Torrevieja eats well for a town of its size. The cooking is rooted in the rice and seafood traditions of the Valencian coast — arroz a banda (rice cooked in fish broth, served separately from the fish) is the dish to order, and you will find it done properly in the restaurants that line the paseo marítimo and the side streets leading off it. The town's salt-producing history also shapes the food: locally salted fish, salt-cured products, and the quality of the catch landed daily at the small port give the cooking a character that goes beyond generic beach-resort fare.
The densest concentration of restaurants is along Avenida Pdte. Adolfo Suárez and the streets behind the seafront, with a second cluster around the Mercado Central. Prices are reasonable by Spanish coastal standards — this is a working town with a large year-round population rather than a pure tourist resort, and that tends to keep kitchens honest. Booking is worthwhile in July and August, when the summer population swells considerably.