WHEN it comes to dining on the Costa del Sol, the fancy Michelin-starred venues get the headlines, but this year Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice ‘Lo mejor de lo mejor’ (best of the best) list has shone a light on six local spots that users call genuine hidden gems.
The platform’s 2025 selection names Budare Venezuelan Food in Malaga city, The Geranium in La Cala de Mijas (with British chef Steven Saunders), Buenavista Gastrobar & Tapas in the capital, Casero in Torremolinos, El Encuentro in Malaga and Cascada Cocina & Bar in Marbella as provincial standouts.
That is six entries from Malaga province among the 25 Spanish restaurants singled out as ‘joyas ocultas’ (hidden jewels).
Budare has become a buzzy pocket of Venezuelan flavour in the old town, lauded by reviewers for arepas, tequeños and tropical cocktails and now carrying Tripadvisor’s highest Travellers’ Choice distinction for 2025; Buenavista Gastrobar & Tapas is praised for creative tapas, rice dishes and a warm, stylish setting and also holds the Travellers’ Choice ‘lo mejor de lo mejor’ badge this year.
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El Encuentro, likewise decorated by Tripadvisor in 2025, is the homely, terrace-friendly option in Calle Ayala known for generous portions and traditional dishes – its TripAdvisor menu lists items such as flamenquín (€11.80), carrillada (€13.80), entrecote (€16.81) and chuleton (€22.00), which illustrate the straightforward, value-for-money approach that reviewers appreciate.
Elsewhere in the province The Geranium, Casero and Cascada Cocina & Bar round out the Malaga entries in Tripadvisor’s Hidden Gems list, a reminder that the best meals on the Costa del Sol are often found off the beaten track in places that prize flavour, friendly service and local personality over razzmatazz.
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I have learned that this type of survey from Trip Advisor should be regarded lightly. These reviews are typically by ” Joe Public” and consequently are a personal account of an experience, unlike surveys conducted by professionals in the business. My wife loves pizzas, and after reading a TA review of the restaurant, 90 minutes drive down the coast, and selecting a hotel to stay in, I took her and another couple to sample what was billed as the ” world’s best pizza restaurant” It wasn’t, and never will be.QED.