Restaurants in Granada
The gastronomy of Granada draws heavily on the city’s Arab past, involving spices, almonds, and fruit in many dishes. As well as Andalucian standards, there are some unusual regional delicacies: habas con jamón (fava beans with ham), plates of snails, and the challenging tortilla del Sacromonte—a version of Spanish omelet that might include lamb’s brains and testicles. You’ll also see numerous Moroccan teahouses (teterías) and restaurants serving couscous and harira, a spicy chickpea and lentil soup. While the tourist traps on Calle Elvira and Plaza Bib-Rambla are best avoided, the quality on restaurant-lined Calle Navas is generally good.
Granada is one of the last cities in Spain where you can expect a free plate of tapas with every drink you order. In some bars, the portion sizes are so generous that it’s possible to dine out on moderately priced drinks alone.
Some argue that in a world of rising food prices this appealing tradition is no longer sustainable. So far that has been resisted, but Granada’s gastronomic landscape is changing. In what was once a fine dining wilderness, a new wave of contemporary restaurants is offering sophisticated tasting menus, bringing Instagram food fans and perhaps a more viable revenue model. Our listings recommend both approaches.
At around 6pm many locals indulge in chocolate con churros (doughnut sticks dipped in hot chocolate). Although this may be an acquired taste for some, chocoholics will love it. You can enjoy it at virtually any cafe within the city limits.
And we must give a shout out to López Mezquita Café Pastelería, Calle de los Reyes Católicos 3941 (tel. 95-822-12-05), is in the center of the city. With its rustic decor, the cafe has a warm, inviting ambience. You can enjoy various cheeses from the province of Granada, along with spicy chorizo sausage pies. Pastry specialties, costing from 4€ , include pastela monunos, which can be filled with many different ingredients -- meat, chicken, prunes, dried grapes, nuts, and more. Our favorite is cuajado de carnaval, a mousselike concoction made with seasonal fruit. The turnovers filled with fish or chicken are another tasty specialty.
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13 Results
- Seafood
Bar Los Diamantes
Frying fish for granadinos since 1942, Los Diamantes now has several bars across town. The original on Calle Navas is fabulous but hectic. As reservations aren’t possible, the larger branch on Plaza Nueva may be more practical. If you want a full meal, ask for a table. If you prefer…Centro - Tapas
Bodegas Castañeda
Founded in 1927 just off Calle Elvira, this is a must-visit for tapas and atmosphere. It is a classic wine dispensary with barrels behind the bar and hams above it. If you can grab a table inside or out, order the signature cold or hot platter (tabla fría/caliente) from a roving…$Centro Botánico
Located on a small plaza west of the cathedral near the university’s law school, Botánico wears many different hats through the day and night. Most of the time it’s a bright and cheery cafe-bar where you can get tapas and a beer or a coffee, though it also serves a full, inexpensive…$Around Town- Andalucian
Chikito
Back in the 1920s, this was the location of the Alameda café, where Federico García Lorca and his artistic circle El Rinconcillo used to meet. A statue of Lorca seated at a corner table marks the spot. The atmosphere seems little changed from those days, and although you’ll find…$$Centro - Seafood
Cunini Restaurante & Marisquería
In a city that’s extraordinarily generous with free tapas, Cunini is more generous than most. You can sample a cross section of the seafood menu here by standing at the undulating marble bar and ordering a few drinks. The tapas seem to get better with each, and that’s not just the…$$Centro - Contemporary Granadan
Damasqueros
The name of this delightful contemporary restaurant refers to the artists who create traditional Arab Damascene jewelry through a delicate fusing of gold and steel. It’s a fitting metaphor for Chef Lola Marín’s cooking, which marries traditional Granadan dishes with modern…$$$Centro El Huerto de Juan Ranas
Chef-owner Juan Ranas is a romantic when it comes to dining, and his “garden” at one corner of the Mirador San Nicolás assumes a kind of fairytale elegance once the candles are lit. He serves an excellent tapas menu in the garden terrace upstairs, including his creamy croquettes. The…$$$Around Town- Andalucian
El Rincón de Julio
Julio himself will greet you at this popular spot on Calle Navas and will recommend the traditional specialties almost everyone chooses. Start with half a dozen mixed croquetas flavored with chicken and mushrooms in a recipe by Julio’s mother-in-law. They’ll be freshly deep-fried in…$$Centro - Andalucian
Los Manueles
Some worry about the rise of American fast-food chains on Granada’s traditional food scene. It’s hard to understand the appeal when they have Los Manueles. This local chain, now with half a dozen branches in town, has been serving up the Andalucian equivalent of fast-food since…$Centro - Andalucian/Fusion
María de la O
In a beautiful 19th- century palace well away from the tourist center, this chic and spacious restaurant has won plaudits for its modern cooking rooted in Andalucian tradition. You can go à la carte or choose the lengthy tasting menu, in which Chef Chechu González combines high-end…$$$Genil Restaurante Ruta del Azafrán
Contemporary Spanish cooking with a decidedly North African accent is only half the attraction here. There are also great views (looking up) of the Alhambra, and a range of menu choices from inexpensive couscous to veal steaks with foie gras. Most plates are intended to be light and…$Around TownRestaurante Sevilla
Now run by the Alvarez brothers (Dany the chef and Jorge the maître d’), this old-fashioned favorite sits on a tiny street near the cathedral. So modest is the entrance that you might hear a guitarist playing a Manuel de Falla tune before you find the door. But Restaurante Sevilla…$Around TownTaberna Granados
More than a hundred years old and lovingly restored, Granados is one of the city’s most appealing bars. It is situated away from the main tourist center towards the Genil river and frequented mainly by locals who come for the fine selection of vermouths and sherries; the friendly,…
