If you ask anyone who’s been to Malaga what the best restaurants in Malaga are, they’ll probably just shrug. It’s not as if this city is lacking in restaurants. In fact, there are so many that it can be a bit overwhelming. But which ones are worth visiting? Which ones should be avoided? Where can you find the best restaurants in Malaga? The good news is that we know!
If you want to dine at the finest restaurants in Malaga, this is the right place to discover them.
It is said that, once upon a time, Malaga had more bars per capita than anywhere else in Europe. Whether or not that’s true, it’s definitely true that scruffy, spit-and-sawdust local pubs outnumbered decent restaurants and tapas bars in the city until relatively recently.
A city of Malaga’s size has no excuse for having so many great places to eat. From gastro markets in the Old Town centre to sophisticated beach-side terraces and full to bursting gourmet tapas bars down narrow alleyways, things have changed a lot.
There is no better way to immerse yourself in the local cuisine and libations scene in a city than by visiting Malaga, Spain. Here are some of the our favourite Malaga eateries to get you started.
The finest in gourmet dining.
J. C. (Jose Carlos) Garcia
The only Michelin-rated establishment in Malaga is situated at the port, near the lighthouse at Muelle Uno. Jose Carlos Garcia, one of the city’s most prominent chefs, operates his culinary base here. You may dine in this pleasant, open-air dining room, which extends onto the terrace when the sun is out, with the chef himself in the kitchen.
We really like the dining room at this restaurant. It’s an ugly concrete box, but it’s softened by comfortable furniture such as grey Eames chairs and thick fuzzy rugs. The finest cuisine in the city is served with beautiful dishes coming to your table one after the other.
Puerto de Malaga, Plaza de la Capilla, 1, Malaga 29016. Phone: 952 00 35 88. please visit Restaurantejcg.com.
Kaleja
The restaurant has been on the fine dining scene in Malaga since 2019. Dani Carnero headed up the kitchens at La Cosmopolita and the newer La Cosmo restaurants. He desires to bring traditional Spanish flavours to life by honouring cuisine from the villages, adding his own touch and receiving awards on all sides.
C. Marquesa de Moya, 9, Málaga, 29015. Telephone: 952 60 00 00. Restaurantekaleja.com
Those who love art should visit now.
Restaurante Óleo
The Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) next door provides a wonderful flow of talented creativity, which is why Óleo Restaurante’s menu offers an exciting experience for the taste buds. Situated on the river bank in an informal yet stylish venue, Óleo is a perfect place for an after-work G&T. The venue always offers a wonderful dining experience.
The nouvelle cuisine element is combined with Mediterranean flavours in the cooking of Sergio del Rio. The classic patatas bravas, for example, are enhanced with a spicy foam, and the popular red tuna is combined with half-dried tomatoes from nearby Alora
In Malaga, at Calle Alemania s/n, you’ll find Edificio CAC. You can reach Oleorestaurante.es via phone at 952 21 90 62.
The best place to have a post-shopping lunch is _______.
A restaurant named La Deriva.
La Deriva, located near the river in the Soho area provides everything you need for a pleasant meal in addition to pleasant service and ambience. After a morning of shopping with friends, stop by for a quick bite to eat at Calle Larios.
The food is excellent across the board, but there are a few outstanding items, such as succulently tender grilled octopus, oysters, and saffron risotto with jamón and sundried tomatoes. A superior cheese board and a wide selection of Vermouths should also not be missed.
Malaga, Alameda Colon 7, 29001. Telephone: 951 28 69 21.
Great for traditional tapas.
Best for Tapas
Uvedoble
Uvedoble restaurant is conveniently located between the Alcazaba and the Cathedral, making it a great place to eat lunch after a day of sightseeing. This unpretentious establishment has a bar, a dining room, and a terrace. While the environment isn’t anything to write home about, you’re here to eat local Spanish cuisine and wine, not admire the decor.
The Axarquia ceviche made with swordfish is melt-in-your-mouth delicious; sauteed artichokes with cuttlefish from Malaga is a favourite; the giant meatball with almond sauce is a crowd-pleaser; and cannelloni stuffed with kid is enjoyable with Ribera del Duero wine. Uvedoble serves local Malaga cuisine prepared with flair and emphasising farm-to-fork ingredients that you will have difficulty beating.
Uvedobletaberna.com’s address is C/ Alcazabilla, 1, 29015 Málaga. You can contact them on 951 24 84 78.
Vino Mio
It’s great to dine at this restaurant if you’re dining with a particularly rambunctious brood: you can sit back and enjoy a chilled glass of wine while they run themselves ragged right across the street at the Teatro Cervantes.
The food at this restaurant spans the globe, so the menu is diverse and more likely to please foreign, non-Spanish palates. Remember that their delectable double chocolate Guinness cake is wonderful, but you should leave room for it. Check out the website for more information about the flamenco performances, which are scheduled for 8pm each evening.
Malaga, 29012. Phone: 952 60 90 93. Restaurantevinomio.es is located at Plaza de Jeronimo Cuervo, 2.
Best for sharing or pairing up.
Alexso
Even though Alexso is slightly off the beaten track, it has quickly become well known on the Malaga foodie scene.
José Antonio Moyano, Chef at El Pilar de la Horca, takes local recipes, gives them a new look, and then tosses in some surprises for good measure. That invisible fried egg tastes like the real thing. Who would have thought of putting Malaga salchichón (cold sausage) in an éclair? It’s a great idea, and it tastes great.
We always appreciate Alexso’s capability to pair foods and wines as a result of its dishes being suitable for sharing. In addition to this, the servers are always pleased to suggest the right wine for your meal.
The restaurant offers two tasting menus: Alexso Route (seven dishes in about an hour and a half) and Cooking Up Sensations (10 dishes in over two hours).
Alexso makes sure children are comfortable by providing colouring books and pens, as well as friendly waiters.
Malaga, Calle Mariblanca 10. Tel: 951 91 35 85. alexso.restaurante.es.
A quick bite is best done informally.
Colmado 93
Colmado 93 is a superb place to dine if you want to sample traditional tapas. You can order a vermut and a variety of tapas from the special menu, or a vermut and a beer, in a noisy, popular tapas bar where people spill out onto the street and it’s so cramped you can’t even take off your jacket (thankfully you’re in Malaga and jackets aren’t necessary). It’s excellent! Colmado 93 serves traditional fare such as cold meats, croquettes, ceviche, albondigas, and other favourites.
Málaga, C/ Carretería, 29008. Tel: 615 02 96 69.
Best choice for vegans and vegetarians.
La Sociedad Herbívora
Restaurants in Spain have been working hard lately to accommodate all kinds of consumers, but vegans often have a difficult time. In Malaga, La Sociedad Herbívora comes to the rescue. It serves exclusively vegan food, and other dietary restrictions and food allergies are not an issue at all. What a breath of fresh air!
I found the dining environment at Buddha Bowls to be smart, minimal, and Scandi-inspired. We enjoyed their Buddha bowls, which were both delicious and healthy. It’s a great combo.
13 C/ Juan de Padilla, 29008, Malaga, Spain. Telephone: +34 744624606.
MIMO Vegan Bistro is a plant-based, gourmet dining experience.
The dining room at this vegan restaurant in the Soho is small and there is no terrace, but the food has a real family-run feel and is sourced from Malaga Province and is seasonal. The food is super creative and served up with flair and finesse.
Málaga, C/ Vendeja, 29, tel: +34 648489705.
It’s good to live like a local.
Refectorium Catedral
While we normally would not recommend eating in the same square—or even the same area—as a city’s cathedral, the Refectorium is an uncommon exception. The food is a wonderful collection of time-honored classics, carefully prepared and presented in a bustling, modern, airy, and bright restaurant. Excellent service is provided here (one of the greatest in the city). You will be amazed at how simple and straightforward the Spanish dishes are, because this is exactly what Spanish cooking is all about. The Ensalada Rusa is a prime example. It’s a mouthwatering dish made from a bland and simple Spanish dish.
Children are welcome at the restaurant, but the well-heeled clientele are not. In other words, this is an adult establishment where one can enjoy the food, service, and atmosphere.
Postigo De Los Abades, C/ 4, Malaga, 29015. Tel: 952 60 23 89.
La Antxoeta
The dining room at chef Pablo Ramon Caballero Larios’s restaurant can be described as bustling and busy. Larios’s restaurant is located in the Soho just before the port in Malaga city.
The chef prepares imaginative dishes in the open kitchen, and the wine list is sure to satisfy most people’s preferences. A small menu with a variety of options is available. On our trip, we had squid tartare with tigernut milk (horchata), saffron risotto with truffles and beetroot, pig’s trotters with king prawns and chocolate, and tiramisu, amongst other things. The squid and tiramisu were two of the finest components on the menu, in case you were wondering.
7 Barroso Street, 29001 Malaga, Spain. Tel: 659255532. E-mail: antxoeta.com
Lunch and dinner are served. Open all other days.
A Smart Pre-Night Out Dinner
Restaurante Montana
The fine dining restaurant Montana is housed in a small palace north of the old town. Because of its grand 19th-century architecture and modern interior design, the lighting is perfect both inside and out.
It is not a case of style over content here, as one can have fine dining without paying attention to foodie fashion whims. We prefer to sit in the sunny courtyard and order a plate of melt-in-the-mouth Jamón Iberico as an after-shopping treat. Its excellent international wine list, cocktails, and comfortable seating area make it a great place to unwind after dinner and plan the next stages of a night out.
It’s a bonus that it has its own parking at this central Malaga restaurant.
Malaga, Spain. Please visit Restaurantemontana.com for more information.
Best for Large groups
Bodega El Pimpi
There’s been a tapas restaurant here since the dawn of time, and it’s frequented by people of all ages. However, if you’re partial to sweet Moscatel grapes (the grapes are fermented to make Malaga wine – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it), you’ll want to visit this Malaga institution and must-visit restaurant.
The setting is truly southern Spanish, with tinkleling fountains, cascading plants, huge wine barrels spanning the ceiling, and photographs of well-known people who have dined there. It is also expansive, with two floors and several rooms of different sizes, allowing for big groups.
The food is decent at best, but that shouldn’t stop you from stopping by for a drink before or after dinner or on the terrace, which offers a spectacular view of the ancient Roman amphitheatre.
952 22 54 03. Elpimpi.comAddress: Calle Granada, 62, 29015 Malaga.
Best for views
Málaga Gibralfaro Restaurant is the place to go if you are in the mood for excellent seafood.
What could be better than enjoying a delicious dish of local cuisine while taking in the stunning lights of Malaga and the Mediterranean? The Parador sits next to Gibralfaro Castle, offering outstanding views of the city. Take a seat on the outside terrace or at any other table in the city to experience them.
The focus is on local ingredients sourced from the nearby Axarquía mountains, Guadalhorce Valley, and Med (all of which are visible from your table). Chef Bartolomé Rodrigo is in charge of the menu.
On the summer menu you will find refreshingly cool soups—try the almond and garlic soup with fig bread or the thick tomato porra malagueña with Iberian ham—as well as fresh salads, fish, and meat dishes. There are some Malaga classics such as fried fish and battered aubergines with honey. You’ll be too sweet on the views to notice the dessert menu is a little sparse, but you’ll be too sweet on the views for that vino with a vista to be anything but special. Make your vino with a vista that bit extra special by timing your dinner to coincide with sunset.
Gibralfaro Castle is located at Castillo de Gibralfaro s/n, Malaga 291 006. Telephone: 952 221 902. Please visit our website for information on our restaurant.
It’s the best place to dine if you want to be near the beach.
Gutierrez Playa
Yo can’t go wrong for a lunchtime bite in Malaga if you go to a chiringuito. On the western side of Malaga Bay near the Russian and Car Museums, you will find one of the best restaurants. Gutiérrez Playa has been around for a long time, as well as the fact that the family owns one of the busiest fishmongers in the Huelin market, which means they know what they’re doing. Deep-fried fish, such as anchovies, baby sole, and whitebait are delicately seasoned salt-baked fish and chargrilled sardines on an espeto cane, a Malaga classic, are among the classic dishes available.
if you want your fish cooked over an olive wood fire, reserve one of espeto’s other specialities—langoustine, bream, squid, or octopus—. Dine on the sand just yards from the Mediterranean and stunning views of the Bay if you want your fish cooked gently.
• Malaga, Spain. • Telephone: +34 952 118 90
Conclusion
There are tons of great places to eat in Malaga. This city is known for its delicious food as well as its beautiful beaches. These are the best restaurants in Malaga. We hope that this guide helps you find the perfect place to grab a bite to eat during your visit to Vituco34