ANDALUCÍA - MÁLAGA - ESTEPONA - A TOUR OF THE TRADITIONAL TAPAS BARS IN THE OLD TOWN

3 hours ago
3 min read

We wanted to explore the charming traditional tapas bars in Estepona’s old town and discover the great prices for a beer and a tapa! These bars play a vital role in preserving the authentic cultural atmosphere, and it’s essential that we cherish and maintain them for future generations.

Our first stop was at

BAR LA ESQUINITA

Calle de Pozo Pila, 30, 29680 Estepona, Málaga

A tiny bar with a warm welcome from Paco, the owner, this is one of the few remaining authentic tapas bars in Estepona. It has a fantastic atmosphere reminiscent of a neighbourhood tavern, noisy, where everyone knows each other, lively, cheerful, and unpretentious. They serve excellent gin and tonics that aren’t too strong, along with very generous portions at great prices.

One standout dish is the cachopo, a traditional speciality from the region of Asturias, specifically from Avilés. It consists of two thin beef fillets filled with ham (often Serrano ham) and cheese, then breaded and fried until golden brown.

We had two beers at €1 each, a small tapa of 4 gambas blancas de Huelva (Huelva prawns) at €2, and the cachoco at €3.50, for a total of €7.50.

TABERNA MEDIEVAL

Calle de Aragón, 35, 29680 Estepona, Málaga

+34 951 316 921

Tucked away on a charming street, this delightful bar restaurant serves mouthwatering home-style tapas. Each dish is rich in flavour, offering true comfort food prepared to a high standard. Be cautious with the large portions and order wisely.

The interior features many interesting medieval-style furnishings and memorabilia.

There is also a shaded outdoor area.

One of their standout dishes is cazuela marineras, which features prawns in pil-pil sauce served on a bed of skin-on fries with aioli.

Other tapas include:

Tortilla (excellent, moist in the middle)

Albóndigas (meatballs)

Pollo al curry (chicken curry)

Patatas al estilo medieval de Marie (Marie’s medieval potatoes)

The cazuela marinares is €8, and a copa cerveza 1/3 is €2.50.

The selection of alcoholic beverages is excellent; the Arabic wine is good. You should definitely give it a try, as it has a unique taste.

Augusto, the friendly owner, serves everything, although he wasn’t keen on having his picture taken 😎

TABERNA EL MONIATO

Calle de Real, 32, 29680 Estepona, Málaga

+34 631 422 719

This excellent bar offers tapas starting at €2.50, featuring generous portions and reasonable prices, all within a beautiful setting in the old town.

We tried the boquerones fritos, which are deep-fried, lightly breaded anchovies.

A local speciality to try is huevos rotos, which consists of ham, egg, and chips, all mixed together. You won’t want to miss it; their Iberico ham is amazing!