Best Restaurants in Nerja (The Ultimate Foodie Guide!)
If you’ve just booked your trip to Nerja or are already there and wondering where to eat, this guide has you covered.
Nerja is an hour drive from my hometown, so I go there a few times a year. I love spending time there and discovering new bars and restaurants.
In this foodie guide, I’ve compiled some of my favourite places to eat in Nerja and a few that are on my list because I haven’t had the time to try them, but friends have recommended me.
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Best restaurants in Nerja
Oculto Restaurante
❤️ Best for a romantic meal
I discovered this restaurant on social media. I follow some fellow content creators, and I was convinced the moment I saw the food in their videos.
The concept is also cool and part of the food experience.
You must book a table online on their website, and you can’t just turn up at the place, especially because you need a code to enter the restaurant.
They’ll send you the code a few hours before your reservation.
When you get there, enter the code, and the door will automatically open.
My partner and I were welcomed by the receptionist, who was right after the door, and then one of the waiters came to take us to our table.
I loved the decor, modern and elegant, and the atmosphere was great, very cosy.
I can confirm that the food is really good, too. You find international dishes with a twist that are made with local products.
I had the guacamole made with regional foods like the avocado from La Axarquia region, which is the one where Nerja is, and cheese from Ronda. It was packed with flavour and a bit of spice, but not too much.
I also enjoyed the salmon topped with a pistachio crumb.
Despite the prices, which are higher than in other restaurants, it’s worth trying. It’s a good option if you want to treat your other half.
Bar La Puntilla
🐟 Best for fish and seafood
If you fancy traditional local food, La Puntilla Bar is a good choice.
During my last weekend in Nerja, Tanya, the owner of the accommodation I stayed in, recommended this place.
The restaurant is divided into two sections: the bar and the restaurant.
The bar is perfect for a round of tapas, whereas the restaurant is best for a sit-down meal.
I opted for the second option and ordered croquetas, grilled monkfish and pil pil prawns.
My favourite out of the three was the prawns. They were garlicky and so flavoursome.
The looks aren’t amazing, as is the case with many local restaurants, but the food is.
Mena Garden
🥪 Best for a light lunch
Mena Garden is a lovely place to have drinks, breakfast or a light meal.
One of my favourite things about it is its outdoor seating area, which is surrounded by trees. Having a meal here always feels peaceful.
Food-wise, they have a good breakfast selection, from toasts with a wide array of toppings to croissants and eggs.
This restaurant is a short walk from Balcon de Europa, and the prices are reasonable, so it’s a win-win.
Ayo
🥘Best for paella
Are you looking for a beach bar with a laid-back vibe?
Ayo in Burriana Beach is very popular: you’d think that it’s known for its fish dishes like most beach bars, but it’s actually famous for its wooden fire paellas.
The place has no wow factor, but you’ll enjoy watching them prepare huge paellas.
The portions are generous, and although their paellas can’t be compared with Valencian ones, they are good.
If you don’t fancy having paella, they also serve delicious espetos, the sardine skewers typical of Malaga.
Bear in mind that If you go during peak season, aka summer, you might struggle to get a table here. I recommend going for lunch as soon as it opens.
Bar El Pulguilla
🍲Best for tapas
El Pulguilla is another classic bar in the historic centre of Nerja. It’s popular among locals and travellers.
It’s an old-style restaurant serving authentic Spanish tapas and dishes. The atmosphere is always lively whether you sit in the bar or the street-side seating.
Every drink you order, whether it’s a soft or alcoholic one, comes with a tapa. However, if you want to have more of a meal, order a ración, which is bigger than a tapa.
They have a fantastic selection of fish and seafood dishes, from grilled squid, clams, and sardines to pil pil prawns, but you can also have everyone’s favourite patatas bravas or the traditional fried aubergines with honey.
Believe me, there are many good options!
Namaste Nepalese-Indian Restaurant
🍛Best for curries
Do you love Indian food? Well, luckily, Nerja has quite a few Indian restaurants in the old town.
If you’re from the UK, I want to warn you that you won’t have the best curry of your life in Nerja or Spain.
Having lived in England for some time, I can say that Indian restaurants are really good, especially the ones I tried in the north!
However, that doesn’t mean the curries aren’t nice, but most are quite mild.
Namaste Nepalese-Indian Restaurant has lovely curries. We tried the tikka masala and Karahi, which were different from the regular ones but still good.
The staff is very friendly, and we loved sitting on their outdoor terrace.
A vegetarian friend recommended this restaurant, so they have good veggie options!
Best cafes, bakeries and ice cream shops in Nerja
Nybakat Bakery
🍰 Best for pastries
Located next to Burriana Beach, this bakery is a fantastic place to grab breakfast, lunch or something sweet.
They have another bakery in Marbella, so this is their second location, but it still feels like a small independent bakery.
I went there for breakfast and had freshly baked ciabatta bread with tomato and olive oil (pan con tomate). It was delicious. I could tell the quality.
My partner had pain au chocolate and was flaky and had a generous amount of chocolate. The orange juice was good, too.
The only thing I would say is that you need to order in the till. Then they’ll bring the food to you. This is a bit different from most food places in Spain, where you order at the table.
I would have loved to try something from their cake selection. Everything looked amazing.
Heladeria Tropy Sol
🍦Best for ice cream
I had to include another sweet option, and this one is especially for ice cream lovers. Okay, I’m not the biggest fan of ice cream, but my partner is, and he doesn’t miss an opportunity to have one regardless of the weather.
This cafe and ice cream shop in Burriana Beach is worth visiting. You can order a cone or a tub and leave, but I recommend checking out their menu, which includes sundaes.
Yes, banana split, strawberries and ice cream, and so much more. My partner ordered the mint sundae, and it was huge. When you look at the picture included in the menu, the sundae looks a reasonable size, but when they bring it to you, it’s completely different.
Not that he complained of having a huge sundae to himself!
I ordered a hot drink, and I loved that it came with mini ice cream. It was a lovely touch. They do it with every hot drink you order as I saw others being served one with their coffee.
Things to know when eating in Nerja
- Restaurants are usually open from 1 pm to 4 pm. The kitchen usually closes around 3:30 pm. This is good to keep in mind. Dinners are generally from 8 pm to 11 pm.
- If you aren’t very hungry, opt to eat tapas over a meal. If you want a bigger portion of that tapa you can order a ración.
- Most places will bring a bread basket. You’ll be charged for it, so if you don’t want it, let them know as soon as they try to put it down on your table.
- Whether you have an allergy, intolerance or food preference, let them know as soon as you arrive or book online. It’s also worth checking out the menu online if they have one. However, apps do sometimes help. For example, if you’re vegan, check out HappyCow.
- Tipping isn’t expected. The truth is that we Spaniards don’t usually tip; if we do, it isn’t more than 5 euros.
Map with cafes and restaurants in Nerja
Click on the map below to open it in Google Maps. You can access directions to the places to eat mentioned in this article.
Conclusion
I feel like the culinary experience in Nerja is good, but there are other places offering a wider range of restaurants, including Michelin stars, like Marbella or Ronda.
In any case, I hope you enjoy eating your way through Nerja!
If you have any questions about visiting Nerja or its surroundings, check out my Facebook group. The perfect place to connect with me and other travellers.
Cristina x
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