LA COSMO Michelin Bib Gourmand La Cosma is the younger sibling of Dani Carnero ’ s La Cosmopolita. It has a more modern vibe and setting, but still serves big-flavoured Andalucian cooking without any gimmicks. We enjoyed an excellent early dinner, sitting at the long bar looking into the open kitchen.  We started with some excellent bread. Ostras (oysters) La Gilda atún, tomate, piparra y anchoa (a new take on the Gilda, the iconic pintxo inspired by actress Rita Hayworth,

ANTIGUA CASA DE GUARDIA After a visit to the Mercado Central de Atarazanas (Málaga’s local food market, which also has excellent tapas bars), a short walk will take you to the oldest bar in Málaga, founded in 1840.  Here, they mainly sell Málaga sweet wine directly from the barrel. It is a typical spit-and-sawdust, old-fashioned drinking bar, and it is great fun.  It’s like stepping back in time to one of the few places in Málaga that still maintains its atmosphere. Try the p

LA CEPA DE CÁDIZ This is a great local bar where you can drink beer, wine, or Manzanilla, accompanied by chicharrones, cheeses, and other products from the Sierra de Cádiz, cold cuts from Extremadura, and a large assortment of tinned preserves. It is a place with a lot of charm, a little piece of Cádiz in Málaga for gaditanos. We settled in and had, Anchoa y leche condensada (tinned anchovy and condensed milk). Chicharrones (Pork belly with spices such as paprika, oregano, an

CHIRINGUITO PACO If you are looking for fresh seafood, including an expansive range of fresh fish, on the beach at Estepona, this v ery authentic Spanish beach bar, which has been here since 1997,  is a great place to start. Once settled in, we had some excellent espeto de sardinas (sardines skewered and cooked over hot coals). Conchas Finas (local Málaga smooth clams) . Coquinas al ajillo y vino blanco (small flat clams from Huelva, with garlic and white wine). There is insi

CHIRINGUITO EL MADERO If you are looking for fresh seafood and a wide range of fish and rice dishes on the beach in Estepona, this chiringuito in a beautiful location is a great place for a meal and a drink . It is a great spot to relax, sitting outside overlooking the beach and the sea. What you will find here is fish, fish, fish, seafood, all of it in extraordinary freshness and quality. We started with a few, Boquerones fritos (fried anchovies) and an excellent bottle of t

CASA ELADIO Michelin Plate IIO Casa Eladio was founded in 1965 by Eladio Cabello Serrano. It was managed by José Eladio Cabello Santaella (the founder’s son) for 38 years during Marbella’s golden age. It has a contemporary, maritime-inspired décor that has been given a new lease of life, with José’s son, Carlos Cabello Jimenez (the family’s third-generation), now working in the kitchen. Carlos worked in Northern Spain and Málaga before returning to the family restau

BLOSSOM - RESTAURANTE EN MÁLAGA One Michelin Star If you’re looking for a restaurant in the centre of Málaga, just a few meters from the Cathedral, this restaurant could be the perfect option. Argentina-born chef Emi Schobert draws inspiration from the sea, the mountains, and local ingredients. The inside of the restaurant is tiny, and most of the tables are on the pedestrian street it fronts. On arrival, we settled in with a small beer and an Aperol spritzer. We started w

KALEJA One Michelin Star The name of this restaurant by Chef Dani Carnero is particularly apt (Kaleja is the Sephardic word for alley), given its location in Málaga’s Jewish quarter, just a few steps from the city’s Picasso Museum. It is a gastronomic restaurant based on interpretations of the traditional Málaga recipe book and on enhancing humble ingredients that have sometimes disappeared from large restaurants, such as beans, lentils, etc. There are two dining areas in

PALOCORTADO This excellent restaurant is situated outside of the crowded old town area of bars and restaurants and is well worth a visit. We arrived early for Andalucía at 8.15 pm, and it was empty, but when we left at 10.15 pm, it was full to bursting, as is the way in Málaga. It is an excellent spot for an aperitivo; we had a fabulous palocortado cocktail to begin the evening. There is also a superb wine list. Once settled in, we began our meal with G azpachuelo cremoso

RESTAURANTE EL CALEÑO To find a nice lunch in the sun, with a view of the sea, head east, along the coastal road from Málaga for about 6 km, and you will arrive in Pedregalejo. It's a pleasant walk or a short taxi ride from Málaga centre. Looking back toward Málaga City Just before you get to Pedregalejo, you will see Baños del Carmen, a summer seaside resort that was opened for the rich and famous in 1918. The still beautiful building and its ruined gardens are now a restau