Restaurant in Dénia, Spain
OAD-recognised marisquería. Lunch only. Book ahead.
El Pegoli is Dénia's go-to marisquería for serious seafood at lunch, earning Opinionated About Dining recognition three years running (ranked #415 in 2024). Lunch-only, Tuesday to Sunday, with a format built around the local catch — including Dénia's prized red prawns. Book for a special occasion lunch when you want quality over formality.
If you're in Dénia for the seafood and want a marisquería that has earned sustained recognition without the tasting-menu formality, El Pegoli is the right call. It has appeared on Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list three years running — ranked #415 in 2024 and #644 in 2025, with a recommendation in 2023 — which puts it comfortably in the tier of marisquerías that food-focused travellers track. It operates lunch-only, Tuesday through Sunday, which tells you something about how it positions itself: this is a place built around the midday meal, not a venue stretching to fill covers.
El Pegoli sits on Carrer Fènix in central Dénia, a short distance from the port area that supplies the region's seafood. The format is a traditional marisquería dining room rather than a terrace-first beach operation, which means the focus stays on what's on the plate rather than the view. With 1,597 Google reviews averaging 4.3, the volume of feedback suggests a local following alongside visiting diners , the kind of mix that keeps a kitchen honest. For a special occasion lunch, the contained, indoor setting works in your favour: you get the attention of the kitchen and service in a room scaled for seated, deliberate eating rather than the informal shuffle of a terrace spot.
Dénia's position on the Costa Blanca gives it direct access to some of the most prized seafood in Spain. The gambas rojas de Dénia , the local red prawns , are a reference product in Spanish gastronomy, the kind of ingredient that chefs at venues like Quique Dacosta build tasting menus around and that a marisquería like El Pegoli presents in a more direct, unmediated form. A marisquería's value proposition is precisely this: proximity to the source, minimal transformation, and the confidence to let the ingredient carry the dish. El Pegoli's OAD recognition across three consecutive years suggests that proximity is being put to good use. For comparison, Marisquería Godoy in Málaga and D'Berto in Pontevedra operate in the same register nationally , seafood-first rooms where sourcing discipline is the whole argument.
Lunch runs 1–4:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday, with Monday closed. The lunch window is generous enough that you don't need to rush, but arriving closer to 1 pm on a weekend is the safer move , Google volume at 1,597 reviews points to a popular room, and a marisquería of this standing in a coastal town fills quickly on Saturday and Sunday. Midweek lunch, particularly Thursday or Friday, gives you the leading chance of a calmer room. Monday closures are standard for serious lunch-focused restaurants in this part of Spain, so plan accordingly if Dénia is a short stay.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. No phone or website data is currently listed in our records, which means the most reliable approach is to contact the venue directly via the address at Carrer Fènix, 13, 03700 Dénia, or check for a current listing on local booking platforms. Price range data is not available in our current records , for context, a well-regarded marisquería in this tier in coastal Spain typically runs in the mid-range for fresh seafood, with pricing driven by the market rate for the day's catch rather than a fixed menu price point. For special occasion planning, it's worth confirming reservation availability at least a few days in advance for weekends.
Quick reference: Lunch only, Tue–Sun, 1–4:30 pm. Monday closed. Address: Carrer Fènix, 13, Dénia. Booking: Easy. No website currently listed.
Within Dénia's dining options, El Pegoli sits in a specific and useful position. Quique Dacosta (€€€€, Creative) is the city's three-Michelin-star reference point , a completely different category of experience, tasting menu only, and significantly more expensive. If you want the full destination-dining commitment, Quique Dacosta is unmatched in the city. El Pegoli is the answer to a different question: where do you eat well in Dénia without that level of formality or spend.
Peix & Brases (Mediterranean Cuisine, €€€) is the closest peer in terms of price tier and seafood orientation, though it operates with a broader Mediterranean menu rather than the pure marisquería focus. If you want grilled fish and rice dishes alongside shellfish, Peix & Brases gives you more range. El Pegoli is the better call if you want the marisquería format specifically , shellfish, prawns, and the raw seafood discipline the region is known for. El Faralló is a direct competitor in the marisquería category and worth comparing directly on price and booking availability when you're planning. El Baret de Miquel (Tapas) is the right choice if you want a lighter, more casual format , smaller plates, lower commitment , but it doesn't compete on the same seafood depth.
El Pegoli earns its OAD listing. Three consecutive years of recognition in a competitive category , and a Google rating of 4.3 from nearly 1,600 reviews , points to a kitchen that delivers consistently rather than impressively on one visit. For a special occasion lunch in Dénia that doesn't require a tasting menu or a three-month advance booking, this is where to go. If you're building a wider trip around Spanish seafood and fine dining, cross-reference our guides to the broader scene: Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María, Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona, and El Celler de Can Roca in Girona are in a different tier but relevant if Dénia is part of a longer Spain itinerary.
For everything else in the city, see our full Dénia restaurants guide, our Dénia hotels guide, our Dénia bars guide, our Dénia wineries guide, and our Dénia experiences guide.
Group bookings are likely possible given the restaurant's traditional marisquería format and consistent volume of reviews, but specific capacity and group policy data are not in our current records. Contact the venue directly at Carrer Fènix, 13, Dénia to confirm. For groups, a weekday lunch (Tuesday through Friday) will give you a better chance of securing a table without competing with weekend demand.
Yes , with the right expectations. El Pegoli is the right choice for a special occasion lunch where the quality of the seafood is the occasion, not the formality of the setting. Three years of OAD recognition and a 4.3 Google rating from nearly 1,600 reviews backs up the quality argument. If you need white-tablecloth service and a tasting menu format, Quique Dacosta is the Dénia answer. El Pegoli is the call when you want serious food without the production around it.
It's a lunch-only marisquería , seafood is the focus, and the menu will reflect what's fresh from the local catch, including Dénia's noted gambas rojas. It's closed Mondays. The OAD recognition across 2023, 2024, and 2025 means the kitchen is tracked by serious food travellers, so don't treat this as a casual backup option. Book ahead for weekends, arrive on time, and let the seafood do the work. Price range data is not available in our current records , budget accordingly for a fresh-catch coastal lunch.
Lunch is your only option , El Pegoli is open 1–4:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday, with no dinner service. This is entirely consistent with the marisquería tradition in Spain, where the midday meal is the main event and the kitchen's energy is fully behind it. That focus is part of what the OAD listing reflects. If you need a dinner option in Dénia, see Peix & Brases or El Baret de Miquel as starting points.
Bar seating data is not available in our current records. Traditional marisquerías in Spain often have a bar or counter area, but whether El Pegoli operates a walkable bar format is unconfirmed. Given its consistent review volume and OAD standing, the dining room is the primary experience. Contact the venue directly to confirm seating options if bar dining is a priority for you.
For marisquería dining, El Faralló is the most direct alternative and worth comparing on availability. For a broader Mediterranean seafood menu at a similar price tier, Peix & Brases (€€€) is the next call. If you're considering the full destination-dining option in the city, Quique Dacosta (€€€€) operates in a completely different category. For lighter, lower-commitment eating, El Baret de Miquel handles tapas well. See our full Dénia restaurants guide for the complete picture.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| El Pegoli | — | |
| Quique Dacosta | €€€€ | — |
| Peix & Brases | €€€ | — |
| El Faralló | — | |
| El Baret de Miquel | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Traditional marisquerías in Dénia are generally set up for small to mid-size groups, and El Pegoli's format on Carrer Fènix follows that pattern. For larger parties — six or more — check the venue's official channels well in advance, as the lunch-only window (1–4:30 pm, Tue–Sun) means covers are finite. No phone or website is currently listed in our records, so approach via the venue directly on arrival or through local booking channels.
It works well for a celebratory lunch if your idea of a celebration is centred on serious seafood rather than ceremony. El Pegoli has earned OAD Casual in Europe recognition three years running (Recommended 2023, #415 in 2024, #644 in 2025), which signals consistent quality — not a destination tasting-menu experience. If you want a formal special-occasion dinner in Dénia, Quique Dacosta is the three-Michelin-star option; El Pegoli is the choice when the meal itself is the occasion.
El Pegoli is a lunch-only marisquería — it does not open for dinner, and it is closed Mondays. Service runs 1–4:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday at Carrer Fènix 13 in central Dénia. The OAD listing (three consecutive years in the Casual in Europe category) tells you this is a place taken seriously by diners who track European seafood restaurants, not a tourist-facing operation. Come for the seafood, come at lunch, and don't expect an à la carte menu built around anything other than what the region does.
Lunch is the only option — El Pegoli does not serve dinner. Hours are 1–4:30 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Arriving closer to opening gives you the widest choice and the least time pressure across the generous 3.5-hour window.
Bar seating is common in traditional Spanish marisquerías and may be available at El Pegoli, but our records do not confirm a specific bar counter setup. If you are visiting solo or as a pair and flexibility matters, it is worth asking the restaurant directly — no phone or website is currently listed, so an in-person enquiry or contact through local channels is the practical route.
Peix & Brases and El Faralló are the closest seafood-focused alternatives in Dénia if El Pegoli is fully booked or not the right fit. El Baret de Miquel offers a different register — more creative, less traditional marisquería format — and is worth considering if you want something beyond straight seafood. For a completely different category, Quique Dacosta is Dénia's three-Michelin-star reference point, but at a significantly higher price point and with a formal tasting-menu structure that is not comparable to El Pegoli's lunch format.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
