A whole fish on a stony cove, paella on a rock below Deià, sardines on canes over embers, a seafront at Puente Romano: the best meals in Spain have sand nearby.
Ibiza: the fisherman’s cove
Es Torrent in Porroig is the reference: a dirt road, a stony cove, the fish shown at the table and grilled or baked in salt while yachts anchor for lunch. Amante on the cliff at Sol d’en Serra adds daybeds and a moonrise; Nobu Ibiza Bay puts black cod on Talamanca beach with the old town lit across the water.
Mallorca: paella on the rock
Sa Foradada is reached by a forty-minute walk down from Son Marroig or by boat; the paella cooks over wood while the sun sets behind the pierced headland. Béns d’Avall hangs on a cliff above the Tramuntana sea with a star and Sóller prawns; the Sea Club at Cap Rocat serves dinner on a stone platform at the foot of a fortress.
Marbella: the Golden Mile
Sea Grill at Puente Romano puts grilled whole fish a few steps from the waves; the chiringuitos along the Golden Mile grill espetos, sardines on canes, over driftwood embers at lunch. This is the meal to eat standing in the sand with a caña, not a reservation.
Málaga: the 1918 bathhouse
The Baños del Carmen east of the city is a faded bathing club from 1918 whose terrace serves espetos, fried fish and rice with the sea at the wall and the sunset behind the port. Thirty minutes down the coast, Los Marinos José in Fuengirola is the seafood restaurant Spanish chefs make pilgrimages to.
The rules of the beach
Lunch, not dinner, is the beach meal; book weeks ahead in July and August, a day ahead in May and September. Order the fish of the day by weight, share a paella for at least two and drink rosé or Albariño. And take the paella page with you for the recipe when you get home.
Try it
Gourmet Weekend PlannerPick a city, one to three days, your pace and your budget.Table RouletteFilter by city and kind of table, spin the wheel and go where it lands.Frequently asked questions
When is the beach dining season?
May to early October. May, June and September are the best months: open kitchens, full terraces, no August crowds.
Do beach restaurants take reservations?
The serious ones do, and they book out weeks ahead in high summer. Chiringuitos are first come, first served.
What do I wear?
Swimsuit and a shirt at lunch; linen and loafers if you stay for dinner.
