If there's one thing that makes Dénia genuinely special on the Costa Blanca, it's the food. This isn't just another pretty seaside town — Dénia is home to a Michelin-starred restaurant, a thriving fishing port that supplies some of the best seafood in Spain, and a rice-growing tradition that makes paella here something entirely different from the tourist-trap versions you'll find elsewhere. After ten years living here, I've eaten my way through pretty much every restaurant in town, and these are my honest, unsponsored recommendations.
Whether you're staying in a holiday rental in Dénia for a week or just passing through, eating well is non-negotiable. Here's where to go.
The Unmissable: Quique Dacosta Restaurante
Let's start at the top. Quique Dacosta (Carretera Las Marinas, km 3) holds three Michelin stars and is consistently ranked among the best restaurants in Europe. Chef Quique Dacosta grew up in this region, and his cooking is a deeply personal exploration of the flavours of the Marina Alta — sea urchin from the bay, locally harvested salt from La Mata, wild herbs from the surrounding mountains.
JV Properties
Looking for accommodation in Denia?
Book direct with JV Properties and save up to 18% vs Airbnb. No commissions, personal service.
Find rentals →Dinner here is a multi-hour tasting menu experience that will cost upwards of €250 per person, but if you're celebrating something meaningful, it's worth every cent. Book months in advance. Seriously — they fill up fast, especially in summer.
Seafood at the Port: El Pegolí and La Seu
For day-to-day spectacular seafood without the fine-dining price tag, the restaurants clustered around El Port de Dénia are your best bet. The fishing boats unload their catch here every morning, and by lunchtime it's on your plate.
El Pegolí (Moll de Pesquers, 4) is my personal go-to. It's unpretentious, always busy with locals, and the gamba roja (red prawn) from Dénia — arguably the finest prawn in the world — is handled with the simplicity it deserves: grilled, with a little sea salt. Order at least a dozen and don't share.
La Seu nearby has a slightly more polished setting with terrace views over the port. Their arroz a banda (rice cooked in fish stock, served separately from the fish) is among the best in town. Go for lunch — portions are generous and the set lunch menu is excellent value at around €18.
Rice, Rice, Rice: El Raset
Dénia sits at the southern edge of the Valencian rice-growing region, and the local rice dishes are extraordinary. El Raset (Bellavista, 7, in the residential area near the beach) has been perfecting rice dishes for over 30 years. The arroz del senyoret (literally 'the gentleman's rice', meaning the prawns come shelled so you don't get your hands dirty) is silky, deeply flavoured, and completely addictive.
Note that rice dishes here are typically cooked to order and take around 20-25 minutes. Don't rush it. Order a glass of local white wine from the Alicante DO and enjoy the wait.
Tapas and Wine: La Seu del Vi and El Raval
For evening tapas and natural wines, the streets around the old town — particularly Carrer Loreto and the area below the castle — have developed into a genuinely excellent small-bar scene. La Seu del Vi is a tiny wine bar with an extraordinary list of regional wines and simple, perfect tapas: anchovies from Dénia, local cheese, pà amb tomaquet with proper Valencian bread.
The El Raval neighbourhood (the old Moorish quarter below the castle hill) is worth exploring on foot on a warm May evening. Several small restaurants and bars have opened here in the last few years, including Titus Gastrobar, which does creative modern tapas with obvious local influence.
Breakfast and Coffee: Mercat Municipal and Café del Mar
Start your mornings at the Mercat Municipal on Plaça Arxiduc Carles — the market opens early and has several small cafés inside where locals eat bocadillos and drink café amb llet. It's loud, chaotic, and wonderful. Then browse the market stalls for fresh fruit, vegetables, and local products.
For a slower, more scenic breakfast, Café del Mar near the Les Marines beach strip has good coffee and a terrace that catches the morning sun perfectly in May.
Practical Tips for Eating in Dénia
Lunch is king. Like the rest of Spain, the main meal here is lunch (roughly 2pm-4pm). This is when restaurants are at their best and set menus (menú del día) offer extraordinary value — typically three courses with wine for €12-18.
Book ahead in May and June. The shoulder season is increasingly busy, and the best places fill up. For Quique Dacosta, book months ahead. For El Pegolí and El Raset, a day or two in advance is usually enough.
Speak a little Spanish. Menus are sometimes only in Valencian and Spanish. Google Translate camera works well here.
The gamba roja is not cheap. Expect to pay €25-40 for a portion of Dénia's famous red prawns depending on the season. They are, however, genuinely one of the great gastronomic experiences of Spain.
Stay in Dénia, Eat Better
One of the real advantages of staying in a self-catering holiday rental in Dénia rather than a hotel is the ability to shop at the Mercat Municipal and cook some of your own meals. Pick up fresh fish from the market stalls, local rice, and Alicante almonds and olive oil — you'll eat brilliantly for very little money.
When you're ready to book your Dénia holiday, browse our Dénia properties directly. Booking direct with JV Properties saves you up to 18% compared to Airbnb or Booking.com — that's money better spent on gambas rojas.
Dénia's food scene is one of the best-kept secrets on the Costa Blanca. Once you've eaten here, everywhere else feels like a compromise.
