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I’ve made this restaurant selection taking into account the places where the best quality is offered and where you can enjoy the most typical delicacies, dishes made with local products or the Spanish avant-garde cuisine. Besides, only malagueños frequent them, so keep the secret.

El Refectorium

Set right next to Plaza de Toros de la Malagueta (the bullring), it’s a fantastic place to eat properly and blend in with the locals. They offer simple but perfectly cooked dishes, full of flavor. In addition, you can savor either meats or fish as every single course is well-executed. Anything you order will be an excellent choice. Ideally, you go for tapas, you order tapas and/or dishes and you share. I recommend their ensaladilla rusa, croquettes, Iberian ham, quisquillas (a kind of shrimp), flamenquín (a breaded pork roll filled with Spanish cured ham and cheese), coquinas (a kind of clam) or their ligerita de solomillo con seta (a little bread roll with pork loin and mushroom). To be honest with you, I could name the whole menu because everything is delicious.

Due to its location, every time that there is a bullfight, it’s full, so I advise you booking in advance, if that is the case.

El Refectorium is at Calle Cervantes, 8.

Chiringuito Gutiérrez Playa

This is the best chiringuito in the city, because it offers the best quality and taste at the best price. It can be found at Paseo Marítimo Antonio Banderas, close to La Tabacalera. In a few places you will be able to eat as well with your fabric tablecloth by the sea. It offers a wide variety of fish and shellfish expressly bought with care by his owner, Pedro Gutiérrez. I suggest ordering espetos, a dish conceived by Miguel Martínez Soler at the end of the 19th century, which celebrities like King Alfonso XII of Spain or Anita Delgado, Maharani of Kapurtala, made popular when they tried them from its inventor. These sardines skewered in sugar canes and browned with hot coal on a rowboat are one of the  most iconic dishes in Costa del Sol and it’s said that they have to be eaten during those months that don’t have an “r”, that is to say from May to August, unlike shellfish, which is said to be better from September to April. Use the occasion to order “pescaito frito” (deep fried small fish) such as boquerones victorianos (anchovies), red mullets, squids, octopus or some mollusk like clams, mussels or coquinas. Finally, don’t leave without trying either a fish baked in salt or a lobster or Scarlet shrimp paella, simply superb.

Chiringuito Gutierrez Playa can be found Paseo Marítimo Antonio Banderas, 6.

A local’s tip is avoiding requesting the menu at any chiringuito, a mistake made by every foreigner, so what you have to do is requesting the waiter to tell you what they have (this is called, cantar, to sing in Spanish), which will always be the best and the freshest. Therefore, if you go to any place that is not listed here and you request the waiter to tell you what they have, pay attention to the tone he uses, because if he says everything at a clip is a good sign, however if he makes a pause and begins recommending you more thorough courses that aren’t typically “pescaito”, they’re going to try to sell you something more expensive or something they need to sell now because it’s about to expire.

El Navío

If what matters to you is eating good fish, you’ll have a wonderful seafood cuisine at Restaurante El Navío, although they also offer very thoroughly-cooked meats. The only disadvantage is that is away from the sea, but its décor will make you feel like you are in a ship. Enjoy their fabulous boquerones en vinagre (anchovies marinated in vinegar), croquettes, “tigres” (a mussel croquette served in its own shell), bolos (venus clams), conchas finas (smooth clams), battered shrimps, boquerones a la espalda  (fried marinated anchovies), grilled baby squids, rosada frita “Navío” (home-style fried cusk), stuffed squid or their carne a la brava (marinated grilled meat). Everything, without exception, is spectacular. So whatever you order, you will have an unequalled experience, and don’t forget telling the waiter to “sing” what they have.

El Navío is located at Calle Ingeniero de la Torre Acosta, 7.

Restaurante Juanito Juan

Don’t judge a book by its cover, even though it’s on the side of the road and it’s a not very charming place, the food they serve is way over all that. They’re the heirs of the cooking of the legendary La Alegría restaurant, frequented by the elite of Malaga in the middle and end of the last century, which was popular by the quality of their dishes, their service and cordiality; as well as for being the creator of the sopa Viña AB (a soup made with Viña AB sherry). Their culinary lineage goes beyond because they’re the descendants of Casa Pedro, another famous restaurant that disappeared, created by Miguel Martínez Soler’s nephew, the inventor of espetos. Here you can savor the tastes from back then, the most traditional ones, since they replicate that homemade and exquisite food. I suggest trying their ensaladilla rusa, croquettes, rape a la marinera (home-style monkfish), sopa Viña AB, any fried “pescaito” or seafood. Finally, be sure to save some room for dessert, their soufflé which is something very special. Anything you order will be yummy.

Restaurante Juanito Juan is at Avenida Salvador Allende, 26.

Restaurante El Palmeral

With an unbeatable location, in the center of the city and facing the sea, this restaurant is full of elegance and romance. It’s surrounded by plate glass windows that let you enjoy the panoramic view of Malaga harbor and the park. Besides, the service is very attentive and friendly. Their menu offers both typical local bites and fusion ones. Personally, I prefer the latter, however, you can’t leave without trying their ajoblanco, porra antequerana, ensaladilla rusa or their tuna tartare with green apple; and if it’s possible, as it is a course that is beyond their menu, request their bacalao tricolor, one of their chef’s creation that will surprise you for the combination of flavors and different textures.

Restaurante El Palmeral is located at Puerto de Málaga, Muelle 2 El Palmeral de las Sorpresas.

La Sole del Pimpi

Next to El Pimpi, at the historic center, is set this restaurant with elegant and modern design that will surprise you for the combination of flavors. They offer outstanding traditional dishes like their Spanish omelet or salmorejo, but their also make Asian food creations with products from the region that will fascinate you, like their Axarquía cruda or nigiri ibérico. Everything will be proper and very well-presented. I recommend their ensalada malagueña (a cold salad with potatoes, oranges and cod), grandma’s croquettes, fried eggplants with cane syrup, campero Pimpi (the Malagueño sandwich par excellence with lettuce, ham and mayo to which another post must be dedicated), acorn-fed Iberia pork loin, oxtail, huevos rotos con asadillo de pimientos y chanquetes (huevos rotos are a way of cooking eggs that are fried in olive oil and then cut and mixed with fries and in this occasion they come with grilled red peppers and fried transparent gobies) and any sushi or fusion course.  This is “malagueña salerosa” food, because it’s from Malaga and jaunty.

This place is ideal for having dinner during the weekend, so if that is your case, as it’s very popular among locals, don’t forget to book in advance.

You’ll find La Sole del Pimpi at Calle Zegrí, 4.

KGB

This is one of my favorite restaurants par excellence. Besides having a up-to-date look and a casual atmosphere, you get Michelin-starred restaurant cuisine at a ridiculously cheap price. This is the best representation of the Spanish cooking that is so worldwide trendy and that creates trends. You can have tapas at their bar or have a seat in one of their tables. I prefer the first choice, but that will depend on what you wan to do. There’s nothing I can tell you that you shouldn’t try, in the end all will depend on how bold you are ordering. In my case, I don’t discard anything. I suggest you trying the following: calamares japo, ajoblanco de coco (coconut ajoblanco), hamburguesa de nécora (a soft-shell crab burger), cochinita pibil tacos or their Margarita chicken. If I could, every time I go, I would order the whole menu, because EVERYTHING, and when I say EVERYTHING I mean EVERYTHING is, as we say here, “de morir por Dios y por la Patria” (is to die for).

KGB is at Calle Fresca, 12

Wendy Gamba

Wendy Gamba is KGB’s little brother, a very pleasant place with typical Spanish décor where you can taste traditional bites as well as others made with shrimps. One of their advantages is that they offer delicious food in the city center at affordable prices, so it’s a sure thing if you have a tight budget. My recommendations are el goloso pincho de Wendy (a toast with jumbo shrimp and a yummy green sauce), salmorejo, patatas bravas, ensaladilla de gambas (a shrimp and potato salad), huevos rotos, oxtail mini burger and pil pil shrimp croquettes; simply spectacular.

 

Wendy Gamba is located at Calle Fresca, 10.

Asako

I conclude with this Japanese restaurant of Mediterranian-Asian fusion cuisine in the historic center. It’s something different, it’s not the most typical Spanish restaurant at all, but they do offer very good quality ingredients. If you feel like ordering something traditional from Japan, go ahead; however, I propose that you take a step forward and that you dare trying the novelties for your palate. Always keep in mid the waiters’ recommendations because you can find out fascinating dishes beyond their menu. I love their flambé creations or any course including truffle, so, start with a Japanese beer, if you wish, and continue with some sake to pair the feast you’re going to have. You have o try their flambé ox sirloin nigiri, Asako nigiri, gunkan hotategai, uramaki brown sugar flambé and their chicken gyozas and boletus with white truffle aroma.

Asako is at Calle Carretería, 96

From my point of view, these are the most remarkable restaurants in Malaga due to the quality of their cooking and the flavor of their courses. Either because you go to one of the restaurants of this list or because you go to all of them, you’ll know you’re making the right decision. What do you think?