expect to pay at each of these places. The rankings, designated by a number of euro symbols (€), represent both food and drink costs per person.
€ – €5-€10 PP, €€ – €10-€20 PP, €€€ – €20-€30 PP, €€€€ – €30 plus PP
La Bottega €€€
I’m going to begin with a restaurant we ate at this year on our very first and last nights in Nerja. To be honest, we only ended up eating there the day we arrived, because we didn’t want to have to rush out and grab groceries and prepare something for ourselves after a day of travel from Madrid. We simply walked down the line of restaurants adjoining the complex where we stayed in 2018 and seemed to remember eating in this one and having a good experience.
We were both taken aback by how good the food was. The Love-goddess had a seafood pasta, and I had a Spaghetti Bolognese. Both dishes were considerably better than what we expected. Spaghetti Bolognese is a very straightforward comfort food dish and I think it would be difficult for a restaurant to do anything different to it that would get someone’s attention. The chef at La Bottega did exactly that. I’m not sure exactly what he or she did to it, but I enjoyed every bite.
Let’s have a look!
“Photo Carousel” – Once again, I am using the “Carousel” format to present the photos in the best possible manner. You click on the first photo (top-left) in a grouping to start the Carousel.
Mira Sol €
You’re correct, if you have been reading all my articles about Nerja, you know that I have already written about this restaurant once. That said, I’m going to do it again because I think this type of restaurant is one that people really should know about when travelling in Spain. If you have already read my piece where I spoke about “Cafeterias”, then you can just skip over this one.
Mira Sol is a Cafeteria style restaurant. All that means is that it is open all day long. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not all restaurants do this. My experience has been that they are generally less expensive than many others, but still, they usually have very good food.
You may find that a Cafeteria becomes your go to restaurant when you just want to avoid cooking and aren’t looking for a new or exciting dining experience.
Marisqueria Puerta del Mar €€€
Marisqueria Puerta del Mar is a semi formal seafood restaurant overlooking the Balcon de Europa. A room with a view that provides great service and food.
And it is the sort of place that provides you with an Amuse Bouche before you begin your meal.
Restaurante Pacomari €€€
Restaurante Pacomari was my original “go to” restaurant in Nerja. A friend, who is a retired chef, insisted we meet there for lunch when we were in town to pick up another friend in 2019. At the time, the Menú del Día was still €9.95. Amazing value, and extremely good food. We have returned to eat there a number times over the years, and we did so a couple of times again this year.
The price of the Menú del Día has gone up noticeably because of inflation, of course. But even at the increased price of €18.50, the food selections on offer still provide very good value.
Meson Jose Y Victoria €€€
Meson Jose Y Victoria is a place around the corner from where we have stayed both times in Nerja. Every time we walked by it in the past, I inevitably said to the Love-goddess “we have to eat there one night.” This may well have taken place 50 times. Well, we finally got around to it in the last week before we headed home this year.
It is a warm and welcoming place to eat, and as expected, the food was great. I would have to say that the service was quite amusing. Our server was a young woman who had clearly never worked in a restaurant before, and this was her first night on the job. We did our best to help her out. The owner took over at one point, and sent her out in search of a left-handed screwdriver I believe. 🙂
Apparently, Jose and Victoria, no longer own and operate the place. The owner… at least one of them anyway… Is a woman from Belgium, who functions as the “front of the room”. She is an affable, charming woman, and I am sure that people return regularly because of her warm welcoming approach with diners. I got to speak French with her throughout the entire evening, so that was an added bonus.
The Interior of the restaurant is small and intimate… i.e. limited seating, so we made a reservation in advance. I’m sure we would not have found a table if we had just walked up. Every unoccupied table inside had a “Reservado” sign on it.
I forgot to pick up the receipt, but I recorded in my tracking spreadsheet that dinner was €65 including a very generous tip. We had three courses each and drinks. And once again, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, and we ordered way more food than we needed. We were offered a lovely Amuse Bouche gazpacho like soup to begin the evening as well. Our host told us after we placed our orders with the young woman that the next time, we should only order one tapa and share it… sage like advice. 🙂
The large table of folks outside knew all the words to a Joni Mitchell tune so obviously from Canada. They were singing along to the street musician in question, who they had sitting and playing for them. I don’t think this was the first time this had happened. One of the diners even had her own guitar with her for the evening. They were all from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick except for one couple who were from Quebec.
Let’s give them a listen.
Sal & Pimienta (Salt and Pepper) €€
My friend, the retired chef, did not make it to Nerja this winter. So, we went to the restaurant he identified as his favourite in town, Sal & Pimienta. He didn’t tell me why it was his favourite restaurant… I will ask him the next time I see him.
I never use TripAdvisor, but when searching for information about the restaurant, it popped up. I had to agree with the most common sentiment expressed about it “Good food, good prices, good experience overall”.
OTHER OPTIONS
To wrap this all up, a couple of places we have been to before that we liked but didn’t get to this year. And one place I’d really like to try the next time I’m in town.
Antica Roma
Antica Roma is the very first restaurant we ever ate at in Nerja. It is a lovely Italian restaurant with excellent food and the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. The only reason we did not get there this year is because it wasn’t open. We weren’t sure if it had gone out of business, or if they were simply closed for February and March. I am hoping that they were just closed for the winter. If it is open when you ARE there, check it out.
Bar La Puntilla
Bar La Puntilla is a classic tapa bar that essentially has two separate rooms. One is a full restaurant, while the second is a bar. We have never drunk or eaten in the bar, but I understand that if you order a drink, you get a complementary tapa with it. I will confirm this the next time I am in town. 🙂 We last ate there in 2018.
The separate bar is to the left… That’s how I remember it anyway.
Classic Spanish dining.
Bar Redondo
Bar Redondo is another tapa bar that was recommended to us. We did not get there, but it is on the list for the next time we are in town.
Check out their website.
And there you have it, my take on a few restaurants we think you might find worthy of a visit the next time you are in Nerja. Bon appétit!
The photos are great. Very appetizing Greg. You and Carol have had such a wonderful time in Spain. Good for you!