Granada

There are many hotels in the centre of Granada and looking at www.booking.com should help you choose something suitable.

Some of the best are conversions of old buildings in the streets around the Plaza Nueva and are ideally situated for visiting the Alhambra and enjoying the other delights of the city. Another good area is around Calle Navas, only five mnutes from Plaza Nueva, around this area there is a wide selection of places to eat and drink that are frequented more by locals than visitors.

Also recommended is Boutique Hotel Parraga Siete, C/Parraga 7, www.hotelparragasiete.com it is in a great location, stylish rooms and very reasonably priced. Their restaurant Vitola is highly recommended by local experts, see below.

Apartamentos Puente del Carbon, was the choice for our most recent visit, we loved the apartments, the location and the great service. This would be our first choice for a return visit and it was this year, lovely staff, great apartments and excellent location.

There are several choices in the Albacin area where houses with Patios called Carmens have been converted into hotels, you do have to be careful when wandering around parts of the Albacin and it is out of the centre.

There are also lots of sites with apartments to rent ranging from small houses in the Albacin, apartments in the centre of the city, to caves in Sacromonte.  Friendly Rentals are a good company to use www.friendlyrentals.com and they have some very nice apartments.

Granada has free tapas with every drink  in about 99% of the bars. There is usually a different tapas if you have a second drink and in some places a menu where you can choose your tapas. The drinks are slightly more expensive about 30 cents on a cana, a small beer, than other places in Andalucia but the selection of tapas is amazing

Near Plaza Trinidad

Saint Germain, C/Postigo Velutti 4, is not far from the Mercado San Agustin, it was recommended on a recent visit by someone we met who is in the wine business. It is not the easiest to find but it was certainly worth the work, a wonderful wine selection and without doubt another must in Granada. This has become a must on any visit.

Bar Los Diamantes, Plaza Bib-Rambla, this is a new branch of the small group of bars and is a very welcome addition to this lovely square. As always with each drink there is a fish or seafood free tapas and excellent service.

Poe, C/Paz,  is run by a very nice Englishman called Mathew and has a choice of free tapas with your drinks ranging from spicy pork to Brazilian bean casserole all freshly cooked by his wife Anna. It is excellent and understandably is popular with young American students. Great to return again and as ever after 16 years of visiting it as welcoming and good as ever.

Om Khalsum, C/Jardines 17, is just round the corner from Poe above, it used to be a regular haunt but it seemed to have closed on a visit some time ago however the good news it is still open and as good as ever. Excellent choice of free Moroccan tapas with every drink.

Mercado San Agustin, Plaza San Agustin is the central market which now has a small number of stalls offering food and wine, we tried one of the fish & seafood stalls and had an excellent seafood salad and a glass of wine which was amazing value. On this recent visit we found more places to eat, one called Picateria was highly recommended and also one called Materia Prima where you can choose the fish or seafood from their stall and they will cook it.

Vitola, C/Parraga 7, is the restaurant attached to the hotel Parraga Siete, while we did not try it two Granada friends both in the restaurant and bar trade said it was one of the best places for a full meal in the city. That makes it a must for future visits.

Mas Que Vinos, C/Tunidores 10, in a little alley near the cathedral we stopped twice during our most recent visit and were impressed with the service and atmosphere.

Cunini, Plaza de Pescaderia 14 is a very upmarket fish restaurant with a bar attached. The restaurant is expensive but gets good reports and free tapas is very good, excellent staff.

Carmela, C/del Marques de Girona 12, a fairly recent opening, this smart fish and seafood restaurants also has seats at the bar where you can enjoy the excellent free tapas.

Near Plaza Nueva

Bodegas Castaneda, C/Almiceros 1-5, has great platters of meats and cheeses on sale but also always does a free tapas from pork casserole to paella. A Granada institution always packed with good reason. There are two with similar names but this is the one to visit. Drink what the locals do and try the house speciality a Calli Casa, a vermut but a mix of three different types with four additions, two is the recommended maximum.

Bodegas La Mancha, C/Joaquim Costa 10, we first went to 20 years ago and did not return as there was no free tapas but we were told by a local friend that it was now owned by the same people as Bodega Castaneda but less packed and it was and the free tapas excellent.

Casa Julio, C/Hermosa, off Plaza Nueva, standing room only in this tiny bar and it is such a great place, you may think you are not getting your free tapas but the fresh fried fish will always appear from the kitchen.

Casa de Vinos La Brujidera, C/Monjas del Carmen, a hidden gem but just two minutes from Plaza Nueva, this wine bar has an amazing selection of Spanish wines by the glass and bottle as well of course as tapas. If you are lucky and get a seat at the bar you can look at the wines on offer and plan your next glass, all very reasonably priced. The staff will help with your choice if required and there is a free tapas with every glass. a wonderful bar. There have been some changes since last year, a new owner and mainly new staff but they have not changed the place which is reassuring.

Bar Los Diamantes, Plaza Nueva 13, a recent opening of an old favourite, see below. The old one still retains its old charms but this new modern one while attracting more tourists than locals maintains the tradition of a fabulous free fishy tapas with every round. You may be luck enough to get small clams, freshly fried prawns or even razor clams, sometimes you have to force yourself to move on to another place.

Around Calle Navas, Plaza del Carmen, Campo Principe & Santo Domingo

All the places mentioned below are in a relatively small area that is packed with all types of bars and all ranges of food.

Puerta del Carmen, Plaza Virgen del Carmen 1, we were taken there by a local friend and were very impressed with the quality of the food, wine and service.

Las Diamantes C/Navas 26, is a small and very busy seafood bar and you may have to fight your way to the bar to order your drink but your free freshly cooked tapas will soon arrive and it will be worth it.  There is another one nearby at C/Rosario 12. See above for the branch in the Plaza Nueva and the new one in Plaza Bib-Rambla..

Tasca El Conde, C/Rosario 12,  a lovely bar run by Javier and Javier, they offer an excellent wine selection and very good tapas, the free tapas served with each drink are generous and top quality. This is now a must on any visit.

Malvasia, C/Rosario 10, was recommended by a local friend and we have now been visiting for several years. Excellent selection of wines on a list which is easy to see and read unlike some bars and the free tapas were also good. Miguel is a great host and this is a firm favourite.

La Pajuana, C/Rosario 10, first time visiting this bar and it was recommended by local residents so we were keen to try it and it was top notch. Great service, lovely free tapas with each drink and now a must in this street packed with so many great bars.

El Mentidero, Calle Piedra Santa 15, well worth recommending. Packed with locals and top quality free tapas mean this is a must for a return visit.

Taberna La Tana, Calle Rosario 11, this is a serious wine bar that seems to be permanently packed so persevere and squeeze in as it is so worth the visit. The only drawback is that they only list the monthly specials wines available by the glass on a board, for the many others available you need to talk to the staff who will advise. This is now a firm favourite and we have got to know the family that own it.

La Botilleria, C/Varela 10, has been there for many years but this visit we went for the first time after hearing good reports and although we only tried the wines we were impressed with the quality and service and we now visit regulalrly.

Candela, is one of many bars in C/Panadera which becomes C/Escolastica and is a really popular local friendly bar with good food and a mixed crowd of customers, very welcoming.

Around Calle Acera del Darro

This is the area around the main central shopping streets and on this visit we found some of the best bars for free tapas with menus in most places that offered an amazing choice of very good tapas with each drink.

Casa Enrique, Calle Acera del Darro 8, this is reputed to be the oldest bar in Granada we had never visited before but went this visit with a friend who lives in the city. Very old school and with a wide range of wines and food.

Casa Mol, C/Duende 11, on the corner of C/San Isidro, what a find on our most recent visit, a very smart modern bar with a great menu choice of free tapas with each drink.

Bodega Los Tintos, C/San Isidro 25, not sure if that number is correct but it is a couple of doors down from Casa Mol. this is an old school bar, specialising in red wines and doing excellent free tapas, again from a menu.

Avila II, C/San Isidro 11, is the second Avila Bar in the area, the other being at C/Veronica de la Virgen 16 nearby. The two bars are very popular and the range of free tapas is excellent, old school cooking with hearty portions.

La Cavilla, C/Aben Humeya 21, has been taken over by Israel who used to work at La Brujidera, he is a very welcoming host and knows his wines so deserves to succeed with this new venture.

Bar Albergue, C/San Pedro Martir 25, was another local recommendation and it really is a locals bar. Lots of fish as the free tapas, no choice just what ever is being cooked freshly at the moment. Try the vermut which was very popular with the locals.

Buga Ramen, C/Pedro Antonio de Alcaron 15, in need of a change of cusine this came recommended by two resident foodie friends and it did not disappoint, excellent ramen !

Bullring

The area under the bullring has been used for bars and restaurants and has a bit of a reputation as a “yuppy” area, there are a lot of late evening bars plus some very classy restaurants and tapas bars, Tendido 1 is one of the best known in Granada.

Albacin

Is full of places these days from local bars to up market restaurants and amazing views of the Alhambra but be careful as the area is known for the number of robberies so stick to the busier streets.

El Balcon de San Nicolas, was recommended by a local acquaintance in the restaurant business therefore is on the list for our next visit, the food and views are supposed to be top notch.

Casa Gabriel, Placeta Carnicerias 1, is in a part of the Albacin which we had not explored before this visit and enjoyed our this bar when we popped in during our walk.

If you are walking back to the Plaza Nueva be sure to walk down Calle Calderian Nueva it is full of Moroccan Shops and Teahouses.

Drink

There are places mentioned above where you can sample a wide variety of Spanish wines while in Granada and also in the summer particularly try fino sherry with seafood.

The Granada area is now producing some very good wines and was recommended by the owner of a wine bar in Cordoba so keep and eye out and give any you see a try.

Granada however has it’s own local beer called Alhambra which is a craft beer and better than some of the well known brands, there are a number of different types of beers produced so seek out the local brand.

 

The main reason for visiting Granada for most people is the Alhambra and you should book this in advance via the web site to get an allocated morning or afternoon slot. The numbers are restricted and it can be sold out therefore get your tickets on line from www.tickets.alhambra-patronato. The tickets will also give you a timed slot for your entrance to the Palacios Nazaries, you must enter within half an hour of your allocated time otherwise you will not be allowed in.

Cuarto Real, Plaza de Campos, is worth a visit there is only a small part of the palace remaining which is from the same period as the Alhambra but it is well worth seeing.

On our most recent visit we took a day trip to see local friends spending the summer on the coast at a lovely small town called La Herradura, we loved the town and ate wonderfully well on the beach at a restaurant called Amarre Beach which justly deserves its No 1 rating. The trip takes 1 1/2 hrs from Granada by bus.