Restaurant Mesón El Granaino

El Granaíno is an Elche institution, a family tavern that started life as a simple bar in 1964 and is still run by the same family, now on its third generation. It's on Carrer Josep Maria Buck, and it's where locals take visitors for a long, proper lunch. The cooking mixes Levante and Andalusian traditions. There's a busy bar for tapas and quick lunches, then a dining room, private rooms and a terrace for the bigger stuff: seafood, stews, rice dishes and the olla granaína, a Granada-style stew that's been a favourite for years. Arroz con costra, Elche's egg-crusted baked rice, gets recommended too. The wine list is long. It isn't cheap, with guides putting a full meal at roughly 45 to 60 euros a head. It's nearly always full, so book ahead. The website lists it open Tuesday to Saturday, and a few reviews mention service slipping when it's packed.