La Noria Restaurante — Restaurant in Mijas

La Noria in Mijas – A Love Letter to Italian Cuisine If you’re a true lover of Italian food – and I mean deep-down, soul-level lover – then La Noria in Mijas is not just a place to consider. It’s a place you need to go. No exaggeration: I have dined at some of Italy’s most renowned restaurants, in Bologna, Naples, the Tuscan hills... but never, not even there, have I had Italian food of this quality at such fair prices. This is culinary magic.

We had three courses, all different – and every single one was a masterpiece. The beef carpaccio with truffle was smooth, perfectly balanced and rich, without being overpowering. The tuna tartare was fresh like a Mediterranean breeze – light, pure, yet full of depth and character.

But the showstopper? My seafood risotto. I have no words. I've had risottos all over Italy, and this one topped them all. The consistency was flawless. The seafood fresh and generous. The flavour? Like a symphony exploding in your mouth. I genuinely sat there in silence, just tasting. That never happens.

The venue itself is stunning. Spacious tables, super comfortable chairs (yes, it matters), and restrooms so pristine and stylish they almost deserve their own review.

I especially recommend sitting outside – the open-air terrace has a retractable roof and plenty of airflow. On a warm summer evening, it’s simply perfect. You feel like you’re part of something relaxed, yet refined.

Now, no place is perfect. And here comes the one point of critique: Service. While everyone was polite and friendly, the waitstaff lacked presence. There were enough of them – you could see them – but somehow they weren’t really available when needed. We waited nearly 50 minutes for our starters. Yes, we were on holiday and had time to spare, but still. That kind of wait shouldn’t happen when everything else is so exceptional. There was a floor manager or head waiter keeping an eye, but it wasn't enough to keep things flowing.

Bottom line? La Noria is one of those rare places you find, fall in love with, and keep coming back to. If they can elevate the service to match the quality of the food, they’ll have one of the best Italian restaurants on the Costa del Sol – hands down.

I’ll definitely be back. Probably more than once. And next time, I’m bringing everyone I love.

5 out of 6 hearts – and an extra heart just for...

We had very high hopes for our visit to this new restaurant last night, unfortunately it didn’t start well! I had booked online and received confirmation and when we arrived there was no booking however the restaurant manager managed to create a table for us. Once seated we received wine and food menus and ordered wine and water from a waitress. Nothing arrived and then another young waiter asked for our food order we said we would like drinks first ……still no drinks arrived and we had to ask again!!! The waiter then pushed us to order food and we had to repeat our order for wine and water as apparently the waitress hadn’t placed our order!! 3 out of 4 starters then arrived and after chasing several times our guest approached the restaurant manager who apologized and then said unfortunately the waitress had given the other starter to another table! When we finally received the food it was good and the manager said he would ensure that everything went smoothly. We then asked for more water and wine which again had to be repeated and when the wine arrived it hadn’t been so we had to select a different wine. There was no service at the table regards pouring the wine and to add insult to injury we were charged for the wine we sent back so the bill had to be revised which then took an extremely long time. Very poor service and they need to get this sorted fast or I can see another restaurant closing in La Cala! The food was excellent but the staff are completely out of...

An absolute disaster, avoid at all costs if you expect decent service.

Our experience at this restaurant was nothing short of appalling. Despite the restaurant not being full, it took over 20 minutes just to place our order. Once we finally managed to order, we had to wait an unreasonably long time for our drinks. Then, just five minutes after the drinks finally arrived, our food was served, indicating extremely poor coordination.

We had asked for red wine to be served with the food, but it didn’t arrive until 30 minutes later, long after we had finished eating. When we told the waiter that we no longer wanted it, he simply turned around and poured it out, without a single word of apology.

We asked for the bill at the same time, but were left waiting another 20 minutes before we gave up, got up, and went inside to pay, as our waiter never returned.

Not once throughout the evening did anyone acknowledge or apologize for the delays, the poor timing, or the complete lack of basic service. Everyone can make mistakes, but this was a consistent failure across the entire experience.

To be fair, the carbonara and cocktails were very good, full credit to the chef and bartender. I genuinely feel sorry for them; if I were in their shoes, I’d be looking for a new place to work.

Needless to say, I would not recommend this...