We live close to Elias every time we're in Torrevieja and are there almost every night. Torrevieja…read moreis pretty touristy overall but this is a hidden gem. The owner, Jorge, is the nicest restaurant owner you'll ever find and he personally makes every order of paella. If you want the experience of a real, true tapas bar with a true Spanish feel. Go to Elias. There is no excuse for not coming here when in Torrevieja, absolutely the nicest and best restaurant in Torrevieja.

We have eaten with Jorge, the owner of Elias tapas restaurant for each of the four years in a row…read morewe have vacationed in torrevieja. He and his daughters run the restaurant with a few close coworkers who may as well be family, and their service is as good as the food. Everything, from boquerones (lightly fried large sardines) to patatas bravas to pulpo (octopus) has been perfect every time. And the prices are fantastic at 6 euro for a plate of boquerones and 3 euro for the patatas bravas. But by far our favorite is the made to order paella mixto. Jorge puts love into his cooking, and this, and his fresh seafood and vegetables, keep us coming. Ack year after year. It is always our first meal when we reach torrevieja, our home away from home.

Lovely food, great atmosphereread more

Situated in the Sierra Bernia mountain range, somewhere between Benissa and the Jalon Valley, this…read moreis a difficult place to find, at least without a little local knowledge. However, the effort to get there is well justified by this amazing little restaurant in its stunningly beautiful surroundings. This is no Michelin star dining, but it is rustic Spanish food at its absolute best. And at approximately €18 per head for three courses plus an endless supply of red wine it is an absolute steel. Its situated in old farm buildings, and consequently the seating is arranged in numerous nooks and crannys, complete with dust and cobwebs (its all part of the authentic experience!) There is no menu, you get what you are given! However, you do get a choice of two meats (normally duck or lamb) for the main course. A large bowl of bread is already on the table, along with the red wine which tastes delicious and strong. Warning No.1 - Its highly unlikely that you will leave this restaurant anywhere near sober, just remember you have a mountain to drive down in order to get home!. First course is a potato salad, with a lovely herby mayonnaise dressing. Next comes the vegetable soup, presented in a massive serving bowl in the centre of the table. Salad course is next, and then its the main event - the meat! I have tried both on numerous visits to this restaurant and would have to say that the lamb just nudges it in terms of being my favorite - and as a whole lamb shank its pretty ginormous! The duck is good too, served with a deliciously rich cherry sauce. For pudding, if you can still fit it in, it is usually crepes with orange sauce. Warning No. 2 - don't make dinner plans, you won't want to eat for a long time after this meal! There are often some Spanish musicians around to serenade you while you eat, which all adds to the experience! This is the one restaurant I request a return visit to every time I am in Spain. It is only open at lunchtimes as it is run on a generator and its gets very busy so booking is essential.

A place to visit. Bring your friends, they will not be dissapointed. Frienly owners who make this…read morean experience for life.

This is an unpretentious, pleasantly decorated restaurant popular with Spanish and foreigners…read morealike, but it can tend to get noisy - like most Spanish restaurants. My favourite dish is Hake Florentine - flakes of hake in creamy sauce on a bed of spinach - out of this world - very filling. The dining room is tastefully decorated, and I don't get the 'mass production' feeling I do in some of the other restaurants in the area. This is a good place for family meals - good selection, slightly more up-market than the competitors. The service tends to get slow if there are a lot of customers - beware - ask for the bill in plenty of time if you want to leave on time- but excellent value for money. Anthony James Barnett - author of WITHOUT REPROACH

We have been going to Pepe's restaurant in Alcalali for over 15 years. My wife and I spend the…read morewinter in Spain and have about 7 or 8 restaurants which we frequent on a regular basis. Of these, Pepe's is our favourite. He, himself, is always friendls and welcoming as is his very professional staff. The food is excellent and never varies in quality, so that you can always be sure that if you take anyone there for the first time, they are going to enjoy both the food and the experience. If you haven't already had a meal there, give it a try, you won't regret it. Ray and Margaret Pidgeon.

Two of us ate here this afternoon after our climb to the Bernia fortress. We were hungry. It's an…read moreelegant glass-fronted restaurant run by a British couple who recently bought it. We were enthusiastically greeted and made to feel comfortable. It was late afternoon , an odd time for lunch in Spain (I mean 5 o'clock). The menu was all available, including a delicious looking set of tapas, sandwiches and a course menu for 17.95€. We had some tapas and sandwiches. My burger was beautifully put together and tasty, juicy and nicely. We had some drinks and coffee and all came to 32€. It's not everyone who wants to climb the very windy though nicely surfaced road to get here. But the Bernia mountains are beautiful and offer breathtaking views of inland valleys in one direction and the shore mountains, towns and ocean on the other. The walk to the fortress gives you both from an amazing height. The Real de Bernia extends the view letting you look back at the mountain you just climbed while having a delicious lunch.

From the owner: Restaurante de montaña en la Sierra de Bernia, Especialidad en Carnes a la Brasa, Paella y cocina…read morecasera tipica de la zona. Menus todos los dias desde 12€. Gran variedad de Vinos. Terraza con vistas a la Sierra. Acceso para minusválidos.