Best traditional tapas bars in Marbella: find options near you

Very busy and full of tourist, specially foreign tourists. The prices are a bit high for Andalucía, and the staff is a bit chaotic, however the food was great. The salmorejo was amazing, the ensaladilla rusa ( Russian salad) was so good too, the boquerones al lemon ( lemon fried anchovies) were outstanding, however do yourself a favour and don’t order the croquetas, they were too thick and not as silky as they should.

A tremendous little bar/cafe. Set in one of the nicest corners of the old town. Authentic Tapas cooked freshly as you order. Friendly and accommodating staff. Our group of eight hadn’t booked, but the staff found us a table. Highly recommend booking in advance. Especially at weekends. Nice for just a quiet drink during the day. It can be noisy when busy but worth the experience we will return

Unexpected gem down a little alley. Ducked in out of the rain. The food, service and atmosphere was perfect for a rain stop. Would definitely visit again.

Title: Hidden Gem in Marbella’s Old Town Review: I was looking to have an authentic Andalusian dinner and found it at Estrecho Marbella 1954. Tucked away in a narrow side alley off the beaten path, it’s easy to miss — but worth seeking out. The salmorejo was rich and smooth, the Russian salad fresh, the sardines fried to perfection, and the Padrón peppers full of flavor. The service was warm, and the whole place had a genuine local feel. Five stars.

This is a place to visit if you are looking for an authentic Spanish place to have a great sangria, wine and tapas. Great staff, service and good old authentic atmosphere. Could not recommend enough.

We are working our way through the BEST TAPAS recs we have been given in Old Town Marbella. Last nights hidden jewel was right up there, a REAL authentic Andalusian welcome in every way. Fab tapas ⭐️ cava with top draw brilliant service from Pablo & Zak! Yep, it made the list! 👍🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🥂 Z

We got food poisoning, and were sick with vomit and much much more for days, had to go to doctor that then send us to the hospital to get the medicine we needed and the checks, a nightmare, its been a week and still recovering. Wasn’t a good experience for us . We had, octopus salad tapas plate Tapas plate Chorizo in a spicy sauce. Slow braised pork. Tapas plate

Cute little spot near the beach! Loved having delicious Mexican food in Spain. This is my second time visiting Marbella and the second time and I’ve enjoyed their breakfast burritos. The homemade tortillas are AMAZING. Almost better than my mom’s tortillas (don’t tell her I said that.) I walked here from my Airbnb on a Monday morning around 10 am for a nice relaxed breakfast. Super attentive and quick!

It was a great experience! The specialty coffee is done right, the food is delicious and you can tell the ingredients are of good quality. We recommend this experience, it really says it in the name…it’s like you enter their home and they welcome you with open hearts ♥️ (with tasty food) See for yourself! 💖

Nice location close to the beach on an avenue with a number of cafes & restaurants. The restaurant puts corn chips on the table, they’re very stale, bad first impression. Had the nachos, very disappointed. They were very bland, total lack of flavor. Also, they are not nachos, it’s a bean tostada, it is not nachos. The bright spot is the tostada used fresh ingredients. Bland but fresh.

We came across Mi Casa Tu Casa by sheer luck on our recent visit to Marbella. It’s always really busy which is also a good sign. It is most amazing place and is run by a lovely family. We initially stopped by for a coffee and it was amazing! They roast their own coffee beans which is a lovely touch. The interior and exterior is really nice and very trendy. From the decor in the toilet to the plates and cups – everything is beautiful and the attention to detail is amazing, right through to the presentation of the food. We visited again – unfortunately one of the times it was closed as it was a Sunday. We wanted to try the food as the menu is vast with tons of different types of meals available. On our second visit, we had breakfast. The food was delicious – fresh ingredients and full of flavour. We had fresh orange juice alongside this and it was incredible. We would highly recommend you visit this place – it’s amazing. I believe you can purchase coffee beans which we really wish we’d done. We will 100% be back the next time we’re in Marbella!

What a vibe! This is a truly authentic mexican experience. They do breakfast and lunch, the owners are mexican and very nice and friendly. Food amazing. 10/10

Always the best experience coming to this place. Food is fantastic – so much flavour profile in each dish, feels like you’re in Mexico. Our favourite place to go to for breakfast/brunch/lunch in Marbella. Location is great too. Service is always amazing, friendly and helpful staff. MUST TRY!

Best place for authentic mexican food. Friendly people, clean place, tasty food, fair prices, great location. Nothing more to ask for 🤩

The best restaurant we visited in Marbella. The waiter was very friendly, and even having our dog there wasn’t a problem. The seafood paella was perfect, so much so that we came back two days later to try other dishes, and they did not disappoint. Truly excellent cuisine and service—we will definitely return here again.

We had drinks at Maraboo, while people-watching and enjoying our holiday. Chatted with Mario and had a wonderful relaxed afternoon stop 😎😁❤️

Best Paella i have ever had! All food is amazing, service is excellent and the atmosphere is amazing here! Many thanks to the owner, he is very friendly and kind!

Everything was super delicious! Don’t miss out the paella and the Alfredo spaghetti.

Our favorite place in Marbella. Both food and drinks are delicious and the service is exceptional!

Delicious food, lovely view and good staff. A really great restaurant! 👏🏻🍝

it was my first paella, but definitely not the last…so delicious! Fresh and full of flavor. Amazing.

Opposite the market gives hope that it caters for residents rather than tourists. Guy at the door spoke minimal english so that sealed it for me – I was travelling solo and wanted more traditional food. Highly recommended. Quick, informal, very tasty, reasonable price and felt like I was in a local – just could only watch and not join in conversations. Perfect genuine Southern Spain experience. Respect it and don’t try to change it!

Great restaurant with a nice vibe and straightforward but very tasty food. Don’t expect amazing presentation but do expect classic dishes with a ‘home cooked’ feel. Great value for money.

Amazing food and beer! Staff friendly and get yourself a sangria! Wow

Fantastic place to have a few drinks with friends. Very friendly staff. We didn’t eat so I could rate the food. I recommend the upper floor. It is very popular so you better go early. There is a dancing floor at the top with its own bar.

Slightly out of the center like one minute. Such friendly people. Amazing wine, good prices and you feel like family. Lots of locals eat and drink here so its good!

Very nice place! The food is great, drinks are also very conveniently priced and the service was amazing! Great attention and a cozy place!

Very cool place, nice terrace, good food.

Marvelous Service from a Hungarian waiter whose name I don’t know 🙂 great food presentatiom, nice conversation, smile and help. Very Good food, fresh and tasty. Waiters careful and sensitive to our needs. Thank you for a wonderful evening from a Polish group.

Tempore Marbella offers delicious, top‑quality food prepared by a truly talented chef. The service is excellent—warm, efficient, and perfectly aligned with the restaurant’s high standards. A fantastic choice for anyone seeking a memorable dining experience.

To be honest, that was my absolute, the best customer experience I have ever imagined in my life. The service, the food, the cocktails, the Wiener service amazing. I have no words to describe that. Honestly thats a must! If you ever come to Marbella, this is the restaurant where you have to come!

Absolutely amazing dinner! The service and chef were spectacular! The bang bang salad and sea bass were the most delicious plates of food ever! The service from Lory and Zety was the best ever!

We had a wonderful dinner at Tempora in Marbella and would happily return. The restaurant is quite small, which creates a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. What really stood out, however, was the staff. Every member of the team was incredibly friendly, cheerful, attentive and genuinely service-minded. Their positive attitude made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived and added so much to the overall experience. We ordered the grilled salmon, the confit duck leg, and a large mixed meat platter to share for two. The restaurant was very busy, so we had to wait a while for our food, but it was absolutely worth it. Everything was cooked beautifully, full of flavour, and clearly prepared with care. Even though the wait was a little longer than expected, the excellent food and outstanding service more than made up for it. We highly recommend Tempora to anyone visiting Marbella and will definitely be back on our next trip.

It was a fantastic experience. As soon as we entered, the friendly welcome and the cozy atmosphere immediately struck us. The service was attentive. The dishes were delicious and beautifully presented.

We had a wonderful evening at the restaurant. The food was fantastic, and the staff’s kindness was outstanding. We can only recommend it. We will definitely be back.

Self serve tapas yes it’s new for us, but the hot tapas being offered throughout the evening was excellent. People were happily eating and conversing. Just the right atmosphere and good food. When in Marbella, experience the tapas scene and eat, laugh and enjoy life.

We were there for a drink and ordered a bottle of cava. However, the staff did not seem very focused on their work. They appeared to have poor communication with each other and did not speak English very well, which was quite surprising for a bar and restaurant located in the middle of a tourist area. That said, they were friendly and polite, and the atmosphere was pleasant. The tapas were also fresh and delicious. In the end, we were satisfied and enjoyed our time there.

Lovely place to have a taste of the Spanish food. Food was delicious tapas portions were good size, good price, I ordered a salad came in a nice big bawl. You can pay with card or cash the waiter was helpful.

Excellent tapas bar ! Hot tapasa are delivered by waiters and cold ones may be picked up directly from the buffet. Then they will count number and type of the skewers. And they served absolutely excellent wine! Place was packed so service was reasonably stumbling

Nice tapas bar with a great concept: you can see and select the tapas from a buffet and put them on a plate. You pay per tapa with differently sized tapas costing different prices. They bring warm tapas and show them around …if you like one you take it. They also have various sweet desserts. I loved the atmosphere of the deck they have outside. Nice place!

Very friendly Service, great Spanish Snacks.

Ideally located this is one of the best Pintxo tavernas in town. Close to the front near many Tapas restaurants. Be aware that most of these are generally poor quality. So it was a surprise to find this one. We came for an early lunch. The bar was stocked with fresh Pintxos, and when I asked, we were politely told to take a plate and help ourselves. They would count up the sticks once we finished. We had a nice variety, tuna, Russian salad, tuna in tortilla, to name a few. Check the pics the quality was nearly as good as Pintxos from San Sebastian! We were also served with a few dishes that the waitress walked around with, sirloin steak and spring roll. We had 4 glasses of Rioja and with 7 dishes the bill came to 32€!

Ok so this place when you get to it you’ll go hmm ok doesnt look to nice … but trust me i got the seafood paella 🥘.. it took 30 minutes but thats how you know its autjentic and lovley nice to sit and play cards and enjoy the atmosphere, now the paella came and if you get it for 2 the man will split it evenly live infront of you which is nice to watch . The food was probably the best paella ive ever eaten it was rich and seafoody so yummy ! Definitely enjoy 10/10 5 ⭐️

Went here on a Friday night and the food was incredible! We got prawn pil pil, croquetas and the mixed paella for two. We also got olives and bread on the house, which were delicious. The staff were super attentive and very helpful with providing recommendations. Really can’t recommend La Ribera enough!!

I need to say that when I came here I was little bit sceptical, restaurant is located on busy street. Waiters are slower but I am in the Spain so need to count with it more manana style 😅 But the most important what I wanted to say I ordered paella and it was the best one what I had in me life. I really recommend it. Big surprise.

Good restaurant with variety of choice between fish, meat and paella. Pretty good cafe. The external garden is right next to main street in Marbella so it’s a bit loud and crowded. Prices a bit high.

It was a truly wonderful experience eating here. The service was friendly and very courteous, evening warning us of the long time it would take for some items on the menu during the lunch rush. The octopus was cooked perfectly and the paella was super tasty. It was definitely worth the wait for our meals.

Came here with a group of 8 pax for dinner; all were happy with their food; 5 shared a larger Talbot fish weighing 2.5kg that cost euro 134; others ate meat dishes also enjoy; staff very professional and make good recommendation on food and wine; overall a very good dinner.

authentic paella, probably the best in town. will fly to Marbella just for it 😮‍💨

Good location. Relatively calm atmosphere and tasty food. Staff are friendly. The cider and tapas are the main reason to come here. Knocking one star off due to price but this applies to most of Marbella.

Very friendly and helpful service. Food was partly very good and some items good. Mostly Spanish customers in the restaurant. Feels great. Good spot to to sit, watch the world go by and relax with good food.

This is ” the place ” for the best Asturian food in Marbella. Cosy atmosphere, excellent and friendly service and amazing food. Ensalada Paca, Pastel de Cabracho, Croquetas, Alcachofas, mollejas y Cachopo are the must to experience . Go once, you will never forget.

Loved this place! The best tapas place we’ve found in Marbella. The service was excellent and they were patient with us (traveling with little kids). We had the chorizo, croquettas, gambas pil-pil, pimientos de padrón, empanadas, the grilled pulpo, and the Argentine steak. Everything was excellent! Also not sure if it’s normally like this, but when we went, it was an entirely female staff — everything was smooth, organized, and flawless! Women rock!

Great spot for lunch close to the old town and the beach. Ox tail sliders were insane! Service was great and it’s a larger space so lots of tables. Prices are high but that’s Marbella for you!

Only had tapas, which were quite pricey like most things in marbella. Loved atmosphere, plenty of seats indoors and out, staff didn’t know much English,but we managed.

The portions are very small for the prices. For example, the quesadilla menu literally included about 7 cold fries and two quesadillas the size of a taco or even smaller. The service was very poor—they forgot to bring all three of our orders. We asked them multiple times, but they didn’t pay attention to us.

Today we visited this restaurant and did not regret our choice! Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The octopus was so tender — it literally melted in the mouth. 😋We were very satisfied and will definitely come back again.

Amazing Tapas, great wine. A little warm at the back of the restaurant but we were there in summer so 😂

Amazing food and fantastic service! We were advised to order 3 dishes for 2 people, but in our greed we went for 6. Needless to say, we had to stop after just 3. Generous portions and worth every bite!

The waiter was very nice and accommodating. However, the food took very long to get, and it was nice but nothing particularly special. The cheesecake was the worst we’ve ever had, tasted sour. Also they added a charge of 3e for a basket of bread which we never even received. I already detest this scam bread basket practise but not to even get it was annoying despite being charged. I much prefer the next door restaurant which doesn’t do the bread charge – Arco Tapas.

First night in Marbella and the food did not disappoint. We enjoyed the food and atmosphere in perita located on a bustly side street in the old town. We shared the burrata with truffle pesto – amazing, patatas bravas, pork cheek brioche which was melt in the mouth and mini burger. Would recommend and return to eat there again.

Really our favorite in Marbella. We went here first time a year ago when a local person recommended and on this short trip we went 2 times and loved it both times. The place is more like wine bar with great food. It’s possible to have less, snag only. We did dinners and got recommended surprise food…. It was really good. Nam. The waiter was really attending and clearly knew what he was doing with food & drinks. I recommend a booking as it’s popular.

A must stop when in Marbella. The food was divine and the staff amazing. Would rate this more than 5 stars if I could!

What a restaurant in the heart of the old town!. If we had more days, we would have dined here every night so we can try everything on the menu. Delicious is an understatement. Everything we tried was fantastic!!. The wine selection is excellent and served at the right temperature ( which is rare). The staff is the highlight, super friendly, super kind. Daliana, Alicia, Alejandro y Gabriel… thank you for being amazing!.

One of the best place in old town Marbella. We did not have reservations and we just walked in. They gave us a bar seating which was amazing. The chef was explaining us the menu which helped alot. We had a bottle of wine they recomanded to us which was amazing. The name of wine was Casa Curro. Very good price for the wine. All the stuff in menu is great. Definitely will come back

Good food although not exceptional. I particularly liked the wild seabass ceviche. It’s quite cozy, but a tight fit. Many of the wine bottles on display are not on the menu, but you can still purchase them, either for drinking in the establishment or for bringing home with you. Good service.

Went here yesterday and overall had a good experience. The fusion concept is very nice and everything was tasty especially this crunchy tuna roll. It has a good vibe, the only small thing I’d say is that the music could be improved a bit as it doesn’t quite match the ambient. Will definitely come back

Stumbled upon this place when we were trying to find an authentic Spanish food. The place offers a modern twist of Spanish food. Food was just okay and not impressive. The bread gotta be the most expensive bread in Marbella. 7.80€ for three slices. Additionally, we didn’t order any beer and it seems it was added in our bill. If you don’t speak Spanish, please TRIPLE check your bill so you are not getting additional item. We only noticed this when we already left the place. I just saw some reviews and apparently a few people experienced this as well.

One of the best fish restaurants I’ve been to! The nigiri were FABULOUS; huge and delicious oysters; uramaki rolls, very tasty and lovely sweet Galician razor clams…divine. The wine list was amazing and the service was excellent too. We live nearly 3 hours away and were in Marbella for something else, but if I’m ever remotely near here again, I shall most definitely make a return visit

Small restaurant in a narrow street in old town Marbella. Interior is modern and beautiful. Good atmosphere. We loved the food. Modern tapas but delicious! Waiters were really helpful and nice. And not to forget lovely wines. Artichoke, brioche with lobster, tuna tataki Jammie