Estepona area
From traditional Spanish cuisine to new and exciting modern international fusion delights.
Starting at the Marbella side of central Estepona on the outskirts of town is Wild Cafe & Restaurant – a wonderful place for brunch or lunch (not open in the evening)- plenty of choice for vegetarians and vegans as well as great quality meat dishes too. Everything is freshly made using top quality ingredients. One of our favourite places to eat.
Set on the paseo behind the Carrefour supermarket is the wonderful Trocadero Beach Club – you can have lunch or dinner here or stay all day by booking a sun lounger by their pool. Fantastic food – especially the seafood and treat yourself to a cocktail or two – you are on holiday after all!
Palm Beach Chiringuito Estepona
Further in is Palm Beach Chiringuito, set on the beach just past Carrefour supermarket – great food in a relaxed setting – seafood, meat dishes, Mediterranean dishes and cocktails, and as its Dutch owned they have a selection of Dutch snacks too. Great for lunch or dinner especially on the those lovely warm summer nights, or an early evening cocktail or three. Plenty of parking on the other side of the road, and its easy to walk into town from here, otherwise you can park in the underground car parks that run under the road at the beach – under Avenida de España.
A couple of popular fish & seafood restaurants can be found here – one Restaurante La Rada is on the other side of the road from the beach but still with seaviews. Another, Restaurante El Pescador is found further along the paseo right beside the beach. Both serve fantastic fresh seafood and are popular with locals and tourists alike, so booking is essential.
Chiringuito Madera Estepona
A more chilled place to eat, so great for kids is Chiringuito Madera, set on the beach between these two previously mentioned restaurants. Funky decor and some of the tables have swings as seats and you can even eat outside with the sand between your toes. Great place for adults & kids.
Other nice restaurant in Estepona
A relatively new restaurant which has been great great reviews is The Grillhouse. A mostly meat based menu but with some vegetarian and vegan options … so something for everyone.
If you love a cocktail and a modern funky vibe try La Bulla Gastro Bar on Plaza Ortiz – great for dinner but also just a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by. Great food here served by friendly happy staff.
Next door is Restaurante Sur – an Argentine Steak house for the steak lovers among you.
Plenty of other restaurants in this area – too many to mention – there are three streets here that have a variety of places to eat – Calle Real, Calle Malaga and Calle Caridad.
Try Mexa if you like a quick and relaxed bite to eat – they serve fantastic Mexican food and have vegan options too.
A walk further along Calle Real will find you at Etcétera- wonderful food, lovely staff and great desserts. Set on a small but lovely square its another place to watch the world go by.
If you are here in daytime try the brilliant Love by Noya, on Calle Real for a really great breakfast or brunch. Everything is made with care and looks and tastes fantastic.
Take some time to wander around these back streets of Estepona, around the old town, you can’t really get lost and they are perfectly safe. The Mayor has made it his mission to update this are, still in keeping with the traditional Andalucían style. And he has done a wonderful job so far.
Tapas in Estepona
ook out for Tapas Diez, a new but very popular tapas bar, with fun painted walls which make for great photos, especially the famous wings.
For an ice cream head to ‘Ice cream Square’ as its known among the expats. Actually called Plaza Dr. Arce. It has ice cream parlors, a couple of shops and a lovely restaurant called Madubar. Beautifully decorated, with great food and lovely staff, this is definitely one to try.
Just beside this smaller square is the jewel of Estepona – Plaza de las Flores. The tourist information office is here and a few Spanish restaurants – some more modern than others, but all are popular among the locals and are busy every night during the summer. The recently opened Hotel El Pilar Andalucía is situated here. Head to their rooftop bar for drinks and stunning views over Esteponas rooftops. Food is also served here but its not Spanish, and they strangely opted for Asian style noodles and things. Mixed reviews about this – so maybe best just staying for drinks, but be sure to book beforehand in case they are busy.
Along the side of the hotel is the fantastic and very well known Restaurante La Casa del Rey, Spanish tapas and mains with a great wine selection . Always book in advance for this place as the great food means it’s always busy Just past here is a lovely Italian restaurant Restaurante La Tarantella, great Italian food at a reasonable price.
Heading slightly further away from the beach, up the Main Street – Calle Terraza you will find lots shops, about half way up is Egg Square, or Plaza de Huevo – as its known among the locals – but its real name is Plaza Antonia Guerro, around this area are more traditional Spanish cafes which serve strong coffee and the traditional tostadas con tomate for breakfast.
Lots of little gems off these streets such as Take A Wine, …. and Toms bar – a small but popular Irish bar in a little hidden square called Plaza de Manilva.
Not many great places to eat further up but definitely worth a walk too is the Orchidarium of Estepona — very reasonably priced and a lovely way to spend half an hour or so. Here they also sometimes have events in the evenings in the summer, so watch out for those.
You can find out more about whats on by following Ayuntamiento de Estepona on Facebook and local groups such as Estepona Info & Chat – you can also ask questions on this friendly group if you want advice about whats on, where to go, etc.
