Bottega Bar y Cocina — Restaurant in Benalmádena

On planning our recent holiday to Benalmadena, we wanted to explore more of the Arroyo de la miel area and the restaurants and bars, Bottega Bar Y Cocina was a place we wanted to visit, and it exceeded our expectations, so much so, we visited twice. The location was great, we were sat outside for lunch on both visits, a beautiful intersecting street next to Plaza de la Tribuna. We were seated quickly and the service on both occasions was attentive and polite. The food was delicious, the kids loved the Pizza and lasagne on the first visit, whilst my wife and I had the Prawn Spaghetti Positano which was our favourite meal here. Stunning well cooked plump prawns and beautifully presented. On the second visit, the kids (11 & 14) decided that the pizza was enough to share whilst my wife had the 'Nduja Burrata Spaghetti, I had the wild Boar Pappardelle. A little warning, delicious as it was, the 'Nduja is hot, the hottest we have tried, the burrata tries to calm it down, but the 'Nduja wins. I am a chilli lover and grow many varieties myself, but in 30c heat, it might be to much for some. The Pappardelle was delicious, perfectly made fresh pasta and plenty of wild boar meat. The house white wine was really nice, and at 15 euros a bottle, is a bargain. Everything about this beautiful little Italian restaurant in the middle of Benalmadena is 5*, and we look forward to return when we are in...

Based on the reviews, we 'earmarked' this spot to either have brunch or dinner at. We had dinner here. Wow. What a let down. In my opinion the pictures are misleading and the description of dishes are not truthful. I ordered the secreto Iberico, described as pork steak with a salad. No steak though, certainly no salad. It's not worth 18€ at all. The 'protein' was pork fat with specks of meat, not the other way around. My salad? Romanian chopped lettuce. On the side, 4 slices of tomatoe. Nothing more to my 'salad'. Hubs had the boar stew. Reminded me of recooked left overs, presented as such too. Child had the bolognaise. Service? The waitress was friendly but paid no attention to detail. She brought to the table olives which had already been dug in to. We found 3 olive pips in the little bowl, the one on top was so clearly from someone elses hand and mouth. Hubs' wine glass had red lipstick stains. Not bothered by the food delay and how the dishes weren't cleared but I have a baby. I asked the waitress for a cup or bowl of warm water (to warm up his food) and she just said 'no, no' and...

As an Italian, I’m always on the hunt for truly authentic Italian food, and La Bottega absolutely delivered! From the moment I walked in, I could tell this place was special. The ingredients are top quality, the flavors are spot on, and the attention to detail is exactly what you’d find in Italy.

The pasta was one of the best I’ve ever had outside of Italy—perfectly cooked, rich in flavor, and made with love. The pinza was crispy on the outside, light and airy inside, just like in Rome (I am from Rome, and I know what I am talking about :-) ). You can tell that everything here is crafted with passion and respect for tradition.

Beyond the incredible food, the service was warm and welcoming, making the whole experience even better. If you’re looking for real Italian cuisine, this is the place. Complimenti ai proprietari—keep up the amazing work! I’ll...