Where to Eat & Drink

There are lots of lovely little restaurants dotted around the Lecrin Valley. Some all year round and some seasonal.

Below is a fairly extensive selection, recommended by locals!

DURCAL

El Molino del Puente. Fairly upmarket traditional dishes, organic and local, naturally grown produce. Two lovely areas: indoor dining and a large outdoor terrace and BBQ in the summer (El Restaurante del Lago). Also a bar connected to the terrace which is lovely for a drink or coffee. T: 652345096.

Chambao El Vizco is fantastic and a bit off the beaten track. It’s next to the river, under the bridge opposite the Hotel Restaurant Bio Durcal. Fri, Sat, Sun 12 midday until late.  Garden. Also open Weds Thurs in the Summer from 1800 only – Mondays and Tues closed). Teléfono: 958 781 965

Meson La Buhardilla in the corner of Plaza Magnolios. Open all week, but Spanish kitchen hours, so lunch from 13.00 till 16.00 and diner from 20.30 till 23.00. It has a few tables outside where they serve drinks and tapas. T 958 781 546 Click Here

El Zahor – restaurant and hostel with huge garden area.  Dinners and normal service + big parties and weddings etc.  Family run serving great selection of traditional Spanish food. Ctra Bailén-Motril s/n 18650-Dúrcal, Teléfono: 958 780 101 / Fax: 958 797 165, info@elzahor.es, http://www.elzahor.es/. Open every day 10h a 24h.

NIGUELAS

la Lolina (formerly Osa Mayor) on the same road as the Alqueria on the way to Durcal from Niguelas. Summer bar and terrace with regular nights of live music in an open-air setting. Wi-fi and private off-road parking available. Camino de Durcal 26, Nigüelas, Spain. Call +34 636 04 78 94. Open Weds-Sunday from 19:00. Facebook page. 

El Rincon de Miguel (or Miguel’s) – down at the bottom of the village by the carpark. Brilliant for a lazy drink and tapas made on Miguel’s teeny tiny little stove behind the bar. Great for afternoon sun.

Alqueria de los Lentos – Lovely restaurant, boutique hotel and spa on the edge of Niguelas, built on the site of a 16C flour mill. Fantastic tapas, cocktails and live music. http://www.alqueriadeloslentos.com/, +34 659 91 29 61, info@alqueriadeloslentos.com.

Also several other tapas bars and little restaurants further up the village in the square by the Casa de Cultura.  All have cheap drinks and good tapas. The ones in the square also do sandwiches and other basic dishes.

Bar Plaza – Plaza de la Constitución.  Tapas, raciones and bar. email: soniamyrakle@gmail.com; Teléfonos: 664.799.518. Specialises in tapas, Migas and paella. Open 12.00 until late.

Terraza la Venta – Just off the road between Niguelas turn off and Mercadona, little dirt track down to La Venta. Great terrace, bar and pool. Serves good raciones and tapas and often has great live music. Unknown and off the beaten track, it’s a favourite of locals in the know! http://ventaniguelas.com, Tel:  681 644 439, email: ventaniguelas@gmail.com.

TALARA/LECRIN

Bar Nuevo – just off the crossroads between Banco Popular and Coviran supermarket – drinks, great tapas and basic menu (closed Monday) shows sports etc; Garvi – again typical Spanish bar and restaurant; Bar Finity opposite Garvi on the main street in between the two banks. And Noche Azul just next to PK2 pub – off the main road from Chite to Talara. +34 958 78 81 57

Restaurante Garvi – Family run Spanish restaurant and bar serving meals and great tapas in the heart of Talara. Lots of choice. Locals hangout. Gets very busy but has a great vibe. Big sunny outside terrace over the road from the bar/indoor restaurant.  http://www.restaurantegarvi.com

Bar Finity – just across the road from Garvi. Meals and drinks with tapas. Also does breakfasts, coffees. Lovely atmosphere and good service. VISIT THE FACEBOOK PAGE

Venta Natalio – Pizza restaurant in Talara opposite the petrol station. Sadly they don’t use the area out the back which looks over the valley. Inside or pavement seating. Very Spanish. Good pizzas.  Calle Granada, 37, 18656 Lecrín, Granada, Spain Phone: +34 958 79 50 82

BEZNAR

There is also now a great lakeside bar at the Aventura Alpujarras watersports centre. https://www.aventuraalpujarra.es. (see activities page)

MELEGIS

Los Naranjos just after the village on the right by the view point. You can’t miss it either! Great outdoor terrace overlooking the lake and indoor dining.

The kitchens are open on Spanish hours (1300-1700 and then 1900 or later until close). You can go there for a drink and tapas as well as full meals.

NB Los Naranjos is closed on Weds.

RESTABAL

In Restabal is Bar Jovi /Meson Despensa Del Valle. You’ll see the sign on left hand side as you drive through Restabal. Park at the top and walk down off the road keeping to your left past the little coviran supermarket. There’s an area of outdoor seating on the street in front. Phone: 958 793 531. NB: closed Tuesday.

Bar Arcos de Manuel – Av. de Andalucia, 23, 18658 Restábal, Granada, Spain. Cute bar – drinks and tapas only.

PINOS DEL VALLE

Bar Venecia at Calle Eras, 42, (Google Map) is the main restaurant in Pinos, off the main road set up on a terrace. Great soups and menu del dia as well as coffee, drinks and tapas. Call +34 958 79 35 40.

Origen del Valle – Open weekends. Tel: +34 658 614290. www.Instagram.com/origen.elvalle

One of the newest bars in the Valley, this lakeside, spacious terrace bar is very cool, patronised by the local well-heeled of the province, including some well-known Spanish actors. The waiters are pretty cute too. A brilliant place, easy to social distance with live music at the weekends and a cool vibe.

CONCHAR

Huertecilla – Great little bar/restaurant in a steep little street of Conchar – Calle Huertecilla, 4. +34 958 77 71 21. Varied selection of simple, but good quality traditional Spanish food. Great value and Menu del Día. https://www.facebook.com/Restaurante-La-Huertecilla

Las Alberquas de Conchar – family run restaurant and hotel in Conchar. Calle Huertecilla, Nº 7 – Conchar, Granada – 18659. Teléfono: 958 777 105 / 626 58 63 70, albercasdeconchar@hotmail.es, http://www.albercasdeconchar.es/. Traditional Spanish home cooking.   Very popular. Lovely setting. Open daily 1pm-10pm

If you want something on the hop, then La Loma next to the petrol station on the A-44 exit 153, Carretera CONCHAR, is surprisingly good – lots of space and good food! Teléfono: 958 782 791. lomateo4@gmail.com

Rather more picturesque is Hacienda Señorio de Nevada on the way into Conchar from the motorway. This is the restaurant of the vineyard and hotel, Hacienda Señorio de Nevada. A fantastic bodega with great wines and hotel rooms, tours for wine tasting, gift shop and restaurant. FB: Hacienda Señorío de Nevada. Autovía Granada-Motril (Salida 153) Ctra. de Cónchar,s/n, 18659 Villamena (Granada). Tel (+34) 958 777 092, email: hacienda@senoriodenevada.es.

ALBUÑUELAS

Cafe / Bar Aré in Albuñuelas is a very popular bar and terrace right on the Plaza Ayuntamiento. Drinks and free tapas, great breakfasts and a lovely place to watch the world go by, with a little bit of excitement from the Dominos games of the locals! Phone: +34 667 74 81 44.

Tres Lindes – Calle Cruz Colorada, 1, Albuñuelas. +34 958 77 62 79 Closed Wednesdays. Lots of great local food and wine plus regular live music and BBQ.

PADUL

There are lots of small restaurants in Padul serving great Tapas and meals,  many of which are on the Avenida de Andalucia – the main road that runs from the old Granada road -N323 – into the heart of town. Good ones include La Estación, La Cañita, Terraza Punto y Coma and Elisabeth & Voulevant Galician Bodega.

D’Amilia is one of the larger restaurants serving a variety of local cuisine – on the way down into Padul town.  Outdoor terrace, garden and bar for tapas and drinks.  Not the cheapest, but good quality and something for everyone. Av. Andalucia Nº 148 Padul. Teléfono: 958 790 147, info@damiliarestaurantes.com, http://www.damiliarestaurantes.com/

K2 pub – great for watching the processions of Semana Santa. Basic meals, good tapas and raciones.  Open daily until late.  Av. de Andalucía, 162, 18640 Padul.

LANJARON

If you decide to pop up into the hills then there are loads of small restuarants, cafes and bars in Lanjaron.

La Casita del Papel is a good local bar and restaurant on the way into Lanjaron on the left hand side. Next to a fresh water fountain and on the left near an Arabic arch. Food is a little bit creative and out of the ordinary and all the better for it. Barranco Adelfas, s/n – local, 18420 LANJARÓN (Granada). E-mail: lacasitadepapel@hotmail.com, Teléfono: 958 770 028.  http://www.lacasitadepapel.es

The Alcadima Hotel serves fabulous, high quality food. Lunch in their glassed orangery with an outlook onto their gardens and the Arabic castle beyond is recommended. It’s at the end of a small street on the right just after you’ve driven through Lanjaron as far as the small traffic island and continued along the main street. https://www.alcadima.com C/ Francisco Tarrega, 3. 18420 Lanjarón. 671 517 257, (+34) 958 77 08 09. 

GRANADA

Too many to name really. The city is awash with great tapas bars, restaurants and cafes.

Check out Tripadvisor’s top rated restaurants in Granada HERE.

For the Views:

Las Estrellas Mirador San Nicolas. Callejon Atarazana Vieja, 1, 19010 Granada. 958 288 739. Beautiful views across to the Alhambra.

Mirador De Aixa – Overlooking the Alhambra – ideal for something special. www.miradordeaixa.com. Closed Mondays. Open dinner only.

Also if you fancy a Tapas Tour – contact Gayle at enquiries@granadatapastours.com  or have a look at the website www.granadatapastours.com. She’s great and will take you to all the good places. Doesn’t have to be a big tour – just you and your friends or family is all that’s required and the lovely Gayle for all her local foodie/Granada knowledge and great company!

You can look up restaurants on the Tourism Granada website in their Restaurants and Tapas section. http://www.turgranada.es.

This post on Turismo Valle de Lecrin also has some great tips from their feature: 3 Days Tasting the Lecrin Valley – 3 Dias Saboreando el Valle de Lecrin. If you don’t speak Spanish you can probably copy and paste it into Google Translate for a good idea of its recommendations!