8 Best Restaurants in Andalusia, Spain

Excellent tapas (try the lamb kebab with dates and couscous), a lively bar, and an extensive wine list await at this restaurant run by the fifth generation of a family of celebrated restaurateurs. The menu focuses on traditional, home-cooked Andalusian dishes, such as cod in a green sauce, pork fillet in whiskey, and cola de toro guisado con salsa de vino tinto (stewed oxtail in red wine sauce). Don't miss the fried eggplant stuffed with prawns or the lamb meatballs. If you want a quiet meal, call to reserve a table in one of the small upstairs rooms.

This eatery has a rustic atmosphere with arches, wooden beams, and a fireplace for winter nights. In summer you can often enjoy live music and sometimes flamenco dancing while you dine. The chef has worked at several top restaurants, and his menu includes traditional grilled meats as well as innovative twists on classic dishes, such as Iberian ham croquettes with curry and Amontillado mayo or rodaballo con velouté de palo cortado (skate with sherry velouté). Try the sherry menú de degustación (€67): five courses, each accompanied by a different type of sherry. Both the tapas menu and the wine list are excellent.

At this adventurous restaurant just off the main street, the chef prepares both Spanish classics, like white shrimp from Huelva and slow-roasted local lamb and goat, as well as innovative dishes like sashimi de atún rojo con ajo blanco de piñones (red tuna with pine nut garlic soup) and lomo de ciervo en escabeche (venison steak in pickled sauce). The candle-filled interior is more traditional than the bar and has terra-cotta tiles, dark wood furnishings, and crisp white linens. There are also plenty of roast meats. Vegetarian choices such as risotto can be prepared on request.

Colorful and informal, this spot near the beach is known for its fried acedia (a type of small sole) and langostinos, which come from these very waters. The seafood paella is also catch-of-the-day fresh. In summer, the place gets packed with vacationers and locals.

Geared toward a tourist clientele, this place is always packed, noisy, and fun, and there is live Spanish guitar music on the roof terrace most summer nights. Antiques and some wonderful old oil paintings fill this three-floor labyrinth of rooms just around the corner from the mosque, near the Judería. A full selection of tapas and house specialties includes cochinillo (crispy suckling pig) and the solidly traditional rabo de toro. The croquetas de jamón are reputedly the best in town. Bookings are only taken through the website.

This Bajo de Guía landmark, with a large terrace overlooking the water, serves delicious tuna tartare, chocos (cuttlefish), and exquisite locally caught langostinos de Sanlúcar, particularly recommended when washed down with a glass of local manzanilla. The dining area overlooks the large, busy tapas bar.

Exquisite Andalusian food with a contemporary twist is served at this somber yet elegant restaurant with three small dining rooms, all with cherrywood-paneled walls and dramatic contemporary artwork. Try the arroz de cigala y espárragos verdes (rice with crayfish and asparagus) or bacalao con crema de espinacas y garbanzos fritos (cod with spinach and fried chickpeas).

Underneath the arches just off Puerta Real, this modern bar and restaurant has a reputation for being one of Granada's most chic 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, and G&T lovers delight in the choice of 33 gins.