Pizzeria El Higueron — Restaurant in Benalmádena

A wonderful Italian experience — with room for improvement on service

La Bella Sophia is without doubt one of the best Italian restaurants we’ve been to here on the Costa del Sol. The food is nothing short of excellent: authentic, flavourful, and of truly high quality. The homemade pasta deserves special mention — silky, perfectly cooked, and bursting with that deep, rustic Italian taste you rarely find outside Italy. It’s a dining experience that sticks with you, and the kitchen easily earns top marks.

The restaurant is just a few minutes’ walk from our home in Higuerón, and having parking right in front is a big plus. You can sit both indoors and outdoors, and the atmosphere is lively and charming. There’s almost always a full house, which speaks volumes about how popular and well-regarded this place is — and rightly so.

However, that popularity is also something of an Achilles’ heel for La Bella Sophia. You can feel how hard the staff are working, and at times they clearly struggle to keep up. The waiters don’t seem to be professionally trained but rather extra help doing their best, which unfortunately means that eye contact and attentive service often slip in the rush. There are more staff than last year, which is a positive development, but there’s still a way to go before the service matches the exceptional level of the kitchen.

We’ve also used their take-away service several times, and here there’s absolutely nothing to complain about — the food is ready in about 20 minutes, even when the restaurant is full. It’s efficient and shows how well-organised the kitchen is.

All in all, La Bella Sophia remains a gem for us, and we keep coming back for the food. I do hope, though, that management soon prioritises upgrading the service so that it can live up to the outstanding standard set by the kitchen.

Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Service: ⭐⭐½

We’ll definitely be back — and we cross our fingers that one day the service will fully match the brilliance...

Pizzeria El Higuerón is a mixed bag. While it has some redeeming qualities, there are a few areas that really let it down. Let’s start with the positives: the pizza is genuinely good. The crust is thin and crispy, the toppings are fresh, and the flavors are well-balanced. If you’re visiting, sticking to the pizza is definitely the way to go.

However, the experience takes a downturn with the hamburger. It was disappointing, to say the least. The patty was overly fatty, lacked seasoning, and was overall tasteless. It’s a shame, as a good burger could have complemented the pizza offerings nicely. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark entirely.

The location is average—nothing particularly special or scenic, but it’s functional. It’s not a place you’d go for the ambiance or views, but it’s decent enough for a casual meal.

One thing to note is that the prices are higher than average. While the pizza is good, it’s not quite enough to justify the premium cost, especially considering the lackluster burger and unremarkable setting.

In summary, Pizzeria El Higuerón is worth a visit if you’re craving pizza, but I’d recommend avoiding the hamburger and being prepared to pay a bit more than you might expect. It’s a decent spot, but there’s definitely room for...

Very average. Staff is friendly but the food quality is quite low. Almost nothing is fresh. I recommend the "Pomodorro Bruscheta" but stay away from the pastas. To be honest I don't understand why people like it so much, it's pretty obvious that most ingredients come from a can. Nowadays it just seems that people don't know what quality is.

UPDATE for the owner: I understand your concern towards my review, but I'm not a fool I'm sorry... I know your pastas don't come from a can.... but don't tell me your ingredients are good quality please.

Let's do something, I'll come back and you will show me the FRESH "Funghi Porcinis" that you use for the "Funghi Porcini" pastas? If you can show me these are fresh (and not dehydrated), I'll order the pastas again and update my review. But we can also talk about the low quality ham, cheese & tomato sauce that you use for the pizzas? Don't tell me the sauce is homemade from fresh tomatoes. Or maybe the limoncello that comes directly from a cheap industrial brand? LA CALIDAD ES...