On our visit to Granada, Spain last month, we were excited for Moroccan food! This means eating was on our “to do” list of attractions. I thought I would share the restaurants we ate at during our two-day visit in Granada. And, I have to admit it has been fun reflecting on the food and overall experience we had. We sampled a range of restaurants during our short visit, and everything was good. Almost all these restaurants were located near our apartment in Granada, on Plaza Nueva.
Eating at Rayan Restaurante in Granada
Our first Moroccan meal in Granada was at Rayan Restaurante. We simply stumbled in here. They were just starting to set up shop to serve dinner, when we came searching for a meal. They were overwhelmingly welcoming, despite that I don’t know that they were quite open yet.
This was our first taste of Moroccan Tajin. We shared three different types (meats), and they were all very good. Tajin dishes are named after the small round earthenware pot with coned-shaped lid, the food is cooked in. For some reason, the restaurant was out of vegetables so we weren’t able to order some of the vegetable options that looked good on the menu. The six of us shared the three Tajin dishes, a Moroccan salad, a plate of humus, and water. At the end, we ordered one of each baklava-style dessert they had in stock (they had about 2/3 of the options available that were listed on the menu). Each piece was big enough that everyone could have a bite of each one. And we left happy with the meal, and bellies full.
We were surprised to receive a handwritten receipt (shown in photo below). After receiving this, we shouldn’t have been surprised to learn they didn’t take credit cards. We had cash so it was fine. But, this was the only place in Granada that we ate that didn’t accept cards. The food is worth it though!
Eating at Bab Mansour in Granada
Our family enjoyed eating at Bab Mansour so much that I wrote a separate post detailing our experience here. This place was a notch up in looks from Rayan Restaurant where we had eaten the previous night. Rayan Restaurante gave us more of a ‘mom and pop shop’ feel, whereas Bab Mansour seemed more established with its colorful and well-coordinated colors and decor.
We liked the tasting menus. We tried both options. And both were good. A lot of food came with the tasting menu. We got it for 6 people, ordering one of the Lebanese and 2 of the Moroccan. The only thing that was left at the end of our meal was some of the Moroccan chicken tarts. We were a little disappointed that the restaurant didn’t serve wine, although our waiter said beer was available. We tried the Moroccan tea instead, and to be honest, everything turned out great!
Eating at El Darro Braseria Pizzeria in Granada
We chose to eat at El Darro Braseria-Pizzeria out of convenience. When we arrived in Granada, we still had about an hour before we could check in to our apartment. Our apartment was located on Plaza Nueva, and there were a number of restaurants and bars on the plaza. We chose this one as the outdoor seating was full and guests looked happy. We scored a table along the edge of the patio seating where we could stack our backpacks along the wall while we ate.
The wine seemed a bit pricey here, compared to other places in Spain, so we opted for sharing the sangria instead. It was okay. The food was really good though. We shared to Spaghetti Carbonaras, and two pizzas. There were no complaints from anyone.
Coffee at Ysla in Granada
Gary and I ventured out for coffee in the mornings and usually in the afternoon. There were a couple of cute cafes with coffee and pastries. We went to Ysla a couple of times because it was so close to our apartment and thought it was good. There was another one next door that had outdoor seating for people watching that we preferred. But this one had a large selection of pastries and is the one I photographed the most.
I bought a box of a variety of cookies here to take back home to share with family. They had a couple different kinds of cookie boxes, and it was hard to choose. These were a real treat to eat when we returned to the States.
Wine at El Balcon de San Nicolas in Granada
Probably the place with the best view we have ever had while drinking wine, is El Balcon de San Nicolas. It was located in the Albaicin neighborhood, just below the San Nicolas lookout point. I personally enjoyed the free marinated olives that came with the wine. But Gary preferred an order of Croquettes. We were definitely here for the view. I am pretty sure this was the case for others guests too. There was nothing wrong with the food and drinks, but how can anything compete with the view here?
Breakfast at Martonela in Granada
Before leaving Granada, we looked for someplace to grab a bite of breakfast near our apartment. We had our bags in tow, as we were headed out toward the bus station. We peaked in a few places and this was the winner. I was a little hesitant to eat here because it looked so commercial, and looked to be mostly a gelato place. After looking over the menu though, everyone saw something they wanted to try. And I was very happy with what we ended up getting. It took a while to get our meal, because each plate was made fresh. In fact, while we were there, we could see two bowls behind the counter where gelato was being freshly made for the day. We were even offered a sample. Yum!
All six of us got our own meal, either a waffle, crepe, or pancakes with the toppings we chose from the menu. We shared bottled waters. Our breakfast bill totaled 40.70 EUR. Not bad at all! And it turns out this is a chain restaurant. I am sure we will eat here again, when in Spain.
Where else should people eat when visiting Granada?
Please share about your own experience eating in Granada, and where you would recommend in the comments below!
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