Málaga Restaurants

  1. Adolfo

    A classy place in the well-heeled La Malagueta area, Adolfo does a range of imaginative Mediterranean dishes including vegetarian starters with goat's cheese, lobster salad, and kid with rosemary honey.

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  2. Antigua Casa de Guardia

    This venerable old tavern has been serving Málaga's sweet dessert wines since 1840. Try the dark brown, sherry-like seco from the barrel or the romantically named Lágrima Trasañejo (Very Old Tears), complemented by a plate of monster prawns.

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  3. Café Central

    An extremely popular café on the main pedestrian square. A cold beer and plate of rosada frita (fried hake) is a lunch-time must. Choose your table carefully (somewhere in the middle) or you may be plagued by various musical impresarios determined to serenade you, a feature of outdoor eating in the centre.

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  4. Café de Paris

    An excellent, long-standing favourite in upmarket La Malagueta, presided over by Michelin-starred José Carlos García. The heavy fin-de-siècle Parisian décor encourages long, somnolent lunches. Reservations are required. Flavours are sophisticated Andalucian. Creative concoctions include sardines marinated in angelhair marmalade (made from quinces) and fried lobster with a creamy lettuce-and-garlic sauce.

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  5. Café Lepanto

    A noisy local favourite right on pedestrianised Calle Marqués de Larios, the Regent St of Málaga. As Málaga's poshest confitería (sweet shop) it serves up a whole host of delicious pasteles (pastries and cakes), ice creams, sweets, chocolates, coffees, teas and other drinks to manicured malagueños .

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  6. Café Moka

    Just off the main drag, tucked behind Hotel Don Curro, this busy little retro café caters to a mainly Spanish crowd. It is a great place for breakfast, but fills up quickly both for breakfast and late lunch.

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  7. Café Museo Picasso

    Simply excellent, serving the best rich, dark coffee in town. It was established by Málaga's most dynamic young chef, José Carlos García (of Cafe de Paris), though he no longer runs it. The beautiful, secluded little patio at the back of the museum is alone worth a trip here.

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  8. Clandestino

    Earning its name, this groovy little joint is tucked away in a backstreet, and serves up great meals to a fashionable crowd with a house-beats accompaniment. Make sure you finish up with a dreamy Doña Blanca ice cream.

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  9. Comoloco

    This place with huge windows onto the little street is packed out at lunch time. The reason, tasty healthy food at a good price in a casual setting.

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  10. El Jardín

    Busy Viennese-style café next to the palm-filled gardens behind the cathedral. Great ambience but not outstanding food.

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  12. El Vegetariano de la Alcazabilla

    Laid-back veggie restaurant combining friendly service with good food.

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  13. El Yamal

    This restaurant serves tasty Moroccan food in traditional tagines (earthenware dishes with pointed lids). Choose from fish, chicken or couscous with vegetables and soak up the relaxed atmosphere. Finish with a mint tea with a drop of orange flower essence (azahar) .

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  14. Gorki

    A popular upmarket tapas bar with pavement tables and an interior full of wine-barrel tables and stools. It serves an extensive list of Spanish wines, and tangy cheeses. Try the belly-warming alubias con cordoniz (white bean stew with partridge).

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  15. La Casa del Ángel

    An extraordinary restaurant filled with the owners' considerable art collection. The cuisine is equally sumptuous: a combination of Andalucian, Arab and international tastes.

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  16. La Posada Antonio

    A very popular place with locals where you will be hard pressed to find a table after , despite its barnlike proportions. Great for greasy meat in tremendous proportions.

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  17. La Rebana

    A great, noisy and central tapas bar specialising in foies and cured meats. The dark wooden interior is inviting.

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  18. La Tetería

    The place serves heaps of aromatic and classic teas, herbal infusions, coffees and juices, with teas ranging from peppermint to 'antidepresivo' . You can breakfast on fresh juices and bocadillos (filled rolls); there are only crepes from around . Sit outside and marvel at the beautiful church opposite or inside to enjoy the wafting incense and background music.

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  19. Lechuga

    In this calm retreat, vegetables reign supreme and the chef does wonderful things with them.

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  20. Mesón El Chinitas

    This place appeals to diners who don't mind being eyeballed by cheesy portraits. Cuisine is malagueño and specialities are rice dishes and whole fish baked with salt.

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  21. Pepa y Pepe

    A snug tapas bar that brims with young diners chomping their way through calamares fritos (battered squid) and fried green peppers.

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  23. Restaurante Antonio Martín

    One of Málaga's oldest restaurants and right on the beach with a large sea-view terrace, Antonio Martín rustles up some of the best fish in town and does excellent desserts. Celebrities and matadors are rumoured to hang out here. Reservations are recommended.

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  24. Restaurante Tintero

    A longstanding, fun, seafront eatery where plates of seafood are brought out by the waiters and you shout out for what you want. Shout loud if you want it sizzling hot.

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  25. Rojo

    A relatively new contender on the Málaga restaurant scene and slap bang in the middle of the old town. Red banquettes line the walls, contrasting sharply with white tablecloths. Rojo attracts a youngish professional crowd with its simple but excellent menu.

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  26. Zenart

    Come here like the locals to enjoy the sensational views of the Alcazaba and the different flavours of Japanese cuisine. Food presentation lives up to the restaurant's name and the tempura is especially good.

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