Food & drink
For this list we went through hundreds of visitor reviews and kept only the places people rave about time and again. Where opinions are divided, we say so honestly.
Chef Alberto Ferruz cooks in a restored country house between Jávea and Benitatxell, using fish from the Marina Alta and herbs from the Montgó. The tasting menus follow the seasons, and the garden alone is worth the trip. Expect a hefty bill, but then this is the best the region has to offer.
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A tiny place run by Borja Susilla and Clara Puig, a few steps from the promenade. The menu revolves around whatever the fishermen brought in that morning, served in half portions so you can try plenty. Beyond the food, what reviews highlight most is the personal welcome. There are only a handful of tables, so booking really is essential.
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A refined terrace facing the canal by the port, and for years one of the best-reviewed restaurants in town. The lunch menu is something of an institution, as are the salt-baked fish and the wine list. The service gets a compliment in almost every review.
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In a converted village house in the historic centre, they give old local recipes a modern turn, with real care for organic wines. The set menu is remarkably kindly priced for this level of quality. Regulars keep coming back, so book ahead.
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For years La Bohème was the steady favourite on the promenade, and the same place then continued as Bohemians, at the southern end of the Arenal seafront. The recipe has not changed: fresh fish, a proper grill and staff who have been there forever. A touch pricier than its neighbours, and most guests find the difference fair.
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A front-line institution with a dozen or so rices on the menu and fish from the Xàbia auction. To be fair, alongside the many fans there are guests who find the value for money less convincing these days. Stick to the classics and the view and you will do well.
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On the Arenal since 1963, it started out as the beach's first chiringuito and has since grown into a classic with a terrace right on the sea. Paella and rice dishes are the specialty, with a menu full of Valencian variations. We had the seafood paella and the arroz negro with artichoke, paired with a glass of Martín Códax Lías, an albariño from the wine list that suits it beautifully. It gets busy here in high season, so booking ahead is wise.
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A stylish chiringuito on the pebbles between the port and the Arenal, once named by Forbes as one of the best beach bars in Spain. Everything from breakfast to sunset cocktails, often with live music. In high season the service can be slow, so bring a little patience.
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The tables here sit literally above the water of the fishing harbour, and that setting is priceless. The fish is good and the atmosphere never disappoints. In fairness, opinions on the service have been divided lately, and your table is only held for fifteen minutes. Arrive on time.
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Small, busy and exactly what a tapas bar should be. The gambas al ajillo arrive at the table still sizzling in the pan, and regulars insist the revuelto with morcilla holds its own against anything in Madrid. Without a booking you will most likely be standing outside at the weekend.
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Fusion tapas with a Venezuelan-Latin and Asian edge, tucked into one of the narrow streets of the old town, just over a hundred metres from both La Tasca Rebotica and Volta i Volta. The menu runs from a corvina and prawn ceviche bowl to a wok-tossed prawn salad with mango, honey and sesame, gyozas, cochinita pibil tacos and arepas, backed by its own cocktail list. We had the ceviche, the prawn salad with mango and the bravas muy bravas, and all three were excellent. The place is small, with a handful of tables inside and out on the street, and only opens in the evening, so booking ahead is wise. Portions come in a refined tapas format and prices sit a little above an ordinary tapas bar, which reviewers reckon the quality justifies.
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Munay is a tapas bar with a Latin-Mediterranean fusion kitchen in the Arenal, a street back from the beach, run by a couple: he Venezuelan, she Colombian. The menu lists tacos in several varieties, including octopus and prawn versions, alongside ceviche, arepas and patatas bravas. Owner Erwin often comes to the table himself with dishes that are not on the menu and change from visit to visit, and our advice is simple: let him surprise you. The tacos and the ceviche are our favourites. Erwin mentions, visibly proud, that Temblor in the old town is run by his brother. Munay is closed on Mondays; book through its own website, TheFork or by phone.
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The regular morning stop for half of sporty Jávea. Açai bowls, fresh juices, poke and, according to many guests, the best coffee in town. The chef previously cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens, and you can taste it. We had the tosta de salmón ahumado, smoked salmon on toasted bread with avocado cream and oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, and we would come back for it. Order the poached egg alongside it: it costs a little extra and arrives separately in its own dish. Plenty of options if you eat plant-based or gluten-free.
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Nostro has two cafés in Jávea, one on the Arenal seafront and one down at the harbour, and both roast their own coffee. You taste it straight away in the cup. Stay on for lunch and the Wrap Caesar is the house classic, generously filled in a thin, golden-baked wrap. The harbour branch sits a few streets back from the seafront, a lovely quiet spot to settle in for a while.
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An artisan ice cream parlour in the harbour district, within walking distance of Nostro Coffee Roasters. The ice cream is made fresh every day in Xàbia, built on Italian gelato technique with flavours that lean on local produce: algarroba (carob), thyme honey, almonds and figs from the surrounding area. We had the carob ice cream with dark chocolate and sea salt flakes, and would venture that it might just be the best ice cream in Jávea. The parlour's own website redirects to Instagram, where the account SAÓ Gelato Mediterráneo serves as its shop window.
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The Moraira offshoot of the bakery from Dénia, a popular breakfast stop fifteen to twenty minutes' drive from Jávea since autumn 2024. Every morning they bake their own sourdough bread and pastries with French butter, and you can taste it in the cinnamon rolls and cardamom buns that reviewers rave about, as well as the Turkish eggs at brunch. We tried the banana bread, carrot cake and a pastrami sandwich, and the coffee was excellent. Prices run a little higher than average, but the quality makes up for it.
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La Sana Panadería is not in Jávea itself but in La Xara, a village that belongs to Dénia on the far side of the Montgó, around ten to fifteen minutes' drive from the centre of Jávea. The bakery has no website of its own; Instagram serves as its shop window. The shelves hold sourdough bread, including a spelt version, focaccia, cinnamon rolls, cookies, banana bread and homemade pastries, and reviewers praise the friendly service as much as the bread. The hellojavea team buys its own bread there too, and it is above all the focaccia and the whole sourdough loaves that stand out. Expect mornings from Wednesday to Saturday and takeaway only, since there is nowhere to sit. Cards are not accepted; you pay in cash or by bank transfer.
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