Restaurant in El Ejido, Spain
One Michelin star, zero tourist polish.
La Costa holds a Michelin star and two Repsol Suns in El Ejido, Almería — an unlikely setting that chef José Álvarez turns into an advantage. The cooking centers on Alborán Sea seafood and local vegetables, with a wine program strong enough that Repsol flags it as a destination for serious wine lovers. Book the tasting menu and plan well ahead: availability is limited and fills fast.
Most visitors arrive at La Costa expecting a functional regional restaurant that happens to have a Michelin star. What they find instead is one of southern Spain's most focused expressions of place-driven contemporary cooking, operating at a level that competes comfortably with the Andalusian fine-dining circuit. The greenhouse panorama around El Ejido is not a drawback to overlook; it is, quite deliberately, the context for everything on the plate. Chef José Álvarez has spent years arguing that the sea of plastic sheeting that defines this coastline conceals one of the Mediterranean's most productive agricultural zones, and his tasting menu — "Verde Mar y Tierra Azul" (Green Sea and Blue Earth) , is the proof of concept. If you are deciding whether to drive to El Ejido for a meal, the answer is yes, provided you book early and come prepared for a long lunch or dinner.
La Costa is a family restaurant that has been transformed into a destination dining room without losing the warmth that comes from that origin. The cuisine is contemporary but rooted: fish and seafood from the Alborán Sea anchor the savory courses, while local vegetables , typically sourced from small-scale producers rather than the industrial greenhouse operations visible from the road , give the menu a seasonal depth that changes with what is available close by. Flavors run strong and direct rather than delicate and cerebral, which puts La Costa in a different register from the more cerebral abstraction you find at, say, Mugaritz in Errenteria. If you want cooking that challenges assumptions without losing grip on pleasure, this is the right room.
First-timers should commit to the tasting menu. It is the format in which Álvarez makes his argument most clearly , that the Almería coastline, greenhouses and all, is a serious gastronomic territory. The wine program is equally worth your attention: La Costa has earned a reputation among wine-focused travelers as one of the strongest lists in the region, with a depth that goes well beyond the usual Andalusian selection. Repsol, which awards Sun ratings to Spanish restaurants much as Michelin awards stars, has recognized La Costa with two Suns , a credential that, alongside the 2024 Michelin Star, confirms this is not a one-system anomaly. The Google rating of 4.6 across more than 1,200 reviews tells the same story from the floor level: consistent delivery, not just occasional brilliance.
La Costa's reputation among wine enthusiasts is significant enough that Repsol's own notes flag it as "a great destination for true wine lovers." That framing matters. At €€€€ pricing, you are already committing to a serious spend; the question is whether the wine list adds proportionate value or simply adds cost. The evidence suggests the former. The list draws on the depth of Spanish wine culture , Andalusia, the Atlantic coast, the Basque region , and is constructed to pair with the specific flavor profile of Álvarez's cooking: Alborán seafood, strong-flavored local vegetables, and dishes built around contrast rather than subtlety. For wine-focused diners who are also considering Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María or Quique Dacosta in Dénia, La Costa offers something those venues do not: a wine program that is deeply embedded in the regional agricultural story, not just appended to it. If wine pairing is part of how you evaluate a dinner, build that into your decision to book here.
The current hours structure is worth planning around. Lunch runs 1:30–4:00 PM every day Monday through Saturday. Dinner (8:45–11:00 PM) is available Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. Sunday is closed. For a first visit, lunch has a practical advantage: the natural light in early afternoon tends to suit a tasting menu format, and the longer window before the evening means you can take the meal at a proper pace. Dinner on a Thursday adds a midweek option for travelers who cannot fit a Saturday booking, though Saturday evening is the harder reservation to secure. Either way, book as far in advance as possible , this is a hard booking, and the combination of a Michelin star, two Repsol Suns, and limited dinner availability means the calendar fills quickly.
El Ejido sits in the western part of Almería province, roughly between Almería city and the coastal resort stretch toward Adra. It is not a tourist destination in the conventional sense , the economy here is agricultural, not hospitality-driven, which is precisely what makes La Costa an anomaly worth seeking out. If you are planning a broader stay, see our full El Ejido restaurants guide, our full El Ejido hotels guide, and our full El Ejido bars guide for context on what else the area offers. For wine-focused travelers, our full El Ejido wineries guide and our full El Ejido experiences guide are worth checking before you arrive.
If you are interested in the broader José Álvarez project, Barra de José Álvarez offers a more accessible entry point into his cooking at a lower price tier , worth considering if the €€€€ commitment at La Costa feels steep for a first encounter with the chef's style.
La Costa is worth the detour and worth the price, specifically for diners who want a Michelin-level experience anchored in a place that has not been polished for tourism. The combination of a strong wine program, Alborán seafood, locally grown vegetables, and cooking that commits to regional identity over international trend-chasing makes this a more distinctive meal than you will find at several better-known Spanish addresses at the same price point. Book the tasting menu, arrive at lunch if your schedule allows, and treat the greenhouse view as context rather than inconvenience.
Quick reference: Contemporary | Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Two Repsol Suns | €€€€ | Lunch daily Mon–Sat 1:30–4 PM | Dinner Thu–Sat 8:45–11 PM | Closed Sunday | Book well in advance , hard availability.
Lunch is the safer bet for planning purposes, since it runs Monday through Saturday (1:30–4:00 PM), giving you more flexibility than the Thursday-to-Saturday dinner service (8:45–11:00 PM). Dinner offers a more immersive pacing if you want to linger over the wine program, which Repsol flags as a serious draw. For a first visit centred on the tasting menu, dinner on a Friday or Saturday is the optimal slot.
Yes, in principle. The restaurant's roots as a family operation and its focus on a tasting menu format make it manageable solo, and the wine program gives you something to engage with at the table. At a €€€€ price point, solo diners should confirm whether the full tasting menu is available for one before booking, since some tasting-menu restaurants require a minimum of two covers.
The greenhouse-surrounded location in El Ejido is jarring the first time you see it, but it's deliberate context for chef José Álvarez's cooking. His 'Verde Mar y Tierra Azul' tasting menu is built around Alborán Sea fish and seafood alongside local vegetables from small-scale producers in the area. Come for the tasting menu, not a la carte — this is a destination meal, not a drop-in dinner. Sunday is closed.
Nothing in the available venue data confirms private dining or group capacity specifics, so check the venue's official channels before organising a party larger than four. The family-restaurant heritage suggests some flexibility, but dinner service is limited to Thursday through Saturday, which narrows scheduling options for groups. For large-format celebrations, confirm availability well in advance.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star, two Repsol suns, and a tasting menu built on hyper-local Alborán seafood and Almería vegetables, the value case is solid — especially given that comparably credentialed restaurants in Madrid or San Sebastián charge the same or more with far less regional specificity. The detour to El Ejido is part of the deal; if you want Michelin cooking without the drive, look elsewhere. If the provenance story matters to you, it's worth every euro.
Yes, if you're here for what the restaurant actually does. The 'Verde Mar y Tierra Azul' menu is the clearest expression of chef José Álvarez's cooking philosophy, combining Alborán Sea fish and seafood with locally grown vegetables. Ordering off-menu at a Michelin-starred tasting-menu restaurant rarely delivers the same coherence or value. The wine list, flagged by Repsol as a standout, pairs well with the format.
Yes, particularly for diners who want their occasion to feel specific rather than generic. A Michelin star in a greenhouse belt in Almería is a more memorable setting than another polished city-centre dining room, and the tasting menu format suits a celebratory pace. Book a Thursday-to-Saturday dinner slot for the full evening experience, and note that Sundays are closed, so plan accordingly.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
