Toma Nota

Where to Eat (Well) in Málaga?

Costa Del Sol. Restaurante El Roqueo.

Ladies and gentlemen, now is the time to pick up your suitcase and fill it with only the necessary items for a weekend eating all over Málaga. Prepare your hair for humidity and your shorts for the heat, because in order to taste the entire city, take our advice and be casual and not afraid to wander around to find everything. Málaga’s cultural offerings can’t go unnoticed (which often surprise and are quite unorthodox), and neither can its culinary wealth that is, without a doubt, quite surprising to those who never have set foot in the city.

The first stop is thanks to the KGB, the newest Michelin star Kisko García. The «gastronomic espionage» is located exactly where once Dani García made Manzanilla and it surpassed all expectations. A huge bar in the style of the 1950’s and two tables (only available with a reservation) pave the way to a prawn egg roll and a chilled glass of Victoria beer. From mission to mission, one after another the cases go from the top secret Mçalaga kitchen to the Panamanian and finally to the Filipino immersed in decorations inspired by Russian Constructivists like Lissizky and Rodchenko. Not to be missed. After, some little shrimps at Wendy Gamba, accompanied by good vermouth on tap. Fresh air never is a bad idea, and we are looking forward to the thin shellfish, homemade croquettes, and fried fish at the Bodega Quitapenas on calle Marín García, and don’t forget a glass of a great wine from Málaga!

Now that we are nice and full (and our thirst is quenched) let’s take a walk and check out the Center for Contemporary Art (CAC) to lose ourselves completely in Our Eyes Here by Shepard Fairey, commissioned by Fernando Francés, where you can see more than 300 works by North American artists. Until September 27 the music, the ambiance, and the politics in red, white and black dominate the artistic scene here in Málaga.

Soho is found in the Barrio de las Artes (Art District, between the Sur de la Alameda and the Muelle de Heredia, next to the Port of Malaga and between Plaza de La Marina and the Guadalmedina river), houses one of the cultural and artistic movements in Spain, an initiative of the citizens and municipal government intending to avoid touristic and commercial degradation of the area. Twenty minutes later and right in the middle of “happy hour”, it is fundamental to make your way to the Marisquería Liñán (on the corner of Jaboneros and calle Trinidad) where you can lean against the bar with a perfect view of the blackboard. This place is not only cheap, but also it is a dream for anyone obsessed with shellfish: shrimp, scallops, razor clams, prawns, thin shellfish, mussels, crab legs…

Thank God for confession because you will lose yourself here.

In the Antigua Casa de Guardia they not only make every visit worth it, and provide excellent customer service, but it also should be considered a Historical Landmark. Vermouth, Pajarete, Málaga Garijo, Moscatel Guardia, and Guinda (all liqueur/sweet wines)… this is the place to come if you want to lose yourself in each glass and remember that happiness is found in the small things and in wine.

To end the visit on a high note, a visit to El Pimpi to have some wine is necessary. Absolutely all of the celebrities and important people have passed through here and left their mark, and the proof of it is seen in every corner of the walls which hold history and the first culinary tourist attraction of the city. We will close off with one of the favorite haunts of the people of Malaga: the Taberna Uvedoble . Don’t let its modern decoration and white and orange tones fool you, because what they serve goes far beyond what the eye can see. If you don’t believe it, just try their black noodles tossed with calamari, the skewer of swordfish richly fried, or the rolled veal. You’ll want to come back even before you leave.