Ask «where shall we eat?» here and there are three answers, depending on where you are: the port of Cabo de Palos, somewhere along the Gran Vía of La Manga (which is measured in kilometres) or the area around La Manga Club and Los Belones, already off the strip. This guide goes by area and then by what you fancy: caldero, fish, tapas, an easy place to go with kids or a beach bar with your feet in the sand.
There are no rankings or scores: each restaurant links to its directory listing, and what we say comes from that listing or from its own website.
Quick fact
In August, rice dishes at the well-known places are booked days in advance, especially at weekends. Outside summer, many places on the Gran Vía cut their hours or close one weekday: check the listing before you go.
Cabo de Palos: the harbour and the walk up to the lighthouse
If you're looking for restaurants in Cabo de Palos to eat fish, this is the place. The village has a fish market, and almost all the tables are spread between the harbour promenade, the Paseo de la Barra and the road up to the lighthouse.
For caldero and rice
- 1El Mosqui, on the way up to the lighthouse: the caldero classic, with salted fish and torrija for dessert. According to its website, at night the only rice dish it makes is caldero.
- 2La Tana, on the harbour promenade: a traditional seafood eatery with a terrace facing the fishing boats, caldero and local fish.
- 3CP8 and Miramar, on the Paseo de la Barra: rice restaurants looking straight onto the harbour. CP8 makes its caldero with the catch of the day; the Miramar has arroz perlines and a children's menu.
- 4Bocana de Palos: octopus and caldero alongside more modern dishes, with gluten-free and vegan options.
- 5El Espigón, on the lighthouse road: known for its all-you-can-eat seafood and fish menu.
If you want a break from rice: Pezio works without a fixed menu, cooking whatever it bought that day; Amura does a tasting menu; El Barco opens only for dinner and its signature dish is white prawn ceviche; and Baraka combines Murcian tapas and Moroccan cooking facing the harbour. For Italian, Gran Torino, with homemade pasta and dinner only. All the village's places are in the Cabo de Palos area of the directory.
La Manga by kilometre
On the Gran Vía, the kilometre is your reference: km 0 is next to Cabo de Palos and the numbers go up towards the north, as far as Veneziola. Here are some places listed in the directory, from south to north.
| Km | Restaurant | Services offered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Nido and Maloca | El Nido, rice dishes and grilled fish right on the Mediterráneo beach; Maloca, sardine skewers and caldero on the shore of the Mar Menor |
| 2 | Isla Cristina | Home cooking, seafood paella and set lunch menu; open from the morning until lunchtime |
| 3 | Bonobo Playa and La Mestiza | Bonobo, rice dishes and seafood right on the beach; La Mestiza, restaurant, beach bar and drinks facing the sunset |
| 5 | Aires de Jaloque | Octopus, oxtail and rice dishes with a terrace on the Mar Menor |
| 7 | Isla Grosa | Seafood, marineras and arroz a banda |
| 8,5 | Área Sunset | Paella and caldero on the shore of the Mar Menor, from breakfast to dinner |
| 10 | El Camarote de la Martinique | Raw dishes, caldero and produce-led cooking; 30 to 60 euros per person according to its listing |
| 12 | Paquebote | Boat-shaped restaurant on the Mar Menor, caldero and rice dishes |
| 14,5 | Casa Paco | Home-cooking restaurant open all year since 1990, set lunch menu and paella |
| 17 | El Ancla | Paella, caldero and fish with the terrace right on the shore, facing Isla Grosa |
There are many more: the full list is in the La Manga area of the directory.
Rice dishes, fish and tapas
For caldero, Cabo de Palos is the safe bet, but in La Manga Área Sunset, Paquebote, El Nido and Bonobo Playa also have it on the menu every day. If you have never ordered it, read our guide to Mar Menor caldero first: how it is served and how to tell if it is well made.
For fish and seafood without rice, Cabo de Sal (tuna and grilled dishes next to the port of Cabo de Palos), Pezio, Isla Grosa or the Freiduría Mar Menor, in Puerto Tomás Maestre, with fried fish and octopus facing the sunset.
For tapas and eating on a budget: La Marinerita (marineras on plaza Virgen del Mar), La Sartenica (sartenes and montaditos), Taberna Siroco in Cala Flores, with a hearty dish of the day, and El Chalao on plaza Bohemia. If you are looking for a cheap restaurant in La Manga, the menú del día is your friend: La Bodega keeps it at weekends too, and Casa Paco and Isla Cristina live off it.
Where to eat in La Manga with children
What helps most with small children is a kids' menu, high chairs and a bit of space. These places say so in their listing:
With a kids' menu or space
- 1Área Sunset (km 8,5): children's menu, high chairs and baby changing, and free parking.
- 2El Murciano (km 16): kids' menu and high chairs, open from breakfast.
- 3Bonobo Playa (km 3) and La Martinique (km 10): kids' menu, the second one also with high chairs.
- 4Miramar and Agua Salá, in Cabo de Palos: kids' menu at the first, high chairs at the second.
- 5Venta El Sabinar, at exit 7 of the RM-12: rice dishes and a playground; breakfast and lunch only.
- 6La Fresca Gastromercado, in Cabo de Palos: several stalls around a terrace, so everyone can order their own thing.
For the rest of the day, there are the Mar Menor beaches to visit with kids.
Beach bars with your feet in the sand
In season, eating at a chiringuito (beach bar) is practically compulsory. Cabo P is on Levante beach in Cabo de Palos, with caldero and sunbeds; Mångata (km 2) opens during the day with a short seafood menu; Bongo Beach (km 3) looks out over the Isla del Ciervo and opens from spring to autumn; La Pepa (km 7) is a wooden one on the sand, and Playa Chica (km 16,5) is all about sardines and sunsets over the Mar Menor. The rest are in chiringuitos in La Manga.
La Manga Club and Los Belones
If you are staying at the resort or coming along the RM-12, there is no need to go down to La Manga. In Los Belones, Brasería Garnacha focuses on the grill and octopus with a set menu, and Casa Rufino offers a set menu with plenty of dishes to choose from. Inside La Manga Club, La Finca opens only for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, Cañonero has a short menu of refined cooking and Don Luigi is the resort's Italian. More in the La Manga Club area.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best place to eat in La Manga?
It depends on what you're after. For caldero and fish, the harbour at Cabo de Palos; for eating while watching the sunset, the restaurants on the Mar Menor side between km 1 and 12; for a cheap menú del día, the no-frills eateries along the Gran Vía.
Do you need to book?
In July and August, yes, especially for rice dishes and terraces by the water. Out of season, calling the same day is enough, but check that they are open.
Where can I see all the restaurants?
In the restaurant directory for La Manga and Cabo de Palos, with opening hours, location and services for each one.
