Gastronomy · Metropolitana de Almería

Venta del Pobre

Roadside venta on the old drove road at the entrance to Cabo de Gata, built in 1853 and run by the Vergel family since 1915, serving Almería stews and grills.

About Venta del Pobre

According to the family, Tío Frasquito el Pobre built the first venta in 1853 beside an old cañada (drove road) linking the Levante almeriense with the capital; the hamlet of Venta del Pobre in Níjar takes its name from it. In 1915 José Vergel Torrecillas bought the inn and passed it to his brother Luis, great-grandfather of the present owners, who with his wife Josefa Cortés added rooms and remodelled the dining room and bar. Carters taking vegetables from Huércal-Overa and Vera to the Almería market stopped here, and today it is a hotel, bar and restaurant beside the A-7, still run by the family.

The bar serves home-style dishes from breakfast to dinner: traditional guisos (stews), ham, vegetable plates, salads and meat from the grill. The Origen restaurant uses produce from the Níjar area, with dishes such as red mullet, octopus cooked at low temperature, bluefin tuna parpatana, merluza al pincho and grilled lamb chops, and a wine cellar.

The bar is open every day 07:00–23:00, and the restaurant every day 13:00–16:00, with a weekday menú del día in the bar. Expect about €12–18 for the set menu and €30–45 per person in the restaurant (2026). There is a large free car park, used by lorries as well as cars. Booking is advised for the restaurant.

Lunch from 14:00 is the main service; breakfast is busy with drivers. It is a natural stop on the way to Agua Amarga or Carboneras. Tip: ask for the guiso of the day.

Venta del Pobre in pictures

Bright dining room with wooden tables and patterned floor tiles at Venta del Pobre, Níjar

Entrance with palms to the hotel and venta at Venta del Pobre, Níjar

What you’ll find

Car parkParkingFree
Ham and charcuterieHam and cured meatsBuy
RacionesSharing plates (€10–€20, 07:00–23:00)Buy
ReservationsTable bookingBook
Restaurant diningSit-down meal (€15–€30, 13:00–16:00)Buy
Set menuMenú del díaBuy
Sherry and wineWines by the glassBuy
Signature dishHouse specialityBuy
Standing barBar counterFree

Nearby places to visit

Venta del Pobre stands at exit 735 of the A-7, at the northern gateway to the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. The gypsum caves of the Cuevas de Sorbas (12 km) and the white village of Sorbas (13 km), above its river gorge, lie to the north. To the south-west, Níjar (13 km) is known for pottery and jarapa rugs, and the Memory of Water Museum (13 km) explains the area's old wells and waterwheels. The beaches of Carboneras, such as Playa El Corral (15 km), are a short drive east. In the city, Casa Puga (39 km) is the classic tapas stop.