Bar El Frances

An absolute revelation. The cuisine dazzles with bold, mouth-watering flavours that linger memorably, ensuring you'll be plotting your return before the meal is through. Complemented by a staff that is both impeccably professional and delightfully engaging—particularly with younger diners—the experience is flawless. It stands as a pinnacle of family dining, compelling enough to warrant an immediate revisit. A must-try.

Bar El Francés was one of the highlights of our time in Tarifa. Yes, we had to wait a little to get a table (they don’t take reservations and there’s no phone or website), but trust me it’s 100% worth it. Everything we ordered was delicious, but the chicken couscous absolutely blew us away. Perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and totally unexpected from a tapas bar. Every dish was spot on. The vibe is relaxed, the staff is friendly and efficient, and the prices are more than fair for the quality. This place is a gem and we’ll definitely be back.

A wonderful spot with live music that creates a great atmosphere. The staff are extremely friendly and always happy to recommend what to drink. The food is absolutely first-class — everything we tried was delicious and beautifully presented. Highly recommended for a relaxing evening out.

They were very nice and let me sit at the bar since I was by myself. I ordered the tuna meatballs (20/10), tuna montadito (ahumado) (15/10) and the chocolate mousse (6/10). I’ll be back for the eggplant with tomato and cheese which looked amazing. Everyone was very nice even though the restaurant was packed and they were very busy but it took them a while to bring the check and take my order even though I was at the bar. The music was great and the service had a really friendly and welcoming vibe. Would definitely recommend and I’ll be back.

I loved the waiters here as they're fun and sassy, and it's different from other formal places. I knocked my glass of wine off the table and the waitress immediately told me no worries. She gave me another glass while she cleaned up. How nice was that! Food was good too and we enjoyed sharing them. It's a great night!

If you are in Tarifa, there is no way you can miss this restaurant. Everything was amazing but if you want to taste something heavenly try the meat balls and the goat cheese mushrooms. We simply loved it and it worthed the wait.

One of our favorite restaurants of the vacation. The octopus, meatballs, mushrooms, and prawn salad were all delicious. Excellent service, beautiful setting, and a prime location.

Everything is fantastic here. Food is so delicious and the prices are very reasonable. The service is so perfect and the personal is extremely kind. Very recommended

If you are looking for subpar service and mediocre food, this is the place to go. Our group of eight experienced numerous issues, including missing orders and poor service. Not quite sure what the fuss is with this restaurant but I'm assuming because every other restaurant is closed during the fiesta and they're the only ones open, hence the reason everybody floods this location. Do not go if you want to have a good time!!!

We visited this place twice during our stay in Tarifa. Although the service was slow (even by Spanish standards), the food was fantastic. It is beautifully plated and delicious. We had the mushrooms and the tuna meatballs. The wine is good and we enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching the restaurant in action.

Packed bar with all of the french speakers in Tarifa. There's an option for bar seating and outdoor seating, but you can only do tapas at the bar, which is what we opted for. We managed to eventually find a corner and then started picking out tapas. The staff was friendly and because all of the tapas on display, it's pretty easy to just point at what you want, but be careful not to hit someone eating in front of the display (itty bitty eating space). You can go up multiple times and it doesn't matter who helps you: they're pretty good at keeping track of what everyone ordered. The food itself was fine, but not memorable, maybe french tapas just aren't our thing. The entrees looked good so maybe that's what we'll have to do if we return to Tarifa. However, the prices are good and you get something different and lighter than typical Spanish fare. Also, nice wine selection and if you like tuna, there are a lot of tuna options.

The only reason this place gets four stars and not five is the amount of time we had to wait (even by Spanish standards), both to place our order, and to receive our food. That said, the food was absolutely incredible! We had the mushrooms with baked cheese, the patatas bravas, and the couscous with vegetables. Each of them was simply delicious, and (almost) made the long wait worth it.

If you are in Tarifa, you have to check this place out. Food and staff are very good. It seems I am not the only one discovered this gem in Tarifa. The place is always crowded. Try to sit at the bar in front of the displayed deliciousness. Drinks were also good. Don't let the crowd intimidate you. Everyone is very friendly. Tuna, chicken and anything with eggplants are must try. Que Aproveché!!!

Amazing place with amazing food. Had some of the best calamares and some amazing chicken with lemon and also with champignons. Definitely a must when in tarifa!!