Where to eat in Malaga

Ten tried-and-tested places to eat in Málaga, with its actual valuation, the closing price and the notice required for each one.

And first of all: what to order, because here the menu features specific names.

🐟 What to order

Sardine skewers It’s the local speciality: sardines threaded onto a stick and grilled over wood embers in the sand. They’re eaten with your hands and fresh from the oven, because once they’ve gone cold, they’re no good. Season: spring to autumn, and it is in the months without an «r» that sardines are at their fattest.

Malaga-style fried food: anchovies, squid, baby squid, red mullet and red seabream, battered and deep-fried. Ordered as a mixed platter to share.

And from the vegetable garden, two that are easy to confuse:

• The Antequera cheerleading squad It’s not gazpacho: it’s thicker, it is served with egg and ham and is almost eaten with a spoon.
• The Málaga salad takes boiled potato, cod, orange, spring onion and olives. The orange is a surprise, and that’s what makes it special.

Full details at typical dishes from Malaga.

🍷 The two classics you simply must visit

Former Guard House

18 Alameda Principal. Founded in 1840. It is the oldest tavern in Málaga and has 4.6 out of nearly 11,000 reviews, which is an absolute fortune for a place like that.

Three things to know before you go in:

• It is drunk standing up. There are no tables or chairs – just a bar and some barrels.
• The score is marked with chalk on the wooden bar, right in front of you. It’s still done that way.
• Go and get the wine, not the food. There’s a bit of a cover, but that’s not the reason.

What to order on tap: on Little Bird, semi-sweet, or vermouth. It’s the cheapest in the city centre and on Sundays it closes at 3.30 pm.

El Pimpi Winery

62 Granada Street. The most famous in Málaga: 20,000 reviews and a 4.1 rating. Open every day from 12:00 to midnight.

Useful information: It’s huge and a maze, with a series of interconnected rooms and courtyards, and at midday it’s full of people taking photos. If you want to enjoy a leisurely lunch, head for the rooms at the back.

What really works according to those who have eaten there: the omelettethe Malaga salad, the flamenquín, the octopus and summer red wine.

There’s not much for vegetarians: just a couple of options, and they’re not great.

🔥 Espetos: the El Tintero system

El Tintero Restaurant

340 Salvador Allende Avenue, in El Palo. 4.2 out of over 22,000 reviews, the highest volume in the city.

And it works in a way that you need to understand before you get there:

1. There is no menu. None.
2. The waiters walk between the tables, calling out the dishes and you just pick the one you want as you walk past.
3. The bill is calculated at the end by counting the dishes that you have on the table.

Two tips from someone who’s been there: arrive early to book a table, and Say out loud if there’s anything you don’t want Make sure they let you go first, because if he stays, he’ll charge you.

Open every day from 12.30 pm to 11.30 pm. It’s the ultimate Málaga experience, and the fish goes straight from the grill to the table.

La Farola Beach Bar

Matías Prats Promenade. Let’s be honest here: it gets a 3.5, the lowest rating on this list.

The good bits: The fish is grilled right next door; it’s right by the beach, and a bottle of wine costs around €3.50.

What you need to know:

• It closes at 6.00 pm every day: We don’t have dinner here.
• The toilets are public and are outside, with a tail. That’s the most common complaint.
• The service is irregular.

If you’re looking for skewered meat in the area, the picnic areas at Pedregalejo y El Palo offer greater assurance.

⭐ Signature cuisine

José Carlos García

Muelle Uno, Plaza de la Capilla, 1. One Michelin star and two Repsol Sunswith 4.3 out of 721 reviews.

Bear two things in mind:

• It’s in the harbour, not in the city centre.
• It is closed on Mondays and Sundays.

It’s a tasting menu and the most expensive in the city. They can adapt the menu to accommodate allergies if notified in advance. Book well in advance.

The Cosmopolitan

3 José Denis Belgrano Street. It is from Dani Carnero, one of the leading figures in Málaga’s culinary scene. 4.4 out of 2,300 reviews.

His thing is reinterpreting the classic dish: the tripe, the tuna muffinthe Iberian quill, fried sardines. A meal for two, around €80.

It has a terrace overlooking the street and is quite small: book in advance.

My Wine

2 Jerónimo Cuervo Square. 4.5 out of nearly 2,000 reviews, and here’s the fact that hardly anyone mentions:

It features a live flamenco show, and that’s what comes across in all the reviews. It’s not a restaurant with background music: It’s a dinner and a show.

It is open from 1.00 pm to 1.00 am and is closed on Mondays. If you’re looking for flamenco without having to pay for a separate tablao, this is the way to go.

🌍 And if you’ve already tried the local fare

Sushita Chinitas

4 Moreno Monroy Street. 4.7 out of 467 reviews: the highest rating on this entire list. Sushi, ramen and duck spring rolls.

Notice: There is a time limit at the table – about an hour and a half. You’re going for dinner, not to hang about.

Trattoria Portofino

Plaza del Carbón, 3. 4,5, serving pasta and pizza, and with a selection of genuine Italian wines – something you don’t often find in Málaga.

Important note: «trattoria» is a type of restaurant, not a specific name. If you search for «Trattoria» on its own, you won’t find anything. Other Italian restaurants with very high ratings: La Ristobottega y Osteria Angelino, both above 4.6.

Al-Yamal

7 Blasco de Garay Street. Moroccan, 4.5 out of 973 reviews and among the cheapest on the list. Tajine, couscous, vegetable stew, baba ganoush and tea with mint and orange blossom.

Two notices: closed on Mondays and Sundays, y The tables are narrow and reserved for two people. It’s awkward with children or in a group.

📍 By area, in a minute

Area	What's up?	When
Historic centre	The highest concentration of bars and terraces	Between visits
Shipyards	Enjoy fresh tapas at the market itself	At midday only
Soho	Gastro-bars and modern cuisine	Dinner
El Palo and Pedregalejo	Skewers and fish on the beach	Food
"Muelle Uno"	Fine dining and harbour terraces	Dinner

The trick in the centre: Step aside one or two streets in Larios and Plaza de la Constitución. Same product, half the queue and a better price.

🍇 What to serve with it

The wines from here are sweet and fortified, by Muscat y Pedro Ximénez, and are taken out of the casks in the historic cellars.

They go together better than you might think with cold meats and fried food. And if you’re not into sweet things, order dry o Little Bird, which is semi-sweet. More at traditional wines from Málaga.

⏰ Timetables that are confusing

• Lunch: 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm. Before 1.30 pm, many kitchens are closed.
• Dinner: from 9.00 pm. At 8.00 pm, you’ll be on your own.
• Tuesday and Wednesday These are the days when there are fewer people at the popular attractions.
• Beach bars usually close in the afternoon, not at night.

Leaving the city

We are a local tour operator based in Málaga with over 50 years’ experience organising trips around Andalusia. The province is also being eaten away:

Ronda for wine and mountain cuisine; Nerja and Frigiliana for fish in the Axarquía. The two of us had time to enjoy a leisurely lunch.

And to make sure the stops fit in with the visit: what to see in Malaga.

Frequently asked questions

How does El Tintero work?

There’s no menu: the waiters go round the tables calling out the dishes, and diners pick the ones they fancy as they pass. The bill is calculated at the end by counting the dishes left on the table, so it’s best to say out loud if there’s anything you don’t want them to leave on the table. It’s in El Palo and is open every day from 12.30 pm to 11.30 pm; it’s best to arrive early to get a table.

Which restaurant in Málaga city has a Michelin star?

José Carlos García, at Muelle Uno, has one Michelin star and two Repsol Suns. It offers a tasting menu and is the most expensive restaurant in the city. It is closed on Mondays and Sundays, and is located in the harbour, not in the city centre – something to bear in mind when planning your visit.

Where can you enjoy flamenco and dinner in Málaga?

At Vino Mío, in Plaza de Jerónimo Cuervo, which offers live flamenco performances throughout the day. This is the feature that most reviews highlight, even more so than the menu itself. It is open from 13:00 to 01:00 and is closed on Mondays.

Which is the oldest tavern in Málaga?

The Antigua Casa de Guardia, on the Alameda Principal, was founded in 1840. You drink standing up, with no tables, and the bill is still written in chalk on the wooden bar. It’s best to go for the wine on tap – particularly the Pajarete – rather than for the food. It closes at 3.30 pm on Sundays.

What time do people have lunch and dinner in Málaga?

Lunch is served between 2.00 pm and 3.30 pm, and dinner from 9.00 pm onwards. Outside these times, many restaurants are closed. Beach bars are the opposite exception: many close in the afternoon and do not serve dinner.

What is the difference between porra antequerana and gazpacho?

Porra is noticeably thicker and is usually served with a boiled egg and ham on top, so that it is almost eaten with a spoon. Gazpacho is more liquid and is drunk. Both are cold soups made from tomatoes and bread, but porra is a dish from the Antequera region.