Malaga

9 real restaurants, cafés, bars, markets and food experiences, from inexpensive to special occasion.

9 places to eat and drink in Malaga

A selection of tapas (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

El Pimpi

Restaurant · Centro

££ Mid-range

A large, historic bodega near the Roman Theatre, decorated with barrels signed by celebrities and known for sweet Málaga wine.

Known for: Málaga sweet wine, tapas, fried fish

About £14–30 per person

Local favourite Good for Families · Groups

A seafood dish (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

Antigua Casa de Guardia

Bar · Centro

£ Inexpensive

Málaga’s oldest wine bar, open since 1840, where sweet wines are poured straight from barrels and the bill is chalked on the bar.

Known for: Sweet Málaga wine, cured fish

Under about £14 per person

Local favourite Good for Groups · Couples

A selection of tapas (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

Casa Lola

Restaurant · Centro

££ Mid-range

A busy tapas bar on Calle Granada that is always full of locals, with a rotating list of traditional plates.

Known for: Tapas, fried fish, croquettes

About £14–30 per person

Local favourite Good for Families · Groups

Churros with hot chocolate (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

Casa Aranda

Bakery · Centro

£ Inexpensive

A churrería that has been serving hot chocolate and long, thin churros since 1932.

Known for: Churros and thick hot chocolate

Under about £14 per person

Local favourite Good for Couples · Families

A seafood dish (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

El Tintero

Restaurant · El Palo

££ Mid-range

A beachfront restaurant where waiters shout the names of dishes as they carry them around the tables; you pick what you like and pay at the end.

Known for: Fried fish, seafood, grilled sardines

About £14–30 per person

Local favourite Good for Families · Groups

Afternoon tea with scones (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

Café Central

Café · Plaza de la Constitución

£ Inexpensive

A traditional café on the main square, famous for its unique coffee-naming system (“sombra”, “nube” and so on).

Known for: Málaga-style coffee, breakfast

Under about £14 per person

Good for Couples · Families

A selection of tapas (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

La Tranca

Restaurant · Centro

£ Inexpensive

A rustic, cheap bar near the river with barrels for tables and a friendly local crowd.

Known for: Tapas, beer, house wine

Under about £14 per person

Local favourite Good for Families · Groups

A plated fine-dining dish (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

Restaurante José Carlos García

Restaurant · Port

££££ Special occasion

A Michelin-starred restaurant at Muelle Uno with tasting menus that mix Andalusian ingredients and modern technique.

Known for: Tasting menu

£50+ per person

Special occasion Good for Couples · Groups

A selection of tapas (illustrative photo)
Illustrative photo

Mercado de Atarazanas Tapas Counters

Market · Centro

£ Inexpensive

Small bars around the edges of the old market serve seafood and tapas to locals doing their shopping.

Known for: Fresh seafood, tapas

Under about £14 per person

Local favourite Good for Families · Groups

£ to ££££ is an approximate guide to price level and the per-person range is an estimate, not live pricing. “Good for” is a rule of thumb. Opening times and menus change: check with the venue before you go.

Local dishes to try in Malaga 3
  • Espetos

    Sardines grilled on a skewer over a beach fire

  • Ajoblanco

    Chilled almond-and-garlic soup, the local cousin of gazpacho

  • Málaga sweet wine

    Best sipped in an old-style bodega near the market

Food markets & tastings in Things to Do 3