GRANADA ~ A Complete Review

Written By Olivia Farin

GRANADA, SPAIN

THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH

<3

RESTAURANTS & TAPAS

Bodegas Castañeda

  • Sangria is really good; will get you sneaky drunk off three glasses

  • Waiters are great and really funny if you talk to them

  • More of a locals vibe

  • Croquetas are FIRE

  • Overall okay

  • We’re nostalgic because it’s the first place we went and we were STARVING

*Ibéricos & Alhambra: Bocadillos Bar

  • More expensive but good if you’re just going for drinks

  • BEST tinto de verano

  • Tapas were AMAZING (feel a little more upscale)

    • Bread with jamón

    • Really good cheese

  • Empty on a Monday night

  • Heavy pour for wine

La Piccola Carmela

  • More expensive but honestly perfect for when you want nicer American Italian good vibes

  • Fettuccine was so good

  • Got 3 drinks, shared app, and  pasta for $27 (kinda expensive for Granada but not bad at all compared to home)

  • Waiters are super nice

  • Light pour for wine

La Auténtica Carmela

  • Another Carmela location (multiple in the city); owned by the same group

  • This location is better if you just want tapas!

  • Good tapas, good portions

    • Usually meat and bread

Salvaje

  • Close to Fuente de las Batallas

  • Great spot at like 5-6 when we went (but don’t serve actual food then; just got nuts and chips for tapas)

  • No sangria but tinto de verano (which we all liked better anyways)

    • Sweet and very good

  • Food is expensive

*El Huerto de Juan Ranas

  • Best tinto we’d had

  • Food is a little more expensive but worth it for the view (STUNNING, especially at sunset)

  • Fun place to go a few times for Alhambra views

  • The shrimp is delicious (definitely recommend it!)

Zorro Viejo

  • Light pours

  • Recommended to us by the Spanish girls in our residence

  • Really good tapas

    • Bread and meat usually

  • Like fine; good but nothing special

Balcón de San Nicolas

  • Another spot that overlooks the Alhambra

  • SO beautiful; better view than the other one

  • BUT it’s always really crowded and their food menu hours are weird so I just ended up getting drinks here with my mom

  • Definitely worth it to go at least once

Cantina Mejicana del Sur

  • Little more expensive but really good food

  • Strong margaritas

  • Would recommend when you need a home-y American-esque Mexican meal

  • Everything that we ordered was great

Pizzeria Mamma Rosa

  • Really good pizza

  • The red wine (rioja) was also really good

  • Not expensive

  • Waiters are really nice

  • Great place when you’re craving Italian

  • Can usually get a big reservation here

  • Wine pours are pretty good

*Botillería

  • Can get dinner or tapas

  • Super close to where we lived

  • Amazing tinto

  • AMAZING tapas; they were actual good

    • Things like sliders w fries, croquetas w salad, etc: incredible!

  • Waiters were super nice

  • Recommend getting the tomate aliñado; best one I had in Granada!

Bistro del Mundo

  • Really good, TONS of options

  • Near the Monasterio San Gerónimo

  • Lots of different types of food

  • They have smoothies!

  • Good spot if you want a full meal but also could work to split a bunch of things

Humo

  • “Technically” a bar, but we went here for tapas and dinner

  • Interesting tapas

    • Potatoes, bread with different spreads, etc

  • Good food

  • Super cool vibe, fun spot

  • I never went here for dinner but everyone who did said it was awesome

*Kiosko Las Titas

  • LOOOVED this place; one of my absolute favorites

  • The dessert is incredible; went here a lot mid-day for dessert and a drink

  • Tapas are good and also went for dinner a few times

  • Beautiful scenery; lovely views of the hills and it’s right next to the river

  • Looks like a greenhouse

  • Fun, lively spot; lots of locals

El Sifón

  • FAT pours of tinto

    • Definitely more wine heavy

    • It was really good

  • Right by Fuente de las Granadas

  • Nothing memorable, we just went there once after a hike

*El Delirio

  • Really good Mexican restaurant

  • Pretty close to CLM, it was right by our residence

  • FANTASTIC margaritas, our fav in the city

  • The food is awesome and they give you really good tapas that are like actual food

  • Tapas are great too

    • Mexican food

    • Also little things like samosas (random but good)

Centro de Granada

  • LOVED this restaurant

  • A little more upscale

  • Went here for my bday dinner

  • Definitely more expensive but worth it for a special meal

  • In Plaza Bib Rambla

  • Service is amazing; they’re super attentive and gave us free shots and dessert for my birthday

Rosario Varela

  • Super fun vibe tapas place; little younger and more energetic

  • More expensive than most places like this

  • Best with a small group

  • Service is pretty slow but it’s usually busy so that makes sense

  • The Guinness cake is TO DIE FOR

Wild Food

  • Love this place!

  • Definitely a different vibe than any other place we went to in Granada

  • The food is really healthy and fresh and a lot of it is vegan/vegetarian

  • The dumplings are amazing, and I also loved the edamame and the green curry

  • The cocktails are super fun too! I got an amazing gin one that I loved

*Los Manueles

  • We LOOOOVED Los Manueles

  • Like 3 locations throughout the city

  • Our favorite tapas place! Went here so much

  • They give you really good tapas and the tinto is one of the best

  • The dessert is to-die-for

  • Great for just tapas and drinks or for an actual dinner!

  • Sometimes you have to wait if you have a bigger group/when it’s busy, but it’s so worth it!

  • Special recommendation for the pesto pasta, chocolate fondants, and the croquetas

El Conde

  • Went here on one of our last nights and I wish we would’ve gone before!

  • Small little place that also has outdoor seating

  • Our tapas were really good, more like actual food

  • Definitely recommend this one, especially when it’s nice out!

Manigua

  • This place is SUPER COOL

  • Definitely more expensive, but super worth it to go once or twice

  • The dad of the girl I tutored recommended it and he’s super ~worldly~ and is a huge foodie, so he knows all the good spots

  • I went here with my mom when she visited and we loved it!

  • Everyone was super friendly

  • Super cool vibes and a very calm, warm atmosphere

Hotel Terraza Monasterio

  • Cool bar that overlooks one of the monasteries

  • Usually pretty crowded, but if you go on a weekday you usually can get a spot

  • Little more expensive but worth it for the view

  • Didn’t have food options when we went, just nuts and chips for tapas

  • Go around sunset at least once!

  • Sometimes we would get dinner at Bistro del Mundo and then go here for drinks after

*Sitarilla

  • SUPER fun vibe and the food was amazing

  • Tapas portions were HUGE (like a meal)

    • Bread and some delicious meat

  • Wine isn’t too expensive

  • Super busy all the time but usually worth the wait

  • Lots of locals here

Bar Trastienda

  • Kind of hidden spot off of Plaza Nueva

  • The tapas are meat and amazing cheese

  • Not incredible but the wine and tinto were good

  • Pretty cheap and not super crowded

Hicuri

  • Vegan/vegetarian restaurant right near CLM

  • Great option for when you want something healthy

  • We would get carry-out sometimes and bring this on our picnics!

~

FOOD STANDS & “QUICK” FOOD

*Empanadas La Buenos Aires

  • My FAVORITE food stand

  • The empanadas are to-die-for; I still dream about them

  • Pollo tradicional is the BEST

  • Pretty cheap; great lunch or snack option!

  • Would also recommend trying the alfajores (cookies) and buying the dulce de leche spread to put on things

*El Campesino

  • FAV kebab place; the best in Granada IMO

  • Open super late, is the best after the club

  • Chicken shawarma is SO GOOD (pro tip: always add feta)

  • Right in Plaza Nueva

  • Cheap

Pan y Chocolate (sandwich shop)

  • Has the BEST tortilla (kind of like a potato omelet)  sandwiches!

  • Super convenient; it was right by my residence, but is also really close to CLM

  • We’d always get sandwiches here to bring on hikes/picnics/walks with us

  • Lots of sandwich options; great for a quick meal; they have baked goods too

Pad Thai Wok

  • Small Thai place that was right across from my residence (also close to CLM then)

  • The Pad Thai is sooo good!

  • Also good spring rolls and desserts

  • Great option for quick meal/when you want something other than Spanish food

La Primavera

  • Kebab place that was right by my residence

  • Not the best ever admittedly

  • I just didn’t love it because it tasted like olives, which I don’t love haha

  • Good spot to pick up kebab after bars/clubs if you’re out late

~

CAFÉS

*Sugar Rose

  • My FAVORITE café

  • The owner is SO nice; recognized me because I went so much, knew my orders, and always said hello and chatted

  • Adorable on the inside

  • Super close to CLM so it’s super convenient before/between/after classes; I went at least twice a week

  • All of the tostadas are DELICIOUS; crepes are great too

  • Favorite tostadas: smoked salmon, cream cheese, and avocado | tomato, avocado, and mozzarella | tomato | brie and grape

  • They have smoothies! Cafe con leche is really good; I don’t like coffee and I loved it here

*Café Fútbol

  • We LOVED Café Fútbol

  • They have the best churros in Granada (IMO)

  • They also have the BEST tomato tostada in the city

  • SO so cheap

  • Lots of locals here

  • We never went there but some past Granada girls said the upstairs is a great spot to study

Puerto Bernina (PB)

  • Super cute inside

  • Pastries are a little more expensive but nice and kinda fancy

  • Really nice, coffee shop atmosphere; very similar to Tatte

  • Great place to study

  • No wifi though

  • Great for mid-day drink (coffee, beer, etc)

*Nöat

  • Loved this café

  • We went all the time before/between/after classes! It’s literally 30 seconds from CLM

  • Coffee is super good

  • The tostadas are delicious!!! The baked goods are also sooo good

  • Really small on the inside/not a lot of seating

  • We would also grab food and then go sit in/outside CLM if there was no space inside

  • I definitely recommend the tomato and cheese tostada, and the brownies and cakes are delicious

Café 4 Gatos

  • LOVED this café

  • It’s up in the Albaicín and has such a quaint, beautiful view of the Alhambra and the surrounding streets

  • Only went here once at the end and which I would’ve gone way more

  • The manchego and tomato toast is delicious

  • So worth it to wait for a table outside!

  • Decently crowded when it’s nice out, but worth it to wait!

Puentezuelas

  • The tostada here is really good and super filling

  • The avocado and tomato tostada is delicious

  • Really cheap coffee and tostada

  • Also tried the tomato, cheese, and ham toast and it was really good; they melt the cheese so it was kind of like pizza hahaha

  • In a busier area of the city; right down the street from Flying Tiger

Gran Café Bib Rambla

  • Went here for dessert once and it was a good spot

  • Dessert was really good, wine was also good

  • Pretty cheap, not bad

  • In Plaza Bib Rambla

  • Open decently late on week nights

Café La Alhambra

  • Another popular spot for churros

  • We liked the Café Fútbol churros the best but this place was also delicious

  • In Bib Rambla, so the atmosphere is great and there’s always people around

  • One of Amalia’s favorite churro spots that she recommended

Café Ysla Pastelería-Cafetería

  • Grabbed some coffee and pastries here with my mom and we really liked them

  • Close to Paseo de los Basilios

  • They have piononos here that I think are the best in the city

    • They’re famous for them!

  • Multiple locations throughout the city

I Need Coffee

  • I never went but girls in my program went here a bunch

  • One of the only places that has iced coffee

  • Pretty close to CLM

  • Has more American-style drinks that other places don’t normally have

Starbucks

  • Yes they have them hahaha

  • I only know of one in the city but it was great

  • The pastry case is SO GOOD and I came here unashamedly

  • The upstairs is the perfect study spot; there’s lots of tables and it still feels like a local European city café

  • Especially great for studying at the end of the semester when it’s really hot outside and you need strong AC

  • Super convenient location, right in the middle of the city and close to CLM

~


BARS & CLUBS

Chupitería 69

  • Euro shots; lots of options

  • Very fun but go with a big gorup

  • Mix of locals and other abroad people and Americans

  • Go mid-late

    • Not too early or it’s kinda empty

  • Great spot to get cheap alcohol before the club

*Tragofino

  • Loved this place!

  • Next to Papaya; a bit of an older/classier vibe but still fun

  • The mojitos are SO good

  • Went here with a big group and got a few tables; definitely the best way to go

*Papaya

  • Super fun spot; we went here a lot

  • Usually really busy and loud but we always had fun

  • Don’t get the sangria or tinto; it’s BIG but not the best

  • Really cool decor on the inside

  • Lots of young locals here

*Hannigan & Son’s

  • Fun Irish pub that we also went to a lot

  • They have trivia every week, I think it’s on Thursdays; we never went but I wish we would’ve

  • Went here a lot to watch basketball games, etc

  • They also have food during the day!

Bar Pöe

  • Smaller bar that’s popular with locals who know it well

  • Stayed here for like 4 hours one night just talking and it was a lot of fun

  • The owner is from the UK and is super cool; chat with him!

    • He and his wife own the bar and have tons of cool stories from their lives/traveling

Mae West

  • Our favorite club eve n though we only went once hahaha

  • We went in January and it wasn’t as busy because all the Spanish students weren’t back yet but we still had a really fun time

  • Music is great, a little bit more American than other spots

  • Cool venue and great dance floor! I wish we would’ve gone more!

Granada 10 (G10)

  • Went to this club the most, we went a lot

  • Music is also great here, it’s a lot more Spanish/European music

  • Lots of locals here

  • We had so much fun

  • Definitely would recommend mixing up the clubs you go to because at one point we went here too many times in a row haha

~

DESSERTS & BAKERIES

*Los Italianos

  • The BEST gelato in Granada

  • Super popular, especially among the locals

  • The line is always suuuuper long during peak times, but you’ll learn what the off times are; definitely go then

  • We went here so many times I can’t even count

  • My favorite was getting half dark chocolate and half raspberry or strawberry in a dish; SO GOOD

  • Amalia and Teresa recommended we go here as soon as it opened; pretty sure it opened in March, but definitely in April at the latest

  • Open late! We would go a lot at night and after dinner and/or drinks

Llao Llao

  • Frozen yogurt spot right in the middle of the city

  • LOVED this place and went a lot (I’d get yogurt with strawberries, dark chocolate, and Lotus cookies; it’s the best combo)

  • The frozen yogurt is a little different than ours; it actually tastes like yogurt and isn’t as sweet; it was kinda surprising the first time, but I ended up liking it wayyy better

  • Also went here so many times that I can’t count

  • The perfect thing when it’s super hot out in the spring

La Abuela

  • We also went here SO much

  • This is a gelato chain; not as good as Italianos but still really good

  • They have SO many flavors

    • My favorite was half chocobon and half oreo

    • The cheesecake flavor is also soooo good; same with mango

  • Open throughout the whole year, so we went here mostly when Italianos wasn’t open yet

Cafetería Rey Fernando

  • Cute little dessert café in the middle of the city

  • Only went here once but my dessert was good

  • They have a little seating area inside

  • Perfect spot for a quick treat; especially at night because it feels all cozy but you can still look outside

*Croissantería La Blanca Paloma

  • My FAVORITE bakery in Granada

  • I absolutely looooved this place and went so much

  • Favorite things were: chocolate napoleon, spinach and queso fresco empanada, chocolate croissant type thing, and the frosted cookies

  • Super convenient spot in Plaza Nueva

  • I would always go after our walks and hikes around here

Galletanas

  • Cookie and coffee shop along Paseo de los Tristes

  • The cookies here are DELICIOUS

    • My favorite was the NY chocolate chip because it had sea salt on it and was to-die-for

  • I also heard the coffee was pretty good

  • Cookies are cheap; I would stop here all the time when I needed a quick snack or dessert

Panadería San Matías

  • Adorable little fresh bakery in Realejo; close to CLM

  • The absolute BEST chocolate empanadas; the croissants are also amazing

    • They’re each 1 euro!

  • One of my friends and I would stop here a lot to grab a pastry on our way to class

~

ACTIVITIES

Mirador de San Nicolas

  • The most beautiful view of the Alhambra and IMO the most beautiful view in the world

  • Up in the Albaicín

  • Usually a lot of people but it is SUCH a good vibe

  • There’s always someone playing music and it’s just the best

  • Come up here at a bunch of different times of day/night for a good view

Alhambra and Generalife

  • The absolute BEST place ever

    • Truly one of my favorite places in the whole world

    • It’s magical in here

  • I went to the Alhambra like 4 times and loved every minute of every time

  • Plan to take your time in here; there is just so much beauty and SO much to see

  • The Generalife gardens are absolutely STUNNING

    • Make sure you go towards the end of the semester when everything is in bloom

  • Try to go on off times or days during the week so that there’s less people; it makes everything even better

Mirador de San Miguel Alto

  • Another FAVORITE spot for us!

  • Much higher up than San Nicolas; it’s on a hill and it’s a decent walk up hill but SO worth it

  • When it got warmer, we went here for dinner picnics at sunset ALL the time

    • We’d get tortilla sandwiches, kebab, or take-out from Hicuri and grab wine, cheese, and chocolate from a grocery store

  • One of my all-time favorite memories from abroad was sitting up here with everyone on our picnics; they’re a MUST

Monachil Hike

  • The best hike I’ve been on

  • Monachil is a little town outside Granada; we took the bus and then walked to the beginning of the hike; the location is technically called “Monachil Los Cahorros”

  • Wait til around May when it’s warm and everything is green and in bloom

  • This is just such a cool hike! you go through like really lush green areas, a very Mars-looking rocky desert area, and get to walk across a beautiful bridge across a little canyon

  • Wear a swimsuit underneath so you can go in the little waterfall!

  • We got a little lost and it ended up being fine, but just keep track of where you are!

Cathedral & Capilla Real

  • One of my favorite places/activities in Granada and honestly in all of Europe

  • The cathedral is absolutely STUNNING

  • You’ll probably go with GRIIS, but definitely go at least one more time on your own

  • Great spots to bring your family & visitors to

  • The Capilla Real means royal chapel and it’s where a Spanish king and queen are buried

  • SUCH cool history here really fun to learn about everything; also just so pretty

Parque Federico García Lorca

  • Beautiful park in the western part of the city

  • Has lovely areas to walk through, lots of benches, and a playground

  • We went a good amount; definitely make sure you go in the spring when everything is in bloom

  • The playground is actually so much fun

  • When it’s nice out just go and read a book here! I never got around to it and so wish I would’ve

Paseo de los Basilios (walk)

  • My FAVORITE walking route

  • This starts in the city along the Paseo and you get gradually more into nature

  • Great spot to walk or run, and you get to see some other parts of the city that you don’t normally see otherwise

  • Especially great when it’s nice out and everything starts to bloom

  • Right by Fuente de las Granadas, which is a really pretty fountain in honor of the city

Paseo de los Basilios (hike)

  • If you just keep walking for a while on the walking trail, it becomes a lot more nature-y and there’s a little stream/swimming area that we would stop at

  • We’d just hike in for like an hour or so and then turn around and walk out after swimming and having a picnic

  • Can go by yourself or in a group!

  • The scenery is beautiful and if you’re like me and need to just be outside away from a city sometimes, this is perfect

Hammam Al Andalus

  • One of the Arab baths in Granada; apparently the best one from reviews

  • I loved going here!

  • You can go into all the different pools and get a massage

    • They have tons of different packages to choose from

  • My mom and I did the like 90 minute baths soak and then 45 minute massage I think; it was heavenly and sooo relaxing

  • Everything was super nice and very clean

Granada FC Game

  • We went to a soccer game and had sooooo much fun! I wish we would’ve gone to more

  • You have to go at least once

  • Really easy to buy tickets and they’re pretty cheap

  • If you can, go to a game where they’re playing one of their rivals! Makes it even better

  • The locals get super into it and are actually really friendly and would love to talk to you about the team

Carmen de los Mártires

  • Lovely garden up near the Alhambra

  • Gorgeous views of the city and the scenery is just beautiful

  • Lots of fountains, plants, trees, landscaping, etc

  • Great spot for pictures and great spot to take visitors to

  • I wish I would’ve gone here more; bring a book and just hang out for a bit!

Mirador de San Cristóbal

  • Another great mirador spot

  • Super close to Mirador de San Nicolas but wayyyy less crowded

  • Circular, so you can see a bunch of different sides

  • They have little benches up here, so we would bring sandwiches or other quick meals during the week when we know it would be less busy

  • Sometimes hard to find a spot to sit on nicer days/right at sunset, but usually fine

Parque de las Ciencias/BioDome

  • This is like a science museum and mini zoo all rolled into one

  • I think it’s targeted toward kids but we had so much fun here hahaha

  • The “Parque de las Ciencias” part is more of a museum, and then the BioDome has a bunch of plants and some animals like birds, monkeys, butterflies etc

  • Definitely worth it to go once or twice with a group, and a fun wholesome activity to do

Sacromonte

  • A neighborhood in the city that used to be just gitanos (gypsies)

  • It is SO beautiful; it’s up in the hills and really winding and old

  • We would do the hike up here for amazing views of the city and a change of scenery

  • It’s also fun to just go walk up here and/or grab dinner

  • This is where most of the flamenco shows are too; pretty sure GRIIS will take you to one because they took us!

  • There’s the Abadía del Sacromonte, which is an old abbey; it’s really pretty on the outside and it’s on your way up on the hike

Cueva de los Gitanos

  • I never got here but people in my group went and said it was a pretty quick activity and really cool

  • Potentially also called Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte

  • Also recommended to me by some of the girls who went in Fall 2019

  • Bummed I never got to go!

Alcaicería

  • Old-style market near the Cathedral; used to be a silks market!

  • Lots of stands and little shops with souvenir-style things but you can find some great stuff

  • I got some super cute shoes and scarves from different shops

  • Fun to walk around!

  • Usually kinda busy and can get crowded in the spring but not bad at all

Casa de los Tiros

  • Cool little museum that has a bunch of local art and artifacts

  • The stuff is just really pretty and perfectly shows the culture of Granada

  • Teresa took us here, but worth checking it out again on your own or taking your family here

  • It’s in a really cool building that used to be used to shoot cannonballs from

Monasterio Cartuja

  • Stunning monastery near UGR’s main campus

  • The art and architecture here are absolutely beautiful

  • One of my favorite spots in Granada

  • We had an optional excursion here; totally worth it to go on your own too!

Plaza de la Trinidad

  • Cute little plaza in a different part of the city than we normally went to

  • Ibéricos & Alhambra is near here!

  • Lots of tapas places and little stores

  • Nice area to walk around and explore

Calle Gran Vía del Colón

  • One of the main streets of Granada; I put it on here because there’s some really cool cultural statues in the middle on the walkway that represent Granada’s history and culture!

  • Definitely worth taking a walk down this street! There’s always lots of locals around too!

Sierra Nevada Mall

  • I never went but there’s a big mall a little bit outside of the city

  • Some of the girls in my group went quite a few times and said there was great shopping

  • There’s also some American fast food restaurants like Five Guys if you’re craving it haha

  • Has a bunch of pretty good stores; wish I would’ve gone like once

~

STORES

(seems kind of strange to put this in here but it’s so helpful when you’re trying to figure out where to buy certain things that you might want/need)

Grocery Stores

  • Carrefour

  • Mercadona

  • Rapid Eroski

  • El Corte Inglés (basement level)

Home & Décor

  • Zara Home

  • Flying Tiger

  • El Corte Inglés (department store like a cross between Macy’s and Bloomingdales)

  • Any random corner store will have other things you need too!

Clothes

  • Zara

  • Mango

  • Pull & Bear

  • Bershka

  • Mosaico (thrift store)

Olivia Farin
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