LÚ COCINA Y ALMA Two Michelin Stars (new 2025) Chef Juanlu Fernandez began his career as an artisan pastry chef, then moved through the kitchens of many of Spain’s great chefs. Exploring his passion for French cuisine and merging it with the traditional Andalusian cuisine of his hometown of Jerez de la Frontera. The restaurant's visual impact is prominent here. The kitchen stands in the centre of the dining room, enabling the chefs to interact more closely with guests and

MARISQUERÍA FREIDURÍA SALVADOR Y LUCAS We are still in the little fishing village of Pedregalejo, and this time, we headed to Marisquería Freiduría Salvador y Lucas. Again, the restaurant is on the road running parallel to the paseo and the beach, which is home to many more restaurants. The food is spectacular, a real spectacle. Nothing, absolutely nothing, of what you order will be tasteless or past its best. They always use the correct frying oil (not always the case elsew

It is not easy to have a tapas bar crawl in Marbella, at least, not in the strict sense of the term, as the bars are not very close together. So we were pleasantly surprised with our evening stroll in mid-January. The town’s geography is quite peculiar, without a clearly defined old town or centre, which means there can be a bit of walking between bars. There are various styles here, including tapas and pintxos, markets and seafood cuisine, from traditional small wineries to

PRIMITIVO RESTAURANTE To get to this restaurant, head east, along the coastal road from Málaga for about 6 km, and you will arrive in Pedregalejo. It's a pleasant 30- to 40-minute walk or a short taxi ride from Málaga centre. The still, very traditional village of Pedregalejo has retained its local character and charm, avoiding the ruin caused by tourism. This old fishing village is now known for its excellent restaurants, which line the promenade next to the beach. In the

RESTAURANTE LA ESCOLLERA La Escollera has been in Puerto de Estepona since 1940. The long-standing harbour-side restaurant, with a large terrace, is one of the best places to enjoy stunning, fresh seafood in Estepona. The restaurant is old school and not fancy. There is an extensive menu featuring freshly caught, local fish, right from the fish market. Fresh fish arrives from the sea in the morning, and you can enjoy it at your table for lunch or dinner within hours. You will

ASADOR LA CHUMBERA MIchelin Plate IIO Update January 2026: Asador La Chumbera has moved from its original place just outside Agua Amarga to a new spot overlooking the beach in what was previously the Restaurante Playa. It is still hands down one of the best restaurants in the Cabo de Gata, and its new idyllic location overlooking Agua Amarga’s stunning little beach adds to the enjoyment. The handling of the grill is still masterful. Highly, highly recommended if you’re in t

CASA BIGOTE      Michelin Bib Gourmand It was in 1951 when a local sailor, Fernando Hermoso, opened a despacho de Vinos selling manzanilla to fishermen. Fernando grew an Errol Flynn-style moustache, and his friends started calling him “El Bigote”.   Manzanilla, a salty, extremely dry sherry (the salt comes from the local bodegas’ proximity to the sea air), originates from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and you will still find it on almost every table. In 1970, Fernando Jr. took over

ASADOR LA CASTILLERÍA To reach this meat mecca, just outside the pretty Andalusian hill-top village of Vejer de la Frontera, you must go up an extremely small road, but it is well worth the effort. You will find it is an idyllic setting amongst the trees, which ensures it is coolish on warm nights. Juan Valdés and Ani Melero run the restaurant. The restaurant is a selector, ager, ripener and steakhouse all in one. There are only a few of these around, and here they have their

TABERNA LA NIÑA DEL PISTO This is one of our favourite bars/restaurants in the old town of Marbella. You will find it hidden, down a small, narrow pasaje (passageway), but you won’t if you don’t pay attention to where you are going. This authentic Andalusian tapas bar is always busy with locals and tourists alike and is reputedly the oldest tapas bar in the Marbella area. The bar area inside is very traditional, beautifully decorated, with many photos of bullfighting scenes

VENTA EL TORO This is a small, discreet, countryside Venta without any pretensions. There are a few tables with a bar inside, and two terraces where most of the action takes place. Inside tables are used in more inclement weather. The terrace across the road runs over the stream that runs through Santa Lucía. Some of these tables were already reserved, so I suggest arriving early or making a reservation. The traditional inside area is wall-to-wall with their bullfighting phot