ANDALUCÍA - MÁLAGA CITY - BODEGA BAR EL PIMPI

4 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

BODEGA BAR EL PIMPI

We were with Mark Walsh of @walshjewellery in Malaga and popped into this lively bar, located in the historical city centre next to the Alcazaba, which is among Málaga’s most renowned establishments. El Pimpi is featured in virtually every tourist guide imaginable.

Even with its popularity as a tourist destination, El Pimpi has preserved the high-quality food that made it renowned. It is reasonably priced.

Bodegas Bar El Pimpi is an interesting maze-like building with a series of rooms.

with many different rooms,

styles and cultural experiences.

There is an extensive menu.

We had a delicious ensaladilla rusa, also known as Russian salad. This chilled dish typically includes a mix of potatoes, mayonnaise, tuna, carrots, peas, and often a hard-boiled egg. Each bar has its own version, and the recipes can vary widely.

But why is it called Russian? The dish originated from a 19th-century salad created by the chef Lucien Olivier in Moscow.

We also had a plate of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota.

The highest-quality and most prized Spanish cured ham. Jamón Ibérico → from the Iberian pig, de Bellota → the pigs are acorn-fed. The pigs live free-range in oak forests called dehesas. They eat acorns (bellotas) and natural grasses, and they roam and exercise, which develops muscle and creates beautiful fat marbling.

With local Bodegas Málaga wines, by the glass.

There is a large outside seating area with lovely views of the stunning Alcazaba.

There are two entrances: Calle Granada and Calle Jardines Alcazabilla, which has an outdoor terrace.

The bar at Bodegas El Pimpi dates back to the 19th century when boys at the port of Málaga helped passengers by carrying their luggage to local residences. These boys were known as “pimpis.” As their numbers grew, they became the town’s first tour guides, using special bikes to explore the area. Once organised, they opened a tavern across from the Roman Theatre.

This tavern, now famously known as El Pimpi, became a popular meeting place for both locals and tourists. The rest, as they say, is history.