10 Great Restaurants in Granada

María de la O serves traditional Spanish cuisine in an equally traditional 19th-century mansion. The basement, with its vintage wraparound bar, is a great spot for a glass of wine served from their extensive cellar. And that's before heading up to the terrace lined with orange trees for dinner.

The food focuses on timeless local cooking, with lots of rich sauces and flavoursome broths. Depending on the menu, you might be enjoying pigeon and mushroom stew, Andalusian trout with green onions, La Vega artichokes, or veal sweetbread. Opt for the tasting menu to try a varied selection of dishes chosen by the chef.

Hicuri Art Restaurant is a colorful, avant-garde spot decorated by street artist El Niño de las Pinturas. The vast wall murals feature whimsical drawings of children playing and magical landscapes, while the rest of the interior is decorated with cool retro touches.

The menu is entirely vegan and mixes classic Spanish food with global dishes. Feast on gazpacho, ratatouille, pad thai, or vegan burgers with chunky chips. Dessert is a generous slice of 3-chocolate cake or raw vegan cheesecake. Hicuri's wines are all organic, including a couple of local Granada wines, and there are gluten-free beer options. They also sell vegan and gluten-free products to take home.

Parador de Granada offers a unique dining experience, inside a palace. The restaurant is located in a 15th-century former convent, decorated with period antiques and Moroccan lanterns. Sit out on the Moorish terrace or by the windows for striking views of the Alhambra's Generalife Gardens.

The menu is strong on traditional Andalusian cooking, as well as dishes inspired by the city's Moorish heritage. Try an updated version of seafood paella, Andalusian gazpacho, remojón (a local salad made with salt cod), or San Francisco Monastery cake. The cellar has an outstanding selection of local wines.

La Brujidera is where Granada's wine buffs flock to for its long and varied wine list and enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. There are more than 100 wines on offer, with around 40 available by the glass, including organic and ecological wines. Try a shiraz from Navarre, a merlot from Catalonia, a chardonnay from Cádiz, or one of the various vermouths and sherries on tap.

The tapas menu is an assortment of delicious cheeses, charcuterie, pates and small plates. Dishes come from around Spain, including Iberian pork loin, Galician-style octopus, Cantabrian anchovies or Manchego cheese. The cozy, wood-panelled interior is decorated with vintage wine adverts and maps of Spain's wine regions.

Palacio Andaluz Restaurante Almona celebrates Granada's Moorish heritage with a homey menu of classic Moroccan dishes. The star dish is tangia marrakchia, a traditional spicy stew baked in a terracotta pot, but you can also opt for tender lamb kebabs, chicken with almonds and cinnamon, chunky falafel in sesame seeds and homemade focaccia bread, among other things.

The beverages menu features several flavors of homemade lemonade, as well as Turkish coffee with a kick that’s served in beautiful silver coffee pots. Relax with a cup and a selection of Moroccan pastries to finish your meal. The splendid Moroccan-style interior includes a colorful tiled ceiling and beautiful hanging lanterns.

Puesto 43 is a family-run seafood restaurant whose menu changes depending on the catch of the day at Motril fish market. Pick out your meal from the display cabinets full of fish and seafood bought fresh that morning, whether that's oysters, red prawns, salt cod, stuffed squid, or a mixed seafood platter to share.

There's a menu of full-sized portions as well as a tapas menu if you want to try a little bit of everything. Inside, the restaurant is all minimalist decor and crisp white tablecloths. You can choose to sit on the covered terrace on the tree-lined square of Plaza de Gracia.

El Soniquete Andaluz is a snug historic tavern that combines delicious food with captivating performances. The intimate location in ancient brick cistern at the base of the Alhambra is an atmospheric backdrop for the nightly folk music and dancing, providing great acoustics for the guitar music, singing and flamenco.

The menu is mostly tapas and small plates, drawing their inspiration from all over the Mediterranean and featuring the best of the region's meats, cheeses and olives. Pair your food with an Alhambra beer, brewed right here in Granada. Tickets combine both food and performance, and it's a good idea to book in advance.

El Bar de Eric is known in Granada for its famous owner, Eric Jiménez, the drummer for the indie rock band Los Planetas. The interior is a music aficionado's dream, with walls plastered with photographs, posters, tickets and mementoes of Los Planetas and other Spanish bands. There are frequent live gigs, and the restaurant has a reputation for nurturing Granada's upcoming musical talent.

The menu is an inventive range of tapas like ham and pear ciabatta, mustard and honey sausages, or salmon ravioli. It's a good choice for vegetarians and vegans, with options including scrambled tofu, zucchini carpaccio, and vegan ice cream. Finish your meal with an Alhambra beer, local Andalucian shiraz, or gin-based cocktail.

Cala is a contemporary restaurant which fuses time-honoured Spanish cuisine with modern, avant-garde flourishes. Go for the tasting menu to try a wide selection of dishes, from Iberian octopus and deer in tomatillo sauce to tacos stuffed with plantain and anchovy popcorn. The dessert menu is a miscellany of chocolate bonbons, guava cheesecake and petit fours.

Fresh and seasonal products are largely sourced from the region around Granada. The wine menu is equally local, with reds and whites from Granada like Paraje Mincal and 10 Días de Marzo, as well as wines from around Spain. The location in the Figares neighbourhood is a little outside Granada’s tourist center, but handy for the Science Museum and Federico García Lorca Park.

La Tabernilla del Darro is a restaurant in Granada with a sunny terrace that offers wonderful river views. The intimate atmosphere in its arched brick dining room is also a top highlight. Try a few local craft beers, or opt for one of the restaurant’s natural and organic wines. The house specialty, homemade vermouth flavored with various herbs and spices, is unmissable.

The gourmet tapas are made with carefully-sourced regional produce like Iberian pork loin, pickled mussels and smoked tuna. There's an excellent cheese selection, all of which come from Granada, and unique dishes like gnocchi salad with pine nuts. A short menu of dessert tapas includes apple tart Tatin and Bailey's chocolate cake.