Where to Eat in Baeza: Best Restaurants & Tapas Bars (2026)

Baeza sits in the heart of Jaen province, which produces more olive oil than any other place on earth.

This is not an exaggeration. The endless silver-green groves surrounding this Renaissance town supply roughly half of Spain's olive oil and a significant chunk of the world's supply.

What does this mean for eating here? Everything is cooked in exceptional olive oil, and you will taste the difference immediately.

But Baeza's food is not just about olive oil.

This is mountain cuisine - hearty, honest, built for people who work the land. Game, pork, seasonal vegetables, and bread that matters. You will not find molecular gastronomy or Instagram-worthy presentations. You will find food that has been made the same way for generations, served by people who genuinely want to feed you well.

What makes Baeza's food special?

The cuisine here reflects its geography and history.

You are in the mountains of eastern Andalusia, where winters are cold and summers scorching. The food is designed to sustain and comfort.

Local ingredients that define the cuisine:

• Virgin olive oil from local mills (some restaurants use oil from trees they own)
• Game from the Sierra de Cazorla (venison, wild boar, partridge)
• Iberian pork from the Sierra de Segura
• Seasonal vegetables from the Guadalquivir valley
• Esparto grass mushrooms and wild asparagus in spring

Best restaurants in Baeza

Fine dining and special occasions

Vandelvira

€€€Creative Andalusian

San Francisco Convent · Renaissance elegance in a 16th-century convent

Must try: Venison loin with olive oil ice cream, salt cod with local olive oil

Reservations: requiredPhone: +34 953 74 81 72

Tip: Request a table in the cloister garden for summer evenings. The tasting menu is excellent value for the quality.

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Housed in the former San Francisco Convent, Vandelvira combines serious cooking with one of Baeza's most spectacular settings.

The kitchen takes local ingredients seriously, working with nearby olive oil producers and game suppliers. Chef uses modern techniques without losing sight of what makes Jaen cuisine special.

Palacete de Manilla

€€€Traditional Andalusian

Historic centre · Elegant dining in a restored Renaissance palace

Must try: Lomo de orza (preserved pork loin), partridge escabeche

Reservations: recommendedPhone: +34 953 74 02 00

Tip: Their wine list focuses on Spanish wines with excellent Riojas and local Bailén wines.

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Elegant dining in a restored Renaissance palace with vaulted ceilings and period details.

The kitchen focuses on traditional Jaen cuisine executed with care and quality ingredients. A refined setting for a special dinner without the stuffiness of some upscale spots.

Traditional restaurants

Casa Juanito

€€Traditional Jaen cuisine

Calle de San Pablo · Classic old-school restaurant, proper tablecloths

Must try: Espinacas con garbanzos (spinach with chickpeas), lomo de orza

Reservations: recommendedPhone: +34 953 74 00 40

Tip: The espinacas con garbanzos here is legendary. Simple, perfect, and absolutely worth ordering.

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A classic old-school restaurant with proper tablecloths and attentive service.

Casa Juanito has been feeding Baeza for generations, and the kitchen sticks to what it knows - traditional Jaen cooking done properly. The espinacas con garbanzos here is legendary, a dish that sounds humble but tastes transcendent.

La Barbería

€€Modern Andalusian tapas

Historic centre · Contemporary space in an old barber shop

Must try: Flamenquín (breaded pork roll), croquetas

Reservations: not needed

Tip: Good for a lighter meal if you want quality tapas without a full sit-down experience.

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A contemporary space in an old barber shop, La Barbería offers a lighter alternative to the traditional restaurants.

Good for tapas and raciones when you want quality without committing to a full meal. Popular with younger locals and visitors alike.

Budget-friendly options

Taberna El Pájaro

€Tapas and raciones

Near the Cathedral · No-frills tapas bar, standing room at the bar

Must try: Tortilla española, patatas a lo pobre

Reservations: not neededHours: Open from noon

Tip: Perfect for a quick bite between sightseeing. Order at the bar, eat standing like a local.

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A no-frills tapas bar with standing room at the counter and a few tables for overflow.

This is where locals grab a quick bite between errands. The tortilla is reliably good, and the patatas a lo pobre hit the spot. Perfect for a cheap, satisfying lunch.

What to order: Baeza's essential dishes

Starters and tapas

Pipirrana - A chopped salad of tomatoes, green peppers, onion, hard-boiled egg, and sometimes tuna, drenched in local olive oil. Deceptively simple, completely addictive when made properly.

Ochíos - Small bread rolls flavoured with olive oil and aniseed. Unique to the Jaen area and perfect for dipping.

Ensalada de perdiz - Partridge salad. Yes, game appears even in salads here.

Ajoblanco de Jaen - Not the Malaga-style cold soup, but a warm sauce/dip made with almonds, garlic, and olive oil. Completely different, equally delicious.

Main courses

Espinacas con garbanzos - Spinach with chickpeas. Sounds humble, tastes transcendent when made with proper olive oil and a hint of cumin and paprika.

Andrajos - A pasta dish with rabbit, typical of the mountain areas. The pasta is torn by hand (hence the name, which means "rags").

Lomo de orza - Pork loin preserved in olive oil in clay pots (orzas). A traditional preservation method that results in incredibly tender, flavourful meat.

Ciervo en salsa - Venison in sauce, usually with a red wine base. Game is taken seriously here.

Cordero segureño - Lamb from the Sierra de Segura, often roasted simply with garlic and herbs.

Desserts

Pestiños - Fried dough fritters with honey, traditionally made during Semana Santa but available year-round in some places.

Gachas dulces - A sweet porridge made with flour, milk, and aniseed. Comfort food of the highest order.

Hornazos - Sweet pastries traditional to Easter, sometimes filled with hard-boiled eggs.

Where to drink in Baeza

Wine bars and evening drinks

Cafetería Arcediano

€Café-bar

Plaza del Pópulo · Terrace with views of the Renaissance fountain

Must try: Vermouth on tap, local olives

Reservations: not needed

Tip: The terrace is the best spot in town for people-watching over an afternoon vermouth.

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The terrace here overlooks the Renaissance fountain in Plaza del Pópulo, making it the best spot in town for people-watching over an afternoon vermouth. Order a cold beer or vermouth on tap, some olives, and watch the evening light play on the golden stone.

Practical tips for eating in Baeza

Booking and reservations

Baeza is small, and the best restaurants are genuinely small.

On weekends and during festivals, booking is essential. Midweek, you can usually find a table, but calling ahead never hurts.

Most restaurants do not have online booking. Call directly or ask your hotel to call for you.

The menú del día

Almost every restaurant offers a menú del día at lunch.

This is typically three courses (starter, main, dessert) plus bread, wine or water, and coffee for €12-20. The quality can be excellent, and it is how locals eat.

Ask "Tienen menú del día?" (Do you have a menú del día?) and they will tell you the options. Usually two or three choices for each course.

Olive oil etiquette

Tipping

Tipping is not obligatory in Spain, but rounding up is normal.

Leave €1-2 on a €20 bill, or 5-10% for exceptional service. Do not feel pressured to tip American-style amounts.

Day trip food: Olive oil mills

If you are interested in olive oil (and you should be), several mills near Baeza offer tours and tastings.

The tourist office in Baeza can provide a list of mills open to visitors. November through January is harvest season, when you can see the process in action.

What about Ubeda?

Ubeda is only 9 kilometres away and has its own excellent restaurants. If you are staying in Baeza for several days, eating a meal or two in Ubeda makes sense.