Delicious tapas

Restaurants

Boasting some of the best restaurants in Spain, Malaga attracts diners from all over the Costa del Sol.  Whether it is tapas bars, fine dining restaurants, fast food or excellent fresh fish you are after, you will find it here.  Many Malaga restaurants are situated in old houses with courtyards and patios, to create a unique dining experience.  Many of these restaurants are chic and elegant, and offer some of the most innovative food you will find in Andalucia.

Café Central
With its tables spilling out onto this pretty historic square, this is an all-day dining spot, where you can start your day with chocolate and churros (spiral-shaped doughnuts), moving on to the fino, tapas and traditional dishes later in the day. Plaza de la Constitución 11, Tel: 952 22 49 72.

Adolfo
Situated on Malaga´s Paseo Maritimo, Adolfo opened its doors in 1993, and has an enviable reputation for excellent food and service.  The menu is changed every three months, and the style of the restaurant is traditional old Spain.  Brickwork and dark wood decorate the two dining rooms, and an ornate bar is situated just inside the entrance.  Fresh game and seafood is a speciality at Adolfo, and most of Malaga´s most famous dishes are served in the restaurant.  Tel: 95 2601914.

La Alegria
A traditional restaurant with terracotta tiles, tapas bar and menu of local malagueño dishes, including gazpacho, chuletas (chops) and a good choice of fish dishes. Calle Marin Garcia 15.Tel: 952 21 52 52.

Ménsula
Situated in C/Maestranza, Ménsula  is famous throughout Malaga for its fabulous food and service. Many of the dishes include fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables and the meat and fish are to die for.  Seafood and fish is sourced locally from the bay of Malaga, and the wine cellar is extensive. Favourite dishes include cod pil-pil, roast suckling pig and exquisite home-made desserts.  Ménsula is stylish and is decorated in a classic dark wood style.  Very popular with business people, this is one of Malaga´s busiest restaurants.  Tel: 95 222 5030.

El Chinitas
A traditional restaurant decorated with colourful ceramic tiles, the menu here includes such local specialties as sopa viña (fish soup flavored with sherry and solomillo al vino de Málaga (fillet steak in Málaga wine sauce). Calle Moreno Monroy 4-6.Tel 95 221 0972.

Restaurante Rojo
Chic minimalist décor of steel, black and red, serving innovative Med cuisine like oriental lentils with cumin and coriander, followed by arty puds, like white chocolate cake with a mango drizzle. Calle Granada 44.Tel 95 222 7486

Clandestino
Clandestino is an excellent restaurant for lunch or dinner.  Centrally located, the staff are friendly and the service is great.  Waiters and bar staff are dressed in hippy style clothing to add to the quirkiness of this fabulous venue, and the modern menu is changed regularly.  Offering  a wide range of salads, pasta dishes and home-made desserts, this place is particularly popular with the locals. Tel: 95 221 9390.

Zenart
 Such is the popularity of Japanese food , Malaga boasts one of the best  Japanese restaurants on the Costa del Sol.  Zenart has a stylish and elegant facade, and a minimalist yet intimate interior restaurant.  Highest quality ingredients are used to make the famous sushi and sashimi and an additional teppanyaki bar offers visitors some fabulous authentic dishes.  Situated in C/Mundo Nuevo, this stylish restaurant offers innovative Japanese food at reasonable prices. Tel: 95 206 0079.

Manducare
Situated close to the gates of Malaga´s port area, Manducare is one of the most stylish restaurants in the city.  Offering a Mediterranean menu with a modern twist, favourite dishes include steak tartare and marinated artichokes and langoustines with wild mushrooms. The decor combines polished wood with modern seating, and the elegant restaurant area is both attractive and comfortable.  Extensive menu and wine list. Tel: 95 221 2058.

Café de Paris
The upmarket Café de Paris, is situated in C/Velez Malaga, and is open for lunch and dinner.  Offering a modern and eclectic menu, The Café de Paris uses some of the finest local produce and adds a modern twist.  Although the menu is subject to change, and fresh vegetables and fruits are used when in season, one of the Café de Paris signature dishes is the fabulous oysters bloody mary and delicious home-made desserts such as moist chocolate cake with wild bananas keep guests coming back for more. The wine list is also extensive, and offers many wines that you won´t see in other restaurants.  Tel: 95 222 5043.

MR1
MR1 is situated in the cultural centre of Malaga at the Mirador de Reding in the Malagueta region.  Commanding fabulous views of the port and the park promenade, this great restaurant offers a fusion of traditional cooking with a creative flair.  The decor is stylish and modern, the location is unbeatable, and reservations at MR1 are always recommended. Tel.: 952 11 87 58.

Refectorium
Located behind the Málaga bullring in C/Cervantes, Refectorium becomes hectic during any bullfight, filling up with fans and often, after the fight, with the matadors too. The cuisine has traditional flair, and the servings are generous. Typical Malaga favourits are served including, cold almond soup with garlic and muscatel grapes. Another classic starter is garlic mushrooms with Serrano ham. The fresh seafood is a delight, including monkfish and rosada. Desserts are like mama used to make and , include rice pudding and home-made crème caramel. Tel: 95 221 8990.

El Bodegón de Gurpegui
Located in Malaga´s Paseo de Calderón, El Bodegón de Gurpegui in Pedregalejo, boasts quirky decor with fine paintings on the walls, golf clubs hanging from the ceiling and brightly coloured ceramics around the restaurant. Traditional Spanish dishes are served at El Bodegón de Gurpegui, with a hint of modern flair.  Stuffed peppers and baby squid are two of the most popular offerings, and a fabulous home-made wine called zurracapote is also a favourite with the locals.  A pleasant terrace area, complete with singing canaries, is the perfect place to dine in the summer. Tel: 95 220 2254.

El Campanario
Offering fabulous views of Malaga Bay, El Campanario is situated in the Paseo de la Sierra 36, and serves traditional local cuisine.  Fish specialities include sea bass baked in salt, and octopus gallega. Particularly popular with the locals, you are always recommended to book a table at El Campanario before visiting. Signature dishes at El Campanario include foie gras with caramalized apple and onion, monkfish with sushi and a host of delicious home-made desserts. Tel: 95 220 2448.

El Cabra
Offering typical Andalucian cuisine, El Cabra is situated on the Paseo Maritimo at Pedregal, and is one of the most famous restaurants in Malaga.  Just a few metres from the beach, El Cabra specialises in fresh fish and seafood, including sardines, sea bass, monkfish and some excellent prawn and squid dishes. Tel: 95 229 1595.

Mari Cuchi
Enjoying a fabulous location on the beach front at Peregalejo, the Mari Cuchi restaurant is situated in the old fishing quarter of Malaga. Popular with stylish locals, and offering every type of fish and seafood imaginable, including beach barbecued octopus, swordfish and sardines, this is a king among Malaga beach bars.  Fried fish Malaga style plus fried aubergines and stuffed squid are favourites at Mari Cuchi.  Casual dining at its best. Tel: 95 229 0412.

Restaurante El Tintero
Situated on the beach at El Palo, El Tintero is one of the most famous chiringuitos in Malaga.  Founded in 1969, the speciality of the house is fish and seafood, which are all served by the plateful by waiters carrying huge trays across the terrace.  This is an excellent place to go with friends as you can try a variety of dishes to share including the best pescaito frito you are likely to find in Andalucia. This is a fun place to eat with customers shouting for the waiter´s attention, who marks down each plateful of food on the paper tablecloth where your bill is later calculated.  Great food, a superb wine list and even better views keep the El Tintero busy throughout the summer months. This is a favourite with locals and holidaymakers alike.  Telephone: - 0034 95 204464.

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