El Adarve — Restaurant in Frigiliana

This place was absolutely gorgeous. The views stretch over Frigiliana and all its neighboring haciendas all the way down to the water below Nerja. My mother and I came in just for a drink around lunch time but ended up getting a soup and two desserts because they sounded marvelous. Everything was so good we ended up coming back for dinner 6 hours later!! (this involved a full bus from the neighboring town of nerja but was well worth it) Our dinner was by far the best we have had in Spain so far (and we’ve had a lot of good meals.) We ordered a white wine from the Rioja region which was amazing. The appetizer and entrees were great. The TIRAMISU! Please order the tiramisu. But really, the food could have been horrible (I repeat - the food was wonderful!) and we wouldn’t have cared because the views are just gorgeous. We were the first in the restaurant and the last out because we just didn’t want to leave! The sun set over the mountains as we were finishing our dinner. The servers were all very friendly and attentive, but Adrien was particularly friendly and accommodating. He served us lunch (ie wine and dessert when we came the first time) and made sure we got the same (BEST!) table for dinner, looking over the water and the mountains where the sun would set. Altogether this was an incredible experience - the food, the views, the wine (I work in a wine bar and let me tell you the wine here was truly great), and the service were all impeccable. 5 stars and hats off to the owners and everyone who works here. Thank you for such a...

Arrived in Frigiliana kinda late, and in the off season, and the adorable check-in fellow at our hotel recommended this as one of the better options this time of year because A) it was actually open and B) it was darn good.

But he hedged a little bit because one has to walk a large number of steps to get there and it is one of the few restaurants that doesn’t take reservations. So he called them for us to make sure they were open and not too crowded, and we underwent the 500 steps to get there. We were so glad we did!

First the service was playfully friendly and casual, yet impeccable.

The hot bread roll (something I usually ignore) was so fresh and hot that I had to eat it all immediately, with picante virgin olive oil, lest it cool off and dry out.

Everything else, the eggplant, the red curry, the incredible tart dessert, surpassed our expectations, and we left knowing that if we ever lived in Frigiliana, 500 steps or not, this would be “our place.”

The decor is delightful (we ate inside as it was February) with an ample patio available during warmer times, the seating was comfortable (huge for me and my back) and the atmosphere was bright and cheerful.

We felt welcome and valued and just had the best time eating and visiting with the lovely, funny staff.

Very highly...

Pros: Incredible view. Toilets kept in good order.

Cons: This restaurant relies on its view. The food was....ok. It was pretty average. Basically mediocre food at high prices, justified by the view. Service was VERY poor. Servers were not welcoming at all. Our waiter totally lost interest in our table when 2 young ladies arrived and were seated. He was far more interested in flirting with them to bother with our party anymore. Furthermore, when we asked to split the bill (something we'd done at every other restaurant during our holiday), the waiter very bluntly refused - no apology or explanation, just a blunt refusal. Turned out the reason he refused made itself very quickly evident. As we left, our waiter also left to go home: very clear that his shift was ending and he didn't want to deal with the inconvenience of our request delaying him!

The restaurant essentially relies on its superb view, but then uses that view as an excuse for complacency with overpriced mediocre food, and...