San Miguel Restaurant

If you have to try one single dish in Spain’s Costa Brava region, it should be paella (or really any of the myriad rice dishes which most foreigners group under the “paella” name). If you happen to be in the beautiful white village of Altea, the best place to try authentic paella is at San Miguel, a hostel and restaurant located on the town’s beachfront promenade. At first glance, it seems like any other beachfront restaurant housed in a somewhat weather-worn hotel. Don’t be fooled…ask any local and they’ll tell you that San Miguel makes the best paella in town.

In fact, it was so good that we went and ate there twice during our trip! The first time, we got the classic Valencian paella of chicken, rabbit, and vegetables. All the ingredients were as fresh as could be and the flavorful rice absolutely melted in my mouth. Don’t miss the crispy parts that form around the edges. The second time we went, we got the fideua, a local variant of paella that’s made with short pasta noodles rather than rice. Again, it was a hit.

San Miguel Restaurant is my go-to place for paella in Altea, and it's a must if you're in the area. The menu is fairly traditional, but the rice dishes are the stars. You can get your paella with meat, artichokes, seafood or other assorted goodies. They also make paella to go, and a paella for 6 people costs 42.00€, a real bargain given the quality. After 40 years making paella and resisting any and all of Spain's booms and busts, I'd say this place is well worth a try.