The Mediterranean Insider

Granada, Spain

Granada’s 5 best restaurants (and must-try dishes)

The Mediterranean • Eat & drink • Granada’s 5 best restaurants (and must-try dishes)

The guide to Granada’s best restaurants

Granada knows how to tempt you – one glance at a table set with chilled vermouth, paper-thin jamón and still-warm bread is all it takes. Set between the sun-drenched hills of Andalusia, Spain, Granada is more than its famous Alhambra or winding Albaicín lanes. Granada’s dining scene rewards those willing to slow down and look past the first round of tapas. In a city where meals stretch late and recipes echo both Moorish history and modern invention, finding your table is half the fun. So, here’s our guide to the five best restaurants in Granada – and the dishes you simply can’t leave without trying.

Top photography courtesy of María de la O

María de la O

Set in a restored villa overlooking the Genil River, María de la O makes an immediate impression – spacious terraces, tiled floors and a dining room that shifts between old-world detail and contemporary polish. Chef Chechu González heads the kitchen, cooking up a tasting menu that explores the landscape and history of Andalusia. The kitchen’s take on slow-cooked lamb with hints of cumin and smoked aubergine or seasonal artichokes, flash-grilled and dressed in herbed olive oil, is a house signature. While the ajo blanco, a silky almond soup, is topped with pickled cherries when in season – a nod to Granada’s long history of blending sweet and savoury.

María de la O
Ctra. de la Sierra
Genil
Granada
Spain

Photography courtesy of María de la O

Cala

There’s a calm, residential ease to Cala, a few blocks from the city’s main avenues. Inside, the space is pared-back – bare wood, pale plaster and big windows that catch the light. Chef Samuel Hernández runs a kitchen with a market-driven ethos, featuring seafood and produce sourced daily from local suppliers. The arroz meloso de mariscos (creamy rice with seafood) is a must-try, cooked to order with prawns, cuttlefish and a homemade fish stock. Also, give the white asparagus ajo blanco with oyster a try – a delicate pairing of creamy cold garlic-almond soup and a fresh oyster. The wine list is quite adventurous, with a focus on biodynamic and small-batch Spanish producers – ask your server to help you pair the perfect wine with your dish.

Cala
C. José Luis Pérez Pujadas 2
Ronda
Granada
Spain

Photography courtesy of Cala

Arriaga

If you’re after views alongside inventive food, Arriaga is your spot. Set on the top floor of the Centro Cultural CajaGranada Memoria de Andalucía, Arriaga offers breathtaking glass-walled views over Granada and the Sierra Nevada. The dining room is understated, with clean lines, neutral tones and just a few statement pieces of art. Chef Álvaro Arriaga, originally from the Basque Country, brings precision and lightness to his Andalusian ingredients. The signature dish you should try is the Rape de Motril (monkfish from Motril) – grilled Motril monkfish, charred onion and emulsion of aged beef fat – a masterful surf-and-turf. For those looking to explore, the tasting menu is the way to go, weaving together land and sea in a handful of precise, balanced courses.

Arriaga
Av. de la Ciencia 2
Ronda
Granada
Spain

Photography courtesy of Arriaga

Damasqueros

Damasqueros is housed in a narrow, 10-table space in Granada’s historic Realejo quarter. The interior is simple and intimate – light wood floors, leather‑bench seating, a bar that leads into the dining room – creating a sense of being both warmly welcomed and part of something special. Led by chef Lola Marín, the restaurant serves a single tasting menu, changing weekly to reflect seasonal produce. Sustainability is central – Marín works closely with regional farmers and fishermen, underscored by her belief that “high cuisine is inseparable from sustainable sourcing”. Dishes are composed in small, artfully plated courses like Motril quisquilla prawns with chickpeas and lime, followed by slow‑braised San Pascual veal shank with ajillo sauce (Spanish sauce made with garlic, olive oil and chilli peppers).

Damasqueros
C. Damasqueros 3
Centro
Granada
Spain

Photography courtesy of Damasqueros

Pimienta Rosa

Pimienta Rosa feels like an insider’s find – a low-key dining room on a quiet street, filled with natural light and the gentle clatter of plates. Its blue façade lures you in and inside, it’s all about charm and comfort. Intimate bistro tables, soft lighting and walls adorned with bird wallpaper and lush hanging plants. Whether you’re seated inside or on the shaded terrace, the ambience is warm and inviting. The menu balances Andalusian roots with lighter, modern flavours. Give the Ensalada de Burrata with Tomatoes & Pesto Foam a try – creamy burrata, fresh tomatoes and a tasty pesto foam. Another favourite is the Arroz Seco de Presa Ibérica – dry-style rice with Iberian pork and artichokes, a must-try main.