• Traditional Crafts 

Alcaicería. Around Plaza Pasiegas and Plaza Trinidad.

Antiques. Around Calle Elvira. Various establishments along Calle Elvira, the street parallel to Gran Vía, offer true antiques, old items and imitations.

Local crafts in general. In the Albaicín, workshops and shops on Cuesta de Gomérez, Plaza Nueva and the surrounding streets.

Cerámica Fajalauza. On Camino de San Antonio, s/n. This famous ceramics producer dates back to the 16th century and its name comes from the pottery studios and ovens that were traditionally located around the Puerta de Fajalauza, in the old city walls surrounding the Albaicín. It is known for its drawings of birds, flowers, branches and the traditional pomegranate (granada is the Spanish word for pomegranate) painted in simple lines with the colours green, blue and purple.

Guitars. Cuesta de Gomérez, 26. Guitars made on site. They are sold along with many other souvenirs in shops at numbers 26 and 29 of Cuesta de Gomérez, the street that goes up the hill from Plaza Nueva to the Alhambra.

Morales Alguacil. Plaza San Isidro, 5. Company established in 1659. Ceramics in the traditional Granada style and also Arab ceramics.

• Tobacco Shops 

Cava de Puros Eduardo Ruiz. Carretera de la Sierra, 24. Humidor with over 70,000 cigars maintained with the utmost care. Considered to be one of the 10 best tobacconist's in Spain.

Francisco Fernández. Martínez de la Rosa, 18. Tobacconist's with good selection of tobacco, liquers and gifts. Wide variety and good maintenance.

José Antonio Valverde. Andrés Segovia, 37. Classical range, well maintained by owner.

• Select Groceries  

Castellano. Almireceros, 6. Approximately 250 different wines, from Spain and imported. Also specialises in cheese, ham, sausage products and exquisite tinned goods.

La Alacena de Andalucía. San Jerónimo, 3. Andalusian specialities: different olive oils and vinagers, game preserved in oil, wine, sweets from the Alpujarra region

• Cake Shops  

Alminares de la Alhambra. Poeta Manuel de Góngora, 2. Specialist in miniature cakes and afternoon tea.

Casa Ysla. Torre de la Pólvora, 1. Exquisite local sweets called "piononos" and gourmet chocolates.

Comendadoras de Santiago. Santiago, 20. Convent. Twenty nuns specialise in delicious preserved fruit in syrup, using peach, apricot, cherry, watermelon, orange and sweet potato. At Christmas time, they have the traditional Spanish holiday sweets (roscos, polvorones and others).

Convento de la Encarnación. Plaza de la Encarnación, s/n. Nuns of the Augustinian order. Marzipan figs and a special treat called Tomasas.

Convento de la Magdalena. Gracia, 7. Pastries, muffins and sponge cakes.

Convento de San Bernardo del Císter. Carrera del Darro. During Christmas season only, seventeen types of sweets. Sweet pasties at Easter and for Saint Joseph's day (19 March). Traditional baked treats called Glorias.

Convento de Santa Catalina de Zafra. Carrera del Darro, 43. Fancy cakes made upon advance order (the Zafra cake, with almond and whipped egg white, is outstanding). At Christmas time, an egg-based delicacy called "huevo homo".

Flor y Nata. Avenida Constitución. Traditional cake shop with excellent selection. Café inside. Also offers catering services.

López Mezquita. Reyes Católicos, 39. The most-respected cake and sweet shop in Granada, now with its own café attached. Try the “Felipes” or the excellent merengues and cream pastries.

Hieronymite Nuns. Rector López Argueta. Variety of sweets, including some featuring quince fruit, coconut, egg. Fruit jams also available. At Christmas, polvorones and mantecados, Spain's traditional holiday sweets.

• Wines and Liqueurs  

Casa Enrique. Acera del Darro, 8. Wines from the regions of Ribera del Duero, Rioja and Toro.

• Miscellaneous  

El Club del Gourmet (inside El Corte Inglés). Carrera de Genil, 20-22. The best selection of gourmet delicacies. Also at Hipercor on Calle Arabial, 97. Excellent wine selection.

Fior di Gelato. Acera del Casino, 3. Icecream made in pure Italian style. The flavours "leche merengada" (cream and cinnamon) and "tiramisú" are especially delicious.

Jamones Sierra Nevada (antigua Casa Hita). Avenida Andalucía, s/n. Cured ham.

La Oliva. Rosario, 9. Variety of olive oils, tinned delicacies and pickled products from Andalusia. Cheeses, sausage products and wine for epicures.

Mariscal Delicatessen. Plaza Fontiveros and Carrera de Genil, 18. A chain of seven shops carrying everything from top-quality produce to traditional pork products.

:: Restaurants ::

  •A selection of RESTAURANTS from the city's magnificent range of gastronomic delights 

Ruta del Veleta. Carretera. Sierra Nevada, 136 (Km. 5,400). Cenes de la Vega (about 5 km from Granada).
                            Tel: 958 48 61 34.

On the old road to Sierra Nevada, on the outskirts of the city. The brilliant path upwards of this restaurant in past years is now suffering a slight pause, perhaps due the arrival of new concepts in the restaurant business, which may be more lucrative in the short term but which have a negative effect on establishments such as this one, where outstanding dedication and skill have always been the object of pride of the owners and operators, Pepe and Miguel Pedraza. They work mainly in a context of classical cuisine with the occasional Andalusian touch. Culinary expertise used to prepare traditional dishes using only the best ingredients: lobster salad, ajo blanco (chilled soup of almond and garlic), orange salad with cod, fish baked in salt or roasted, a variety of succulent meats such as lamb roasted with thyme, in general pleasing to diners. Best wine cellar in the province. Spacious and comfortable rooms. Cigar humidor. Tasting menu available.

Some of its dishes:

• Pomegranate salad with cabbage and fresh cheese, with honey-based dressing
• Prime cut of line-caught hake with toasted garlic
• Shoulder of suckling pig roasted with thyme blossom
• "Morito" of warm chocolate with porridge icecream

Air-conditioned. Private dining rooms available. Valet parking. Car park. Outdoor and indoor seating. Access for the disabled.



Chikito. Plaza del Campillo, 9. Closed Wednesdays. Tel: 958 22 33 64.

Very popular and beloved establishment in Granada. If there is such a thing as a restaurant with the genuine flavour of Granada, then it is Chikito. The formula is simple, work hard and give it your all, like Luís Oruézabal, in the dining room, Antonio Torres, in the kitchen, and the rest of the team at Chikito do every day. In a menu that has proven itself over time, you will not find any high-flown additions or pointless culinary adventures. At Chikito, the reluctance to change is such that not even the prices have changed much over the years. Order one of the regional dishes, like broad beans with ham, if it happens that broad beans are in season, of course. If you feel adventurous, order the Tortilla del Sacromonte (omelette with calf brain and testicles); and if you want the flavours of Andalusia, order one of the very well-balanced chilled soups, the crunchy and yet gelatinous cod steaks, or the excellent oxtail stew. All recipes are the classical ones, made in the traditional way, but with exceptional refinement… The secret lies in the fresh products from local farms and the Mediterranean, selected with utmost care. Book in advance. Daily menu and special tasting menu.

Some of its dishes:

• Roasted red pepper salad with anchovies from the Cantabrian coast
• Cod in the "Chikito" style
• Oxtail stew
• Almond praline

Air-conditioned. Parking available. Outdoor and indoor seating.


La Gaviota. Avenida Andalucía, 2. Closed all day Sundays (in summer) and Sunday lunch (in winter).
                   Tel. 958 292 572.

Santiago López is the owner and executive chef at this small restaurant in La Caleta, near the road to Málaga. Regional cooking executed with mastery, as demonstrated in the always appealing chilled Andalusian soups, such as prickly pear gazpacho with mint and pearls of caviar, or strawberry gazpacho with pistachios as a good way to start, perhaps to be followed by a fried delicacy, such as sea anemone, fresh anchovies or baby squid, of which the chef clearly has an exceptional command. Also worthwhile are the shrimp "a la caló". A more substantial, yet balanced, alternative is the tasting menu, for all the diners at the table. It is comprised of a suggestive combination, such as: a tapa of Iberian ham with soft cheese from Casar, salmorejo (chilled soup made of tomate, bread and garlic), duck magret with parmesan, hake in green sauce, deboned pig's trotters, and for dessert, a traditional torrija (bread soaked in wine or milk and then fried) with mousse of rice pudding. Rosa María Lorenzo, Santiago's wife, skillfully solves the problems that occasionally arise as a result of the small staff. Standard wine menu.

Some of its dishes:

• Salmorejo with cheese icecream and arbequina olive oil
• John Dory fish with leek and wild mushroom sauce
• Deboned pig's trotters capped with foie gras and orange sauce
• Carmelised torrija with cold custard

Air-conditioned.


El Carmen de San Miguel. Plaza Torres Bermejas, 3. Closed Sundays (in winter dinner only).
                                          Tel. 958 226 723.

Jorge Matas continues to work and search for roots in the traditional dishes of Andalusia and Granada, in this establishment at the foot of Torres Bermejas, very near the Alhambra.

Using seasonal ingredients and only the highest-quality products, the kitchen creates culinary wonders full of personality in which the contrast of flavours fills the palate and provokes a full range of sensations. The young chefs are masters in the art of creation, always on a quest for something new and fully satisfying to the customer, demonstrating in all the dishes their skill and eagerness to create new recipes. In short, a restaurant that falls within the category of New Andalusian Cuisine, in capital letters. Tasting menu available.

Some of its dishes:

• Warm spinach salad with prawns and ham, dressed wtih raspberry vinager
• Blood sausage lasagna with apple puree and tangy tomato
• Venison loin with wheat risotto, black chanterelles and a Pedro Ximénez sherry sauce
• Brandied bananas served over a nut sponge cake, with white chocolate and vanilla icecream

Air-conditioned. Private dining rooms available. Valet parking. Car park. Outdoor and indoor seating.
Access for the disabled.

Horno de Santiago. Plaza de los Campos, 8. Closed on Sundays and in August. Tel. 958 223 476.

Centrally located. Appetizers, without a great deal of culinary complication, locally-grown vegetables, roasted fish and meats prepared in the old-fashioned way, along with a few frozen items, are the proposals made by Antonio Casado, who runs this classical style restaurant that offers international cuisine with a regional touch. Dishes such as tapenade, coulis, risottos and sauces complement the meat and fish and bear witness to the kind of cooking they do here. Standard wine menu and un-inflated prices. Good, attentive service. Fine selection of cigars. Tasting menu and special gastronomic menu available.

Some of its dishes:

• Anchovies from Santoña served with avocado and mango
• Flaked cod confit with veal trotters and glaze of garlic coulis
• Lambchops with romescu sauce
• Almond crocanti with icecream and berry coulis

Air-conditioned. Private dining rooms available.

 

 

Los Santanderinos. Albahaca, 1.
                               Closed all day Sunday, Monday nights and second half of August. Tel. 958 128 335.

In a pedestrian street just off Camino de Ronda, Álvaro Ortiz runs the restaurant and waits tables. The menu offers seafood from the coasts of Spain and recipes more typical of the north, including old-fashioned stews made by the chef Jesús Diego, white beans with clams, Asturian fabada bean stew or chickpea stew with cabbage, as well as meat and fish dishes from further afield. The results are apparent at the table, the opportunity to savor big, juicy clams from Carril, boiled shrimp, excellent line-caught hake, well-prepared shellfish from Galicia, and exquisite steaks. Tasting menu available.

Some of its dishes:

• Fish pudding with red rascasse from the Cantabrian coast
• Prime cut of hake, oven baked
• Beef sirloin with mushrooms and marrow
• Almond crunch with raspberries

Air-conditioned. Private dining rooms available. Access for the disabled



La Sacristía. San Juan de Letrán, 1. Closed on Sundays and in August. Tel. 958 206 205.

Restaurant in the vicinity of the bullring, almost on Avenida de la Constitución, next to the church San Juan de Letrán. Its speciality is definitely shellfish and fresh fish, and also charcoal-grilled meat. Everyday they have shellfish from Motril delivered, shrimp, langoustines, prawns, etc. … and all kinds of fresh fish are prepared: bream, sea bass, gilthead, red snapper, red mullet that can be baked in salt or grilled. Recommendations include shrimp from Motril and grilled langoustines. Excellent Iberian ham. As for meat, anything charcoal-grilled is an excellent choice. The team is very polite and professional: José, the owner, along with his wife in the kitchen, do a masterly job and the serving staff is pleasant and friendly. Menu of the day.

Some of its dishes:

• Andalusian style cuttlefish
• Baked turbot
• Charcoal grilled rib steak from Ávila
• Tocino de cielo (very rich dessert made with egg and syrup)

Air-conditioned. Access for the disabled

• A selection of TAPAS BARS AND PUBS from the magnificent array in Granada 

Garví. Carretera Granada, 26. Lecrín. Tel. 958 795 009.

A restaurant-bar on the road to the coast, in the region called Valle de Lecrín, quite simple in its decoration and service, but incredibly pure in its traditional local cuisine: spicy blood sausages with cinnamon, sausage products like the ones from days gone by and the best goat in the area.

Albaicín.

Walking up Calle Calderería we are transported to Morocco, with its ubiquitous teahouses and bazars. Exploring the winding streets of the Albaicín, both the upper and the lower sections, you will come across a series of charming meeting points, such as Plaza de Fátima, Plaza San Miguel Bajo, Plaza Aliatar and Plaza Larga, where you can sample a number of delicacies, including fried fish and snails, fondue and cheese boards, flamenquines (pieces of ham rolled up with cheese and then fried), ring-shaped bread with all sorts of savoury toppings, broad beans with ham and potatoes served with garlic mayonnaise. In short, an excellent sampling of tapas. Worth highlighting: El Aliatar, El Yunque, La Porrona (Plaza Larga, 4: singing, dancing and good things to eat), Peña Platería and Kiki (Plaza San Nicolás), from more than a hundred options.

Campo del Príncipe.

Besides being one of the quaintest corners of the city, the square gets very lively at tapa time and on summer nights. There are several bars right on the square, and you can sit indoors or out.
Look for El Corral del Príncipe, Tragaluz, La Esquinita, Ocaña " El Sota" and Braserito I and II.

 

Casa Enrique. Acera del Darro, 8. Closed on Sundays. Tel. 958 255 008.

Formerly an inn. In 1970 it became a traditional-style tavern featuring an excellent selection of Iberian cold meats, salt-cured fish and meat, bread topped with sobrasada (spreadable sausage) or the soft cheese called Torta del Casar. Surprising wine cellar.

City centre.

Perhaps the largest area available to us and very lively close to Plaza Nueva. A good choice to get to know both the virtues and defects of the Andalusian tapa tradition. Worth highlighting is Calle Navas, right off Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where the city council building is. Here you will find the excellent Diamantes, famous for its fried fish, Casa Enrique, featuring fantastic Iberian sausage products and a variety of tapas and also a more modern-style bar, Puerta del Carmen. Antigua Bodega Castañeda, Pilar del Toro and Taberna Arquería de Elvira. At lunch time, have a drink in the square Plaza del Mercado, at the busy counter inside Cunini, in the square Plaza de Pasiegas, famous for its well-prepared tapas. Also worth mentioning is Granada-10, a strange fusion of cinema and disco.

Los Diamantes. Calle Navas, 26. Closed Sunday nights and all day Monday. Tel. 958 223 476.

Very popular fried fish and also a wide range of tapas

Puerta del Carmen. Plaza del Carmen. Tel. 958 223 737.

In the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where the city council building is, with indoor and outdoor seating. Good selection of wines and tapas consisting of sausage, smoked fish, salt-cured delicacies, etc…

Camino del Sacromonte.

Towards the top of Cuesta del Chapíz, a street called Camino del Sacromonte branches off to the right. This long road leads to the Abbey and on the way it passes through the Sacromonte neighbourhood, dotted with the quaint gypsy caves known the world over. Their offerings include: singing and dancing as a common denominator, accompanied by sangría, fresh lemonade, steaming cups of broth, charcoal-grilled lambchops, roasted sardines and lots of nightlife. For the most part these places cater to the tourist crowd. Especially worthwhile: Casa Juanillo (Barranco Los Negros, 5: tapas and flamenco),
Cueva La Fragua, Cueva Los Tarantos, El Camborio, La Venta del Gallo and Zambra María la Canastera.

Plaza de Toros.

A number of tapas bars and also cocktail bars have been opened right in the building that houses the bullring. Look for Tendido 1 or Tercer Aviso.

Bar FM. Carretera de Jaén, 54. Closed on Mondays and in July and August. Tel. 958 157 004.

Small bar with the best of Motril's seafood. This place stands out from the rest for its excellent raw materials and skilled preparation. Paco and his wife have absolute command of fried fish and grilled seafood, as well as octopus in its various textures (dried or prepared in the Galician style…). Countless food critics and the best Spanish cooks have discovered the joy of grilled shrimp "in the Japanese style", of langoustines and white prawns, of platters of impeccably fried seafood. The best place for miles around. An experience not to be missed.

 Other recommended establishments

Cunini at Plaza Pescadería 14. Tel: 958 25 07 77
Casa Hita at Paseo del Violón 9. Tel: 958 68 01 51
Pasiegas on Plaza de las Pasiegas. Tel: 958 25 04 25
Los Manueles at Zaragoza 2 and 4. Tel: 958 22 46 31
Oliver at Plaza Pescadería 12. Tel: 958 26 22 00
Páprika at Cuesta Abarqueros 3. Tel: 958 80 47 85
Samarkanda at Calderería Vieja 3. Tel: 958 21 00 04
Mirador de Morayma at Pianista García Carrillo 2. Tel: 958 22 82 90
6 Peniques at Santa Escolástica, 2. Plaza Padre Suarez. Tel: 958 22 62 56
Rincón de Lorca at Angulo 3. Tel: 958 53 67 32
Bodegas Castañeda at Calle Elvira and Almicereros 1. Tel: 958 22 32 22
Casa Julio at Hermosa 3. Tel: 958 76 33 22
El León at Pan 1. Tel: 958 22 51 43
San Remo at Puente Castañeda s/n. Tel: 958 26 62 60
La Trastienda at Plaza Cuchilleros 11. Tel: 958 76 33 29
Juanillo at Camino del Sacromonte 81. Tel: 958 22 30 94
Diávolo at Cementerio Santa Escolástica 1
El Sota at Plaza del Realejo 2. Tel: 968 29 12 30
Sibari at Plaza Nueva 3. Tel: 958 22 77 56
La Paduana at Rosario 12. Tel: 958 22 82 97
Bienvenido at Alhamar 10-12. Tel: 958 264 661
Torres Bermejas at Plaza Nueva 6. Tel: 958 22 31 16
El Granero de Abrantes at Plaza Poeta Luis Rosales, s/n. Tel: 958 22 89 79
Torcuato at Pagés 1. Tel: 958 20 28 18
Las Tomasas on Carril de San Agustín. Tel: 958 224 108
Lara on Plaza de San Miguel Bajo. Tel: 958 20 94 66

 

• Restaurants in the countryside surrounding Granada 

Mesón de la Reina. Carretera de la Zubia. Tel. 958 590 343.

Restaurant attached to a campground. Here you can sample the best charcoal-grilled meat in the area, prepared in the Basque style or stone-grilled.