La Bulla and the markets of Estepona, where locals actually eat and shop

Where to eat and shop in Estepona

You do not need another list of the ten best restaurants on the Costa del Sol. If you are staying in Estepona, it makes more sense to start with places that belong to Estepona itself.

This is a small selection rather than a ranking. A gastrobar recommended by Villa Castaño owner, a grillhouse on the seafront, two chiringuitos for fish by the beach and a couple of alternatives when the group wants something different. Add Estepona’s weekly markets and you have a useful starting point without spending an evening comparing pins on Google Maps.

Start with La Bulla

La Bulla Gastrobar is the owners own recommendation. The menu centres around Mediterranean and Spanish tapas, with a setting that looks towards the beach.

It is the kind of place that works well for a group because the food lends itself naturally to sharing. Rather than everyone choosing a separate meal, tapas can become part of the evening itself. For friends or families staying together, La Bulla is an easy name to keep in mind when deciding where to eat in Estepona.

Steaks on the boulevard, fish by the sand

Grillhouse sits on Estepona’s boulevard with views of the sea. It is known for Argentinian steaks, while fish dishes are also available. That makes it a useful option for a group when not everyone around the table wants the same thing.

For a meal closer to the sand, there are Chiringuito El Madero and Chiringuito Torre Velerín. Both are beach restaurants where fresh fish and espetos are part of the experience. The setting is straightforward: eating by the Mediterranean with the beach almost at your feet.

Not every meal on the coast needs to revolve around fish. Trattoria Pizzeria Toscana Ristorante offers an Italian alternative, while Makako serves Mediterranean and international food. For a group staying for a full week, having a few different options makes choosing where to eat considerably easier.

Three market days in Estepona

Restaurants are only one part of the local food and shopping scene. Estepona also has markets throughout the week, each with a different focus.

On Sundays, the marina hosts a market where you can browse handicrafts and leather goods. Wednesday is agricultural market day. On Saturdays, there is an artisan market. For visitors staying longer than a weekend, the different market days are an easy way to build a little local shopping into the week without making a separate trip elsewhere on the Costa del Sol.

A short list to keep

For Mediterranean and Spanish tapas, start with La Bulla. Grillhouse is an option for Argentinian steak and sea views. El Madero and Torre Velerín put fresh fish and espetos close to the sand, while Toscana and Makako offer alternatives for the rest of the group.

Then there are the markets: agriculture on Wednesday, artisans on Saturday and the marina market on Sunday. A short list, but enough to stop every lunch, dinner or morning out from starting with a search on Google Maps.