Restaurante Cielito Lindo — Restaurant in Nerja

Terrible restaurant! Should come with a warning! I have never written a review before, good or bad, for a restaurant, but I am so horrified by our experience at this restaurant this evening, that I feel it’s important to share It, so others avoid the same embarrassing situation. After arriving in Nerja this evening, after a lovely week in La Cala Mijas, we decided to try this restaurant. What a mistake! The restaurant initially seemed very nice and the staff were friendly, my husband and my 2 children were seated quickly and we ordered food. Starters were ok, nothing special, but passable. Our main courses however were inedible. We ordered the mixed kebab on a skewer, that we were advised by the waitress would be delicious. However, when it arrived it was so over cooked/burnt that I was not able to eat it. When we complained to the waitress, she suggested that she send it back to the kitchen for a replacement, but as the rest of my family had already eaten I declined, assuming that we would just not be charged for this 25 Euro dish that had hardly been touched. Shortly after the PR women for the restaurant came to our table and explained that the procedure was that we should have sent it back to the kitchen, that she was in no position to deduct this dish from the bill, despite it being uneaten - she even tried to say that I’d eaten it, when all the uneaten food was on my plate for her to see. We explained that the waitress had not been clear on the procedure and she advised that she was new and that if we refused to pay for this item, she would call the police, and legal action would be taken against us and we would be held in Spain by Spanish law until a court case was held! We asked to see the manager and she advised that they had been called. 45 minutes later the manager still hadn’t arrived and my husband sent myself and my 2 young children home, as it was very late. Finally losing patience at the non appearance of the manager, my husband tried to leave and left 100 euros for the bill, minus the 25 euro substandard dish - he was then almost physically forced to stay in the building by 3 waiters and the PR manager, whilst she called the police. When they arrived the situation was explained and he showed them the food we were disputing and explained that he had paid for all other food and drink, but was not prepared to pay for this item that was so inedible. The Guardian Civil were very reasonable, and explained that we should have issued a written complaint, but at no point was this ever mentioned to us by the restaurant. Whilst they were great and most definitely understood our situation, my husband was still asked to provide his passport and was walked through the streets of Nerja to provide his passport to enable them to write up a report. This was an extremely embarrassing and totally unreasonable situation and I would warn anyone thinking of eating there not too. The food was poor and the service was worse and in fact, eventually very hostile and threatening. All because we were unhappy with a meal that was exremelt burnt! Not only was this one of our worst meals ever...but hands down this was the most embarrassing experience we’ve ever had. I would not even give this restaurant 1 star, but google won’t allow us to post this review...

We recently had the unfortunate experience of dining at Cielito Lindo restaurant in Nerja, Spain, and I must say that it was a complete disappointment. The service provided by the staff was incredibly bad, leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

Upon arriving at the restaurant with my family for a late lunch on Tuesday, the 16th, we noticed a lot of noise outside and decided to move to a table inside. There were plenty of vacant tables available, so we thought it wouldn't be an issue. However, to our surprise, the waiter or lady (I'm not even sure because of their unprofessional behavior) sternly told us off for wanting to change tables.

Her tone was rude and condescending as she expressed her dissatisfaction, claiming that she didn't want people changing tables all the time. It was an unnecessary and unwarranted response that left us feeling unwelcome and disrespected. As paying customers, we deserved to be treated with respect and courtesy, especially since we were not causing any inconvenience to the establishment.

Unfortunately, things only went downhill from there. It seemed as though our interaction had soured the staff's attitude towards us, as the service became incredibly poor. Our server was inattentive, neglecting to check on us or provide the necessary assistance throughout the meal. We had to constantly seek their attention, and even then, they seemed bothered by our requests.

The lack of professionalism and basic customer service skills displayed by the staff at Cielito Lindo was appalling. It was evident that they had no interest in serving customers or creating a pleasant dining experience. Their behavior was disrespectful and completely unacceptable.

Needless to say, my family and I were highly disappointed by the treatment we received at Cielito Lindo. The overall experience was marred by the abysmal service and the discourteous attitude of the waiter/lady. It is disheartening to see individuals in the service industry who clearly lack the necessary skills and attitude to cater to customers.

Given the terrible experience we had, we have no intention of ever returning to Cielito Lindo. I would strongly advise against dining at this establishment if you value good service and a pleasant atmosphere. There are plenty of other restaurants in Nerja that would be more deserving of your...

A spontaneous decision and it was off to Cielto Lindo in calle El Barrio, Nerja, for a Mexican lunch.

The restaurant has been around a long time and is quite a popular haunt, even at lunchtime. There is plenty of space inside and and the street terrace can accommodate quite a few more.

It is a bit on the warm side in Nerja (and everywhere!) at the moment but ceiling fans and an open patio provides a modicum of respite from the heat with an occasional, albeit short-lived, through-draught also helping.

We shared a starter – Chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast or brunch dish of tortilla chips, cream, onion, jalapeños, melted cheese and a host of other items.

Tasty, lots of nice gooey cheese, peppers etc and I would have them again. One has to bear in mind, of course, that, as with so many cuisines, they are adapted for a foreign palate and in some cases bear little or no resemblance to what you would find in, for example, Mexico, New Mexico or Texas. It doesn’t mean they are bad, on the contrary. An 'open mind' is invaluable.

The main courses chosen were Chilli con Carne and Tacos. I have generally been a creature of habit when visiting Indian and Mexican restaurants, invariably going for the ‘trusty favourites’, but I have been trying to change that of late. I realised, strangely, that I had never actually tried chilli con carne in a Mexican restaurant (despite making it myself frequently) so that’s what I ordered.

The first major surprise was the presentation, rice and meat separated by a tortilla containing jalapeñas and diced tomato. Novel. The second surprise was the total lack of any sort of liquid, borne out by the totally dry tortilla in the picture. Unusual? Anyway, I mixed it all up and devoured the lot. Very tasty it was, too.

The tacos also looked (and apparently were) delicious.

Despite no-one having heard of them, let alone tried them, Micheladas were ordered. These are a beer cocktail with lime, spices, peppers, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, spicy salt around the rim and, I believe, tomato juice judging by the colour. Verdict of all three diners? Pretty yuk. Not the fault of the cocktail maker (probably), just not to any of our tastes.

Interesting decor, pretty good service,...