Food · Granada · Spain
What to eat in Granada
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Granada, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Brett Hodnett, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Free tapas, Tortilla del Sacromonte and Broad beans with ham. Order a drink in one bar, eat the tapa that comes with it, then move on; three or four bars make dinner. Lunch runs from about 2pm to 4pm and dinner from about 9pm; kitchens in many places close in between.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Free tapas
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected.
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Snack
1.Free tapas (Tapa gratis)
In most Granada bars, each drink you order comes with a free tapa chosen by the kitchen, often getting more generous with each round: from olives and cured ham to fried fish, small burgers or stews.
Where: Bars on Calle Navas, around Plaza Nueva, in Realejo and along Pedro Antonio de Alarcón.
Dish
2.Tortilla del Sacromonte
An omelette named after the Sacromonte quarter, traditionally made with lamb brains and sweetbreads, ham and sometimes peas. Milder versions are now common.
Where: Traditional restaurants in the Albaicín and Sacromonte and old-fashioned bars in the centre.
Dish
3.Broad beans with ham (Habas con jamón)
Tender broad beans sautéed with cured ham, a classic Granada dish, best in spring when the beans are young.
Where: Tapas bars and traditional restaurants across the city.
Dish
4.Trevélez ham (Jamón de Trevélez)
Ham cured in the cold, dry mountain air of Trevélez in the Alpujarras, one of the highest villages in Spain. It is served thinly sliced with bread.
Where: Tapas bars, delis and market stalls, and in Trevélez itself on an Alpujarras trip.
Dish
5.Remojón granadino
A refreshing salad of orange, salt cod, black olives, onion and olive oil, reflecting the Moorish and Andalusian mix of sweet and salty flavours.
Where: Traditional restaurants, especially in winter and spring when oranges are in season.
Snack · Vegetarian
6.Fried aubergine with cane honey (Berenjenas con miel de caña)
Thin slices of aubergine fried crisp and drizzled with dark sugar-cane molasses from the coast near Granada. It is one of the most common free tapas.
Where: Almost every tapas bar in the city.
Dish
7.Plato alpujarreño
A hearty mountain plate from the Alpujarras of fried potatoes, peppers, fried eggs, chorizo, black pudding and ham.
Where: Traditional restaurants in Granada and in the Alpujarras villages.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Piononos
Small rolled sponge cakes soaked in syrup and topped with toasted cream, invented in the town of Santa Fe just outside Granada.
Where: Pastry shops in the centre and in Santa Fe.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Mint tea and Moroccan pastries
Granada's teterías serve sweet mint tea and dozens of herbal teas with honey-soaked pastries in cushioned rooms that echo the city's Moorish past.
Where: Tea rooms along Calle Calderería Nueva and Calle Calderería Vieja in the lower Albaicín.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
10.Churros with chocolate
Fried dough loops dipped in thick hot chocolate, a classic breakfast or late-night snack in winter.
Where: Long-established cafés on Plaza Bib-Rambla and around the centre.
Food experiences
Free-tapas crawl
Order a drink in one bar, eat the tapa that comes with it, then move on; three or four bars make dinner. Calle Navas, Realejo and Pedro Antonio de Alarcón are the classic routes.
Tea in Calderería Nueva
Spend an afternoon in one of the tea rooms of the lower Albaicín with mint tea and pastries, a welcome break from the heat or the cold.
Mercado San Agustín
The covered market near the cathedral sells local cheese, cured meats, olives and produce, with counters serving tapas and drinks.
Dinner with an Alhambra view
Restaurants in the Albaicín's cármenes and along the Paseo de los Tristes face the floodlit Alhambra; book a terrace table for sunset.
Quick bites and street food
- Free tapas — Bars on Calle Navas, around Plaza Nueva, in Realejo and along Pedro Antonio de Alarcón.
- Fried aubergine with cane honey — Almost every tapas bar in the city.
- Churros with chocolate — Long-established cafés on Plaza Bib-Rambla and around the centre.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Fried aubergine with cane honey, Piononos, Mint tea and Moroccan pastries and Churros with chocolate. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch runs from about 2pm to 4pm and dinner from about 9pm; kitchens in many places close in between.
- You do not order the free tapa; it arrives with each drink, and you can order larger raciones to share as well.
- Soft drinks, beer and wine all usually come with a tapa, so non-drinkers can join in too.
- Restaurants on Plaza Nueva and around the cathedral cater to visitors; locals eat a few streets away.
- Book view terraces in the Albaicín ahead for sunset, especially at weekends.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected. Rounding up in bars and leaving around 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buenas | Hi (informal greeting) |
| Una caña, por favor | A small draught beer, please |
| ¿Qué tapa me pones? | What tapa are you giving me? |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| ¡Olé! | Shout of encouragement at flamenco |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Granada famous for?
Free tapas, Tortilla del Sacromonte, Broad beans with ham and Trevélez ham. In most Granada bars, each drink you order comes with a free tapa chosen by the kitchen, often getting more generous with each round: from olives and cured ham to fried fish, small burgers or stews.
+Is Granada good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Fried aubergine with cane honey, Piononos and Mint tea and Moroccan pastries.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Granada?
Tipping is not expected. Rounding up in bars and leaving around 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated.