El Chiringuito

A mountain village bar in the Axarquía, about an hour from Málaga, where the chef came back to his grandparents' old spot after stints at Arzak and Bardal and quietly turned it into something worth the winding drive. The room stays unpretentious, the cooking goes deep into Andalusian tradition while nudging it forward, and the Michelin Bib Gourmand suggests the pricing hasn't gone to anyone's head. Book ahead if you want the tasting menu.

One honor, in evidence: