Malaga is a major city and holiday resort, which is the capital of the Province of Malaga in Andalucia in southern Spain. It lies on the Mediterranean Costa del Sol ("Sunshine Coast") and is the southernmost of the large cities in Europe.
Malaga and the surrounding district have many excellent restaurants that sell tapas together with Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine, indeed, those who would like to try some local food are very spoilt for choice. There are some good fine dining outlets that are suitable for special or romantic occasions, as well as some relatively cheap restaurants and cafes. There are also numerous excellent Japanese and Italian restaurants in the district to try out as well, plus some good seafood and grill outlets.
It can be somewhat trickier to find good restaurants that cater primarily for other types of cuisine, for example the Chinese and Indian restaurants tend to get mixed reviews, and there are not many reliable bars and pubs that sell British-style roast dinners and breakfasts, although there are a few good examples of each. There is a selection of reasonably good international restaurants and there are plenty of good outlets to pop by for those after a light bite rather than a large meal, as well as some good ice-cream parlours.
Local cuisine
There are many good restaurants in Malaga selling local cuisine and tapas. One of the best-received is the Tapeo de Cervantes at C/ Carcer, 8, 29012, which offers high-quality tapas and local cuisine at quite low prices. Vegans will be well-served by El Piano at C/ San Juan de Letran 13, 29012, which serves innovative vegan-themed tapas, with options that will no doubt appeal to non-vegetarians also. La Plaza at Plaza de la Merced No.18 is in the touristy area of Malaga and serves a wide array of Mediterranean-themed food. The Restaurante Amador at Calle Bandaneira 6, Urb. El Atabal, serves Spanish cuisine with a mainly local theme, and many dishes are provided with a twist. The restaurant also boasts pleasant views from the top of a hill.
The El Meson de Cervantes at Calle Alamos, 11, 29012 is particularly highly-regarded for its tasty assortment of tapas. La Tranca at Carreteria 93, 29008 is another good choice for tapas and has a busy and vibrant atmosphere, especially during evening service. Meson Iberico, at Calle San Lorenzo, No. 27, 29002, and Casa Lola at C/ Granada 46, 29015 are two other great choices if you're in the mood for Spanish cuisine and tapas. A friendly, family-run Spanish-themed restaurant is the El Cortijillo restaurant at Avda Cadiz, La Cala de Mijas.
European
Giorgios at Avendida Bonanza, Benalmadena is a highly-rated Italian restaurant, which features a good selection of wine and Italian food. There are risotto nights on a Wednesday; well, at least it takes the hassle out of deciding what to order! Osteria Angelino del 1899 at Mariblanca 10 is another high-quality Italian restaurant. The Garua Restaurante at Pirandello N0 8, 29010 is also worth considering, with Argentinian cuisine being the order of the day. Also worth a try is the Bar Italia at Avenida Ahumada 7, Torre del Mar, for a family-run restaurant with a variety of good wines and Italian menu options.
For mainly German-themed pub food there are two reasonable choices. La Taskita Alemana at Calle Beatas 6, 29008 features German bar food and tapas, and includes Frankfurter sausages and Goulash dinners. The owner and cook, Abraham, is a former professional magician and provides plenty of intriguing trickery and lively entertainment. The German Paddy at Calle Obispo Juan Alonso,n07,Local 2.Costa Lago, Torremolinos, 29620 serves a range of international and German-themed pub food and has regular music and entertainment. A reasonably reliable French restaurant is the Place Vendome at Medellin, 1, 29002.
Taste of home
There are some good quality British-style restaurants, pubs and bars in Malaga. One of the best-received is the Horizon Bar at Avenida de Antonio Machada, Benalmadena Costa, which serves Irish-style breakfasts and a range of traditional pub foods, including steaks and burgers. The Blue Palm Cafe at Paseo Maritimo 7, Marbella 29600 is a sea front café, which serves hearty Sunday roast dinners and traditional English breakfasts. Another reasonably good option is the Lazy Days Bar & Restaurant at Calle Salvador Allende, Torremolinos, 29620, which features entertainment and outdoor seating, as well as typical British pub food. Hamburgueseria Maruchi at C/ Banda del Mar, 29017 is a good bet for those after a good burger. Also worth a look is Sully's Cafe at Calle ahora no 10, La Cala de Mijas, which also serves decent pub food.
Asian
Malaga has a large number of very good Japanese restaurants, but finding reliable sources of other types of Asian cuisine is tricky - most Indian and Chinese restaurants for instance receive decidedly mixed reviews.
Fans of sushi can try the Oleo Restaurante at Alemania S/N, off the Poligono Alameda, which serves a variety of good sushi and Mediterranean cuisine, so it should serve most tastes well in a group trip. Ginza at La Cala de Mijas is a sushi/tepanyaki restaurant with good quality food and entertainment. Mikado at Local 65, Muelle 1 is another high-quality Japanese restaurant, which serves sushi, suchimi and tepanyaki. The Restaurante Zenart at Calle Mundo Nuevo 4 is also worth considering for fans of Japanese cuisine, which features views of the Alcazaba. Asako- Feel Food at Calle Carreteria 96, 29008 serves sushi, Japanese and Asian fusion foods. Noodles & Go at Granada 27, Plaza del Siglo serves a variety of Asian and tapas foods.
There are not many reliable Chinese restaurants in Malaga, but the Oriental Gong at Calle Nevas de Tolosa and the Restaurante Nuevo Siglo at Calle Martínez Maldonado, 67, 29007 are both worth giving a try. For Indian food, the Amigos Grill at Paseo de la Farola is fairly reliable, while Red Chilli's at Benalmadena Costa offers reasonable Indian takeaways.
International
For those who fancy something a bit different, the Restaurante Jose Carlos Garcia at Plaza de la Capilla, 29001 has a "tasting menu" where for a significant price you can taste anything that is on the menu. The Manducare restaurant at Avda. Manuel Agustin de Heredia, 2-4, 29001, serves international and Spanish cuisine and is conveniently placed just five minutes' walk away from the Cathedral.
The German Paddy at Calle Obispo Juan Alonso,n07,Local 2.Costa Lago, Torremolinos, 29620 serves a range of international and German-themed pub food and has regular music and entertainment. Entrecot at Calahonda, Mijas Costa is an international restaurant that specialises mainly in meat dishes.
For those with a relatively large budget the Restaurante Vino Mio serves international as well as Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. There are also some good international restaurants with a specific theme, such as the Restaurante Al-Yamal at Blasco de Garay, 7, 29001, which serves mainly Moroccan cuisine, and El Guacamole, situated at Calle Carcer, 1, which serves a variety of Mexican food and is well-decorated inside.
Fine dining
The Restaurante Vino Mio at Plaza Jeronimo Cuervo 2, Al Lado del Teatro Cervantes, 29012 serves international and Mediterranean cuisine, and also includes some Asian style dishes. The Restaurante Yerbaguena at Carretera de la estacion s/n, Campillos is particularly suited to special occasion dining and serves a variety of European food. Las Albarizas at Calle Los Perros, 29620, at nearby Torremolinos, serves good local cuisine and is good for special occasion dining and romantic occasions.
Seafood & grills
The Marisqueria el Kaoba at Av. Salvador Allende 31, 29017 is particularly highly-regarded by customers for its range of fish and seafood, with an emphasis on local products. The Bar Alfredo at Avenida Andalucia, San Pedro is another decent fish restaurant. Asador Inaki at Heroe de Sostoa, 46, 29002 serves steaks and seafood of a high quality.
One highly-regarded grill restaurant is the Restaurante Venta El Charco at Los Ventorros, Los Romanes where the BBQ meals and steaks are especially well-received. Pedro Guiterrez at Paseo Maritimo Antonio Machado is a beach restaurant which sells a range of seafood, mostly of local origin. The Garua Restaurante at Pirandello N0 8, 29010 serves Argentinian and Italian cuisine as well as barbeque food.
Quick bites
A good bakery themed around American-style cupcakes and pastries is Julia Cupcakes Malaga at C/ Carreteria 53, 29008, which also has a house speciality, the "Antonio", which is worth trying out. Heladerio Freskitto at Calle Granada 55 is a highly-rated ice cream parlour. A good Spanish-themed cafe is the Cafe Con Libros at Plaza de la Merced 19, which is well-placed for seeing nearby attractions including Alcazaba, and serves tasty snacks. L'Experience at Plaza del Obispo, 4, 29015 serves Spanish bar meals and tapas. The Cafe Fresco at Las Rampas, Fuengirola serves a variety of fresh cafe food. Also consider the El Odeon Cafateria at 4 Calle Arquitecto Eduardo Esteve, El Palo, which is most highly regarded for its churros.