We're a pizzeria and a bar
Peppe started with the wood-fired oven, and half the people who come up to the roof at nine aren't here for dinner. They're here to sit with a spritz while the sky turns orange over the Sierra Almijara. The sign says «Pizza & Bar Italiana», so this is the other half of it.
The full bar list comes up to the terrace Tuesday to Sunday, 8pm to 1am. The kitchen closes at 11.30pm and the drinks carry on until one.
What to order, and when
In August the sun goes down over Nerja around 9.15pm. Come up at half eight and you've time to order, settle in and watch the light change without rushing.
- Before sunset: an Aperol Spritz or the Peach one, made with fresh peach. Both go down easily in the afternoon heat and won't ruin your appetite.
- With the pizza in front of you: Negroni Sbagliato. Prosecco instead of gin, so it sits alongside the food rather than over it.
- After dinner: Espresso Martini made with our own espresso, or a Negroni Classic if you want it bitter.
- To keep the night going: Pornstar Martini, which comes with its prosecco shot on the side, or a Long Island Iced Tea.
- With kids at the table: both mocktails arrive in a proper cocktail glass, looking like everyone else's.
The list, drink by drink
Spritz€10 and €11
Six of them. The classic Aperol with prosecco and soda, the Campari, which mixes Campari and Aperol and lands more bitter, and the Peach, made with fresh peach, all three at €10. For €11 you get the Hugo, with St-Germain elderflower and cava, the floral one; the Limoncello, sweet and very southern Italian; and the Sarti, a near-fluorescent red that gets noticed two tables away.
Negroni€11 and €12
The Classic comes with Tanqueray gin, Campari and vermouth in the usual measures, at €11. The Sbagliato swaps the gin for prosecco and costs €12. It came out of a mistake behind a Milan bar and stayed on the menus. Lower in strength, higher in fizz.
The €10 oneseasy drinking
Mojito with Habanero rum, mint syrup, lemon, brown sugar and soda. Piña Colada with coconut milk, pineapple juice, lemon and sugar. And the Burriana Beach, which gets its own section below.
The €12 onesproper bar work
Espresso Martini with vodka, coffee liqueur and a shot pulled to order. Pornstar Martini with passion fruit, vanilla syrup and lime, served with its prosecco shot on the side. Margarita with tequila, lime and triple sec. Paloma with grapefruit and agave syrup, the most refreshing on the list. Tequila Sunrise, Caipirinha and Strawberry Daiquiri with strawberry liqueur. Moscow Mule with ginger beer. Both sours, Amaretto and New York, use egg white, and the New York finishes with a float of red wine on top. Then the Long Island Iced Tea, five spirits and a splash of cola, for when the night means it.
Burriana Beach€10 · the house one
Vodka, peach liqueur, orange juice and cranberry. We named it after the beach ten minutes' walk away, and it's the one the bar gets asked to explain most. Pink, fruity, no alcohol burn.
Alcohol-free€9 each
San Francisco: pineapple, peach and orange juice with grenadine. Flamingo: cranberry, pineapple, fresh lemon and Sprite. They come in the same glassware as everything else, because nobody wants to be left holding a soft drink while the table toasts.
Sangria for the table€20 and €25
The classic is red wine with fresh fruit, orange, a touch of brandy and soda. The frizzante swaps the red for cava and drinks lighter. Both arrive in a jug, so they make sense from three people up.
Finding us, and when to come
We're at Calle Almirante Ferrándiz 32, a two minute walk from the Balcón de Europa. Coming up for a drink only? The bar upstairs needs no booking. For a table with a view Thursday to Sunday in summer, ring in the morning and we'll hold one.
Want to compare before you choose? We wrote a guide to the seven rooftops in Nerja with the good and the bad of each, ours included.