Food and drink in the alternative
Costa del Sol

Spanish life is very social and revolves around eating and drinking with family and friends. The food timetable here is rather different from the UK - lunch, which is generally the main meal of the day, usually starts at about 2pm, and it is not uncommon to sit down in a restaurant for an evening meal at 10pm. To keep you going in between, the Spanish invented tapas. Small but delicious portions of food, either hot or cold and served with drinks, tapas are a fantastic way of trying a mixture of new and unusual dishes and in the more traditional Spanish bars they are often included in the price of a drink!

Whether you're interested in paella on the beach or international cuisine you will find them all in the Axarquia. Our dining out section will tell you more about the local restaurants, including some of the delicious regional specialities available and we recommend our favourites to you.

Our destination reports all include an overview of the local restaurants and bars.

If you want more information on tapas, as well as drinking and dancing, then go to our bars and nightlife page.