As some of you might know, Tarifa, located on the Costa de la Luz in southern Spain has become the most visited beach in all of Europe for both kitesurfers and windsurfers. Tarifa is the perfect place to try one of these sports and there are many professional kite and windsurfing schools around for thoose you would like to learn. One thing I can guarantee, is that after a day on the beach riding the waves with the strong breeze, hunger will strike, and therefore here you will find a list to some of the best places to eat out in Tarifa.
Tarifa, the kitesurfing haven.
La Tribu
In my opinion the best pizza in town can be found at La Tribu! This is a real local surfer hang out and is packed most days of the week. There is not much more than pizza to choose from in the menu, but with the pizza that they serve there you would be crazy to want to order anything else! La Tribu is also a great place to chill out and have a beer while watching surf videos and talking about the days kite or wind surfing session.
El Montaito
I had heard about this place before, and not only because of the great small bread rolls, montaditos, that they serve, but also because of the extreme cleanliness of the place. Having heard that from a local (that do tend to exaggerate at times) I had forgotten about that when heading there for the first time. But boy was I chocked when I entered! This is without a doubt the cleanest and most well organized tapas bar that I have ever seen! If I hadn’t known better I would bet all my money on that they had literally just opened the doors to the public that very second for the very first time! But no, this place has been up and running for almost a decade…
El Montaito
This little bar serves the typical Montaditos, or small bread rolls, that are famous in the area. You can choose from a variety of ingredients and all are exceptionally delicious. It is a perfect snack if you are not too hungry but still need something to fill your stomach. I highly recommend the place, both for the food as well as seeing the cleanest bar/restaurant in Spain!
Akme
This cozy restaurant is located by the beach promenade and serves great food. The menu consists of a more international cuisine such as salads, hamburgers, and woks and everything is so tasty that I am sure you will be coming back for more! Akme is perfect for lunch and dinner but also for breakfast. There is a very “laid back” feel to the place and the staff are very friendly and open. Akme also offers SUP (stand up paddle) rentals, so if you want to try the new popular sport, in Akme you will be able to rent them.
Los Mellis
Media raciones (half rations)
Los Mellis are two typical small tapas bars both located in the heart of Tarifa. Both serve the same type of food which consists of tapas and “raciones” (rations) of local dishes. In many places around Andalucía you can order tapas (a small ration), medio racion (half a ration) or una racion (a whole dish, or ration), it all depends how hungry you are! If you decide to come to Los Mellis, than try the local dishes which consists of tuna fish, Costa de la Luz is famous for its tuna, so you must try it at least once when in Tarifa.
Tangana
Tangana beach bar and restaurant
This beach bar is actually located on the beach a few kilometers from Tarifa center. But if you are heading to Tarifa most of your time will probably be spent on the beach anyway so therefore this is my restaurant tip for the lunch time break in-between soaking up the sun or riding the waves. Tanganna has been up and running for years and the owner’s philosophy has always been “a place to relax” and one can see what they mean (I always get the feeling that I am in the Caribbean when I go to Tanganna), but the truth is that it tends to get a bit crowded in the peak season just because it is such a cool and relaxing place! Nevertheless this place is great!
Tangana before the crowd arrives!
Here you can choose and make your own salad, order hamburgers, sandwiches, lasagna, quiches, and even more local dishes such a tuna fish. There are lots of shaded benches and they even have a “chill-out” area with grass and “puff” sun loungers. If you go to Tanganna for lunch you won’t be disappointed, but another thing that you should experience here is the sunset, listen to chill out music and enjoy a cold “caña” (beer) with the spectacular views of the beach when the sun is setting. Heaven!
Want to visit the area? Check out our holiday homes on Costa de la Luz.
Tangana chill out area
