A few weeks back, in pretty much the same time if would have taken us to take the train to Manchester (but a lot cheaper) we swapped -4C in London for a balmy 18C down in Malaga. Best known as the entrance point to the Costa del Sol this Andalusian city is worthy as a destination in its own right with art galleries and museums galore, lovely urban beaches and a food and drink scene that's really coming into its own. Here's how to spend a few days there taking in the best of the city's cafes, bars and restaurants.
Day 1
Doughnuts at Bun and Coffee
C. Duque de la Victoria, 11, Distrito Centro, 29015 Málaga
Malaga's bakery scene is on fire right now and this new coffee and doughnut shop serves up an array of enticing vegan doughnuts every day (with cinnamon specials on Sundays).
An array of energy-giving sweet treats so you can hit the ground running.
Lunch at Atarazanas Market
C. Atarazanas, 10, Distrito Centro, 29005 Málaga
What better way to feel the pulse of a city than by heading to its main food market? Atarazanas is open Monday to Saturday and it's mainly a morning/lunchtime affair with most stalls closed by 3pm. The former shipyard turned food market is arranged into three distinct areas - fruit and veg, meat and then seafood.
There are market cafes on each corner (with outside seating for each) but by far the best experience is to be had standing up at the counter to order. Our recommendation would be to head to the Cafe Bar Mercado Atarazanas on the southeastern corner of the market where the seafood couldn't be fresher.
Elbow your way to the front of the queue to order the most amazing fresh seafood
Dinner No 1: Natural wines and small plates at Vertical Wine Bar
C. Juan de Padilla, 13, Distrito Centro, 29008 Málaga
Rather than spending the whole of your first evening in Malaga in one restaurant, we'd suggest splitting it between at least two places. Start the evening at natural wine bar Vertical which is run by former El Bulli sommelier Julio Barluenga. Let him guide you through the all-natural wine list and enjoy small plates like sobrasada toasts with sheeps labneh and orange blossom honey.
The elegant modern natural wine spot Vertical Wine Bar
Dinner No 2: Tapas at Mesón Mariano
C. Granados, 2, Distrito Centro, 29008 Málaga
There's almost always a queue outside this popular Malaga tapas spot and with good reason. The house speciality is artichokes, but the Russian salad is also marvellous and we thought the wines by the glass options one of the best we tried in the more traditional tapas spots of Malaga.
Getting a seat at Meson Mariano is almost certainly going to involve a wait, but it's worth it.
Day 2
Coffee at Delicotte Specialty Coffee & Tea
C/ Méndez Núñez, 3, Distrito Centro, 29008 Málaga
Before you do anything, clear your head by heading to this hole-in-the-wall speciality coffee spot to grab a café bombón which involves equal amounts of espresso coffee and condensed milk. It's a Spanish speciality and that combo of caffeine and pure sugar is guaranteed to kick-start your system.
Small but powerful café bombón at Delicotte
Mid-morning churros and chocolate at Casa Aranada
C. Herrería del Rey, 2, Distrito Centro, 29005 Málaga
Why would you visit any Spanish city and not spend at least one meal enjoying some amazing fresh churros? Aranda has been a city institution since the 1930s and is one of the most popular cafes in Malaga for churros dipped in cups of velvety hot chocolate.
You can order the churros on their own, but why would you when there are cups of chocolate waiting to be dipped into.
See also: try the Malagan version of churros - tejeringos - at any branch of the suitably named Tejeringo's.
Lunch at Restaurante Balausta
C. Granada, 57-59, Distrito Centro, 29015 Málaga
Set in the glazed courtyard of boutique hotel Palacio Solecio, this restaurant's menu is overseen by Michelin-starred malagueño chef José Carlos García who also has his own eponymous restaurant by the harbour. The food here is a celebration of Malaga gastronomy and it's an incredibly popular place for lunch and dinner.
The beautiful dining room at Restaurante Balausta
A refined take on one of Malaga's most famous dishes - roast shoulder of goat. This featured meltingly tender suckling goat served up with potatoes confit in olive oil and a shepherd's sauce (42 euros).
Pre-dinner drinks at Antigua Casa de Guardia
Alameda Principal, 18, Distrito Centro, 29005 Málaga
You can't really come to Malaga without stepping into this evocative old bar which dates back to the 1840s. Tiny glasses of wine are poured direct from the barrel. If you're standing up at the bar your bill will be chalked up on the counter in front of you. The wine may be a little on the rough side but you can't beat this place for atmosphere.
It's all pretty chaotic at Antigua but you can't beat the buzz.
Dinner at La Cosmo
C. Císter, 11, Distrito Centro, 29015 Málaga
Owned by chef Dani Carnero who's also behind La Cosmopolita and Michelin-starred Kaleja in Malaga, this laid-back restaurant around the corner from the Alcazaba picked up a Bib Gourmand in 2022 after being open for just eight months. Here the menu puts ingredients at the forefront so a dish might be called something simple like "The Leek" and turn out to be an incredibly clever presentation swapping out pasta for leek in a carbonara with cured egg yolk and a parmesan cloud.
Make sure to book up at the counter at La Cosmo
The Flan - a dazzling dessert of corn flan with fried corn praline making for a sweet and savoury dish that may be one of the best desserts we've ever tried. (6 euros).
Day 3
A late lunch at Comparte Gastrobar
C. Moreno Monroy, 6, Distrito Centro, 29015 Málaga
Before you head to the airport, head into the historic quarter for lunch at Comparte. Owner Vito is one of many malaguenos we met who'd worked in the London restaurant scene before returning home to Malaga in recent years. What you're here for are the meats cooked a la brasa. You should 100% go for the salsa secreta too.
Pluma Iberica with chips and padron peppers (20 euros)
Where to stay
Palacio Solecio
C. Granada, 61, Distrito Centro, 29015 Málaga
This luxury boutique hotel is perfectly located in between the Cathedral and Alcazar, and on the doorstep of the Picasso Museum in Malaga's Jewish quarter, making it a great pitstop for a minibreak. The former 18th-century Andalucian palace was Conde Nast Traveler Spain's Best Urban Hotel in 2022.
Bedrooms are split across two buildings - choose Palacio rooms and suites if you want to be in the original building or Solecio if you want to be in the adjoining more modern building which has a rooftop restaurant and plunge pool.
The main restaurant, Balausta was where we had a fabulous lunch, and we can also highly recommend popping into the bar here for a glass of well-chosen wine.
Our bedroom was a Palacio Junior Suite which had a lovely seating area, views into the interior courtyard and a massive bathroom with standalone bath as well as a rainforest shower. It also smelled amazing.
How to get there
We booked a holiday with British Airways which got us three nights in a Deluxe Room at the Palacio Solecio plus flights from Gatwick for £450 per person (we got an upgrade from the hotel).
Book Palaccio Soleccio on Booking.com
Extra resources:
Thanks to Thane Prince, food journalist and sometime Malaga resident who has a host of amazing recommendations for the city on her Substack.
Malaga, mapped
