'Budget' Michelin tour: What to see and where to eat (south, east and islands)

DINING with the stars is perfectly possible almost anywhere in Spain – if you have the budget to do so.

But even if you don't, Michelin-level cuisine does not have to mean remortgaging your house, or keeping it for a once-in-a-lifetime special occasion.

Even if price is not an issue, unless you're a dedicated 'foodie', you're unlikely travel long distances purely to experience restaurants of this calibre – it's more likely you'll stumble upon them when you're on holiday in another part of Spain.

Which means that if you're going to try as many of them as possible, it helps to have an 'excuse' to make the journey.

So, our guide to the main visitor highlights across the country includes all the 'budget' Michelin-level restaurants nearest to them – you might want to bookmark this page when planning your next road trip, so you know what to see, and where to eat once you've seen it.

And when we say 'budget', we mean they're in the 2023 Michelin guide, but at a similar cost to any popular local restaurant near you.

We'll start you off with a sightseeing and dining tour of the islands, the south, and the east coast.

And if these much-adored destinations whet your appetite, stay tuned for our next tasty touring guide to northern and central Spain, including Madrid, coming up later this week.

Michelin 'on the cheap': 'Bib Gourmand' awards

Anecdotal evidence says eating out in Spain is relatively cheap – compared to much of the rest of the world, restaurant meals in the country are among the most affordable and offer some of the best value for money.

This is something Spain has long been proud of and which has not changed in decades – whether your definition of 'value for money' is the highest level of quality and creativity for a price that does not reflect it, or whether it means the largest amounts of food and the most filling dishes for the lowest cost possible.

To this end, even though an eatery with three Michelin stars is certainly going to cost you considerably more than a lunchtime set menú del día in your local bar, it is very likely to come with a much smaller bill than in many other parts of Europe, or indeed, the world.

But given that the global cost of living crisis is being felt by everyone except those on very high incomes, the Michelin guide's 'Bib Gourmand' section is of particular interest for the 2023 edition.

This covers restaurants which do not necessarily reach the levels of extreme perfection needed for a star, but which offer near-star quality for prices well below what you'd pay in those who do hold them.

In reality, some of them do, indeed, have a Michelin star, but have managed to meet the tough criteria necessary to earn one whilst still being able to keep their prices low.

To earn 'Bib Gourmand' status, a restaurant has to show standards of excellence that are very hard to achieve, at the same time as providing a full meal for under €35 a head.

Existing entries, plus the 31 newcomers in this year's list, are required to offer either a set menu or an à la carte three-course dinner, dessert included, at this price or, ideally, less.

And if you only want a main meal, or one course, you'll very likely be paying considerably less than the maximum of €35.

Helpfully, some of the Bib Gourmand restaurants – as is also the case with some of the one- to three-starred eateries in the 2023 guide – are also hotels, or separate businesses based in a hotel, meaning you can combine fine dining at affordable prices with a place to stay.

It sounds tempting already – but where can you find them?

Andalucía

In Spain's southernmost mainland region, La Taberna de Cuatro Caminos in Almodóvar del Río (Córdoba province) is ideally placed, given that it is in the same town as the newly blue-flagged La Breña beach. Well over 200 kilometres from the nearest sea, Córdoba province still has one of Spain's 16 top-ranked inland beaches and, although it has been in use for over five years now, only applied for – and earned – a blue flag for the first time in 2022. 

And from Almodóvar del Río, it's a short trip to Córdoba city, with its flower-filled patios, floral festival, world-famous Great Mosque, and Bib Gourmand restaurants La Cuchara de San Lorenzo, Terra Olea, La Taberna de Almodóvar, and El Envero.

Also close by, in the town of Puente Genil, are Alma Ezequiel Montilla and Casa Pedro.

La Cosmo is equally perfectly positioned in tourism terms, being in Málaga city – the point of entry for nearly all visitors to the Costa del Sol, via its airport, and a splendidly-modern yet beautifully-historical metropolitan zone that you should book at least a day to visit within your sunshine break.

La Tarara is in the province of Cádiz, which also has a hugely attractive and popular coast, but the restaurant is approximately an hour inland, in the northern mountains. Olvera, winner of Escapada Rural magazine's Tourism Capital award in 2021, is a breathtakingly-beautiful Mediaeval municipality, the whole of which is a national heritage site and which forms part of the quaint, pretty 'White Villages Route', or Ruta de Pueblos Blancos.

Cádiz city, the gateway to north Africa by sea and replete with aristocratic splendour in its architecture, is where you'll find Almanaque, Mesón Sabor Andaluz, and Contraseña; in nearby Los Caños de Meca, there's another Bib Gourmand eatery, Arohaz, and in Medina-Sidonia, El Duque.

The cradle of sherry, Jerez de la Frontera, is a short trip inland from Cádiz city, and whilst exploring the bodegas or wine merchants', you can enjoy a gourmet meal without breaking the bank at Avanico.

Farther east and right on the coast, Sanlúcar de Barrameda has two Bib Gourmand eateries, Casa Bigote and El Espejo.

In the north of the province of Almería, Terraza Carmona is based in Vera town, just a few minutes by car from Vera beach; a short drive south takes you to the historic and attractive villages of Garrucha and Mojácar, which are equally famous worldwide as coastal holiday hotspots.

Almería boasts a long history of gracing the silver screen – as well as the spaghetti westerns filmed in what is thought to be Europe's only 'true' desert (where you can still tour the original cinema sets), its beaches have been used for major Hollywood blockbusters.

One of Spain's many villages of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants but right on a beach, Agua Amarga sits in Almería province's huge coastal nature reserve, the Cabo de Gata, and is also where you'll find the affordable Michelin-recommended rôtisserie, the Asador La Chumbera.

Spain's fourth-largest city, home to its oldest bullring and biggest cathedral, Sevilla is a sightseeing paradise – particularly in mid-spring when its April Fair, or Feria de Abril, brings to life every wonderfully-colourful stereotype you've ever heard about Spain but never found in real life – flamenco, gypsy guitars, polka-dot skirts, castañets, the lot.

It's also home to 12 Tapas, El Gallinero de Sandra, Sobretablas, Lalola de Javi Abascal, and Az-Zait, where you can get a full meal endorsed by Michelin for under €35 per person.

Or head out into the wider province, where you'll find Deli in the town of Montellano, Agustina in Cazalla de la Sierra, or another 12 Tapas in Castilleja de la Cuesta.

Huelva is the most south-westerly of mainland Spain's provinces, bordering onto the Portuguese Algarve, sharing the attractive Costa de la Luz ('Coast of Light') with its eastern neighbour, Cádiz, and being home to most of the pre-coastal Doñana National Park. Within the province, Bib Gourmand restaurant Arrieros can be found in Linares de la Sierra, Consolación in Cartaya, Finca Alfoliz in Aljaraque, Aires de Doñana in El Rocío, and Casa Dirección in Valverde del Camino.

Jaén, one of Andalucía's three inland provinces – along with Sevilla and Córdoba – is where you can find the seat of the globally-famous Spanish Riding School, and marvel at the beautiful, noble Spanish thoroughbred (Pura Raza Española) horses performing advanced dressage. Also here, the historic town of Úbeda is filled with must-see monuments and, after working up an appetite touring them, you can settle in for a Bib Gourmand meal in Cantina La Estación, or head farther into the province and dine at Los Sentidos, in Linares.

Granada province probably needs little introduction – the Alhambra Palace, Mediaeval seat of the Nasrid Emir Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Emirate of Granada, dwarfs many of Europe's largest buildings and would swallow up London's O2 Arena nearly three times over. Located in mainland Spain's south-eastern corner, Granada province shares the Sierra Nevada National Park and its ski resorts with that of Almería, is home to the famous 'cave houses' in Guadix, is the birthplace of pre-War poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, and is bathed by the balmy Costa Tropical.

On the Costa Tropical, the town of Almuñécar is hugely popular with beach tourists, but manages to remain very 'traditionally Spanish' and unspoilt despite this; and if you're one of those tourists, you're guaranteed a great meal and excellent service at the Bib Gourmand restaurant El Chaleco. Otherwise, just eight kilometres from Granada city is the large village of Monachil, home to the Bib Gourmand eatery La Cantina de Diego, or in the city itself, Atelier Casa de Comidas.

Comunidad Valenciana 

Spain's third-biggest city, Valencia, with its elaborate, aristocratic-looking, Regency-style architecture and futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, is almost at the dead centre of this Mediterranean region, and home to six Bib Gourmand restaurants: Yarza, Kaymus, Forastera, Blanqueries, Xanglot, and 2 Estaciones.

Towns a few minutes by car from Valencia city with Bib Gourmand restaurants are Meliana (Napicol), and Cheste (Huerto Martínez) – a town seen on TV screens worldwide every November as its Ricardo Tormo Circuit hosts the final date in the international MotoGP calendar.

Almost 50 kilometres of coastline south of Valencia city is taken up with the Albufera salt marshes, one of two wetland nature reserves where rice is cultivated (along with the Pego-Oliva Marjal across the Valencia-Alicante province border), and it is this ancient trade that gave rise to what is probably Spain's most widely-known dish, paella.

Taking a boat trip around the Albufera should be on everyone's bucket list, and to do so, you need to head to the hamlet of El Palmar, between Valencia and the beach town of Sueca. Whilst there, you'll naturally want to complete the experience with a paella made from rice grown right outside the restaurant, and Arrocería Maribel assures you a Michelin-standard meal at no more than €35 per person.

A little farther south and a few kilometres inland, the large town of Alzira and its neighbouring village of Benifaió are home to the Bib Gourmand-rated Camí·Vell and Juan Veintitrés respectively.

Castellón, the northernmost of the three provinces, is the least-densely inhabited, with huge expanses of mountainous countryside between small and very sparse villages, most of it at altitudes of several hundred metres with a stunning panorama of red clay sierras and deep-green pine forests. In the very rural district in the far north, Els Ports, the historic walled village of Morella is sought-after destination for those seeking nature tourism and Mediaeval monuments; here, they will also find three Bib Gourmand restaurants: Daluan, Vinatea and Mesón del Pastor.

Although Castellón's coast is very geared up to tourism, it is still far less international and much quieter than the provinces of Valencia and Alicante. Along with more famous beach locations like Oropesa del Mar, the festival town of Benicàssim, and the Mediaeval Peñíscola with its huge castle right on the sands, Benicarló is home to Restaurante Pau, and the provincial capital city, Castellón de la Plana, to Le Bistrot Gastronómico.

By far the most cosmopolitan province in the region is Alicante, where the coast is known as the Costa Blanca, the southern half of which is very familiar with northern European and especially British sunseekers. The north of the province is more rural, traditional, and tranquil, although with a huge multi-cultural mix – and breathtaking mountain scenery.

Alicante city is where visitors to the Costa Blanca will get their first impression, as this is where the nearest airport is – Valencia airport is the gateway for those heading to the other two provinces – and its top attractions include the hilltop Santa Bárbara castle, the Lucentum Roman settlement, the history museum next door, the MARQ, plus its idyllic urban beaches.

Steki and Tabula Rasa are two Bib Gourmand-ranked eateries in the city itself; a short drive north along the coast, Brel, in El Campello or, to the south, Frisone in the city of Elche, the cradle of the designer shoe industry and home to the world's largest palm tree forest outside the Arabian peninsula, and a quick drive inland from here, in Almoradí, El Buey.

An hour or so north of Alicante and about half an hour north of Benidorm, Calpe is the last high-rise seaside town you'll see for the next 70 or 80 kilometres. Instantly recognisable thanks to its rock, the Peñón de Ifach – which looks like a scaled-down version of Gibraltar and which you can visit via its hiking trails – and its iconic 'Red Wall' building, this fishing port municipality is replete with great restaurants, but the only Bib Gourmand one is Komfort.

It's not the only one in the Michelin guide, though: Audrey's by Rafa Soler and Beat each have one star.

Just 20 kilometres south of the Valencia-province border, Dénia, a lively beach and port town at the foot of a Mediaeval hilltop castle, holds UNESCO Creative Culinary City status – and this, of course, means being spoilt for choice with restaurants. As well as its more pricey Michelin-starred establishments, élite dining for less-than-élite prices can be found at El Baret de Miquel Ruiz.

Heading inland from Alicante city or the southern Costa Blanca, the landscape becomes more and more rural and the villages and towns more remote; mountains, nature reserves, and a much more traditional, rustic way of life is worlds away from the bustling activity of the seaside holiday belt.

In these parts, the population lives off agriculture, toy manufacturing, the spice trade, and marble tiles – and, it seems, from Bib Gourmand restaurants.

El Racó de Pere i Pepa in El Pinós, Elías in Xinorlet, La Teja Azul in Villena, and Erre que Erre in Ibi are Michelin-ranked; also deep inland but much farther north, close to the Valencia-province border, are Natxo Sellés in Cocentaina and Casa del Tío David in Alfafara, close to the Sierra de Mariola nature reserve.

Murcia

A region of huge contrasts, Murcia is well-loved for its vast expanse of spa resorts and golf courses, a top choice for holiday homes and relocating northern European retirees, and unusual in its geography – the Mar Menor, boxed in by the La Manga strip, is in reality an inland sea – but is also a relatively calm destination and has escaped mass international tourism so far. It has all the facilities and the reputation, but has not yet become overly commercialised, and with its Roman amphitheatres and Naval history in Cartagena, the 'Holy City' of Caravaca de la Cruz – one of only five in the world with this status - and its wine regions of Yecla and Jumilla, has become a 'slower' alternative to the Costa Blanca with the option of plenty of enriching sightseeing in addition to relaxation, sunshine and golfing. 

Whilst indulging in all of these activities, though, you're in the right place for an affordable Michelin meal – Juan Marí is based in the beach town of San Pedro del Pinatar, right on the Alicante-province border, and Malvasía is on the La Manga strip.

Murcia city, the birthplace of Spain's most acclaimed Baroque sculptor Francisco Salzillo – whose works are on display in his eponymous museum and in the cathedral – is where you'll find the Bib Gourmand restaurants Alborada and Perro Limón.

Balearic Islands

We know the Mediterranean islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza are package holiday bestsellers, especially among those seeking warm weather without having to pay over the odds, but this is only one small feature of this beautiful and culturally-rich archipelago. 

Visiting Ibiza should include a day-trip by ferry to neighbouring Formentera, the smallest inhabited Balearic Island, where cars are restricted, all energy is from renewable sources, and the unspoilt beaches are famous for the skin-healing properties of their mineral mud. 

Menorca's fishing villages, Celtic settlements and monuments left over from when it was a British-owned territory mean fascinating sightseeing within a pocket of land that's barely 55 kilometres long. And Mallorca, the largest and liveliest of the four, with its underground lakes in caves dating back millions of years, its international literary and artistic heritage, splendid cathedral, designer shopping, and pearl-manufacturing industry has enough to see and do that you might even have difficulty fitting in beach time at all.

Fine dining at very reasonable prices is simply the icing on the cake – check out Ca'n Boqueta in Sóller and Miceli in nearby Selva, Mallorca; Es Terral in the upmarket holiday hotspot of Santa Eulària des Riu, in Ibiza; and Smoix in the quaint fishing village of Ciutadela, Menorca.

Canary Islands

Another key destination on the package holiday trail, this region boasts some of Spain's most unusual landscape – entirely volcanic, with sandy deserts, mountain ranges that look as though you've landed on Mars, other mountain ranges swirling in the clouds and lush and green year-round, stately-looking architecture, more National Parks than anywhere in the country, and milder winters and summers, due to its location.

Although it's barely 100 kilometres away from southern Morocco, the Canary Islands have a slightly more Latin American feel to them, and this is especially true in some of the architecture.

In fact, the Canaries are a colony, but have never sought independence and remain an integral part of Spanish national territory – even though a flight there from the mainland takes at least as long as to the UK, Ireland, Germany or any of the other European countries whose residents are regular visitors to the Costas.

Capital of the island of Tenerife, where a visit to the Teide National Park – an active volcano where you can walk into the crater – is de rigueur, is Santa Cruz, which is where Bib Gourmand restaurants Noi and San Sebastián 57 are based; and close by, in La Matanza de Acentejo, is La Bola de Jorge Bosch.

To the west of Puerto de la Cruz, in Icod de los Vinos, is Furancho La Zapatería, and in the south, not far from the Costa Adeje in Chimiche is El Secreto de Chimiche – although now it's Michelin-ranked, it's not going to be a secreto for much longer.

Gran Canaria is the second-largest island in the Canaries, and its biggest city, Las Palmas, is also the capital of the province of the same name. Colourful and ornate buildings, winters that rarely drop below 13ºC and summers that tend to max out at about 28ºC to 30ºC, plus all the usual city attractions such as historical sites and excellent shopping include a great range of eating-out options, as you would expect.

These include Qué Leche, Mácher 60, El Equilibrista 33, El Santo, and Pícaro or, just outside the city in Arucas, Casa Brito.

Bib Gourmand restaurants are not just found on the biggest two islands, though – if you're in Lanzarote, check out Lilium in Arrecife and El Risco in Famara, or in La Palma, El Jardín de la Sal in Salinas de Fuencaliente.

Catalunya 

The north-eastern region that radiates out from the world's third-most attractive and Spain's second-largest city, Barcelona, is unlikely to need much introduction – except to say that it caters for almost any visitor criteria. Mostly Mediterranean in terms of scenery, Catalunya is a blend of ultra-modern and traditionally-rustic, upmarket and spartan, very urban and very rural, packed with historical treasures including Mediaeval castles, Roman settlements and vibrant, colourful and whacky early-20th century architecture (especially the works of Gaudí, who designed the globally-renowned Sagrada Família cathedral), with lively coastal resorts and immense, tranquil waterlands, fishing villages and secluded beaches and, in the only land-locked province of the four, Lleida, the Pyrénées and ski resorts.

Lleida city is home to Aimia, Casa Albets, and elsewhere in the province, Antoni Rubies in Artesa de Lleida, Cal Xirrició in Balaguer, El Niu in Escunhau, Hostal Jaumet in Torà, Lo Ponts in Ponts, Roc'n'Cris in Aubèrt, and Vicus in Pals. 

Tarragona, capital of the southernmost province of the same name – the coast of which is known as the Costa Daurada – is where you'll find La Xarxa, or in other towns in the same province, Brots in Poboleda, Cal Travé in Solivella, Hostal Colomí in Santa Coloma de Queralt, and L'Algadir del Delta in Amposta.

Girona, the first province after the French border and home to the Costa Brava, boasts a handful of Bib Gourmand eateries: Can Boix, in Vilamarí; Els Caçadors in Maçanet de Cabrenys; La Gruta in L'Escala; La Salinera in Palamós; Mas Concas in Cinc Claus; Mas Pou in Palau-Sator, and Quatre Estacions in Banyoles.

Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants are most likely to be found in Spain's largest metropolitan zones, so it comes as no surprise to find a long list in Barcelona city: Verat, Vivanda, Saó, La Mundana, Cruix, Berbena, Avenir, BaLó, and Nairod.

The list gets even longer when you head outside Barcelona 'proper' and into its province. There isn't one in every single town, but there's almost certainly a Bib Gourmand in a town close to yours. The 2023 guide now covers Somiatruites and Quatre Vents 3.0 in Igualada, Vinòmic in La Garriga, 

Vapor Gastronòmic and El Cel de les Oques in Terrassa, Mirko Carturan Cuiner in Caldes de Montbui, La Cava d'en Sergi in Sant Adurní d'Anoia, La Font in Canet de March, Garbí in Castellar del Vallés, El Racó in Sant Climent de Llobregat, Dos Cuiners in Mataró, Ca L'Amagat in Bagà, Cal Xim in Sant Pau d'Ordal, Can Ferrán in Sant Quirze del Vallès, and Can Poal in Vallromanes.