Restaurante El Mirador Ardales — Restaurant in Ardales

We make a point to visit this restaurant every time we're in the area — it's become a must-stop for us.

The service is always top-notch. The waitresses are incredibly friendly, genuinely welcoming, and even remember our usual orders, which adds such a personal touch. The food arrives surprisingly fast, even when the place is busy — a real testament to how well they run things.

Our absolute favorite is the goat cheese salad — I’ve never seen so much fresh fruit packed into one dish. It’s beautifully presented, bursting with color and flavor, and genuinely one of the best salads I’ve ever had.

On top of all that, the restaurant offers the best views I’ve ever seen in a dining spot — absolutely breathtaking.

If I had one small suggestion, it would be about the uniforms. The staff wear long black trousers, which must be tough in the summer heat. It would be great to see them in something lighter and more comfortable for the season — they work so hard and deserve to be...

Scenic views off the lake. We arrived in the morning just before the hike. I asked the waiter passing through the entrance whether the restaurant was open. He nodded and walked past to set some glasses.on the table. So I waited in thought of being seated. After 5 minutes I have realised that the waiter was not going to come. Therefore, we sat outside to admire the view. Having waited for another 5 minutes we have decided to take the menus ourselves from the waiting station. Again, another 5 minutes and no waiter was coming. As a result, I went up to the bar and approached the waiter to say what we wanted to order. I was asked to go back to the table. At this moment the waiter arrived.

We ordered salads. They were nice with fresh vegetables. However, plain salads with no dressing.

In overall, nice place with scenic views. However, the waiting staff need some training in...

If you're hiking/climbing El chorro or enjoying the lake this is the place to stop for food. Not very handicap friendly, no elevator. But having a goat cheese and fruit salad with this spectacular view is so peaceful. The desserts and meat are all delish too. Slightly more pricy as it's in the middle of no where but all the restaurants cost a little more bc of the location. Met the owner who even picked me up as a hitchhiker bc there's no busses that go there anymore, have to take the train in (or hitchhike) Thank you!!!

Super friendly staff. Even saw a blue tailed gecko crawling on the deck. Went for lunch and brought back hostel friends for dinner and watched the sunset. The pork chop was my favorite meat. But definitely the goat cheese salad, especially for lunch. 😘😘😘

This is above with a pathway from the upper parking lot shuttle stop for...