La Fontanilla is one of the most established fish restaurants on the Conil seafront, with a terrace above the northern end of Playa de los Bateles. The kitchen focuses on the straightforward grilled and fried fish that the Costa de la Luz does well: dorada a la sal (whole sea bream baked in a salt crust), tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters), and in season the atún encebollado that is the local benchmark dish. The ingredients are fresh and the preparation is not elaborate.
The terrace tables looking over the beach get booked well ahead in July and August. In shoulder season — May, June, September, October — the restaurant is busy but accessible without advance planning. Prices are moderate for the quality; this is not a cheap chiringuito but it is not charging tourist-trap prices either. The wine list is predominantly Andalucian, with a sensible selection of Manzanilla and Fino sherries from Jerez that go well with the fish.