Travel guide: Where to eat and drink in Malaga, Spain’s culinary goldmine

Few culinary experiences can come close to the unbridled joy of slicing into a slab of steak cooked exactly how you had imagined on your way over to the restaurant. At Verum, you can bank on that being the exact case. Nestled just a 10-minute drive outside of Malaga’s centre, in the beachside area of Pedregalejo, the restaurant’s elegant, wood-laden interior provides a sublime setting for what has become a must whenever we visit the city.

A list of ever-changing cuts that can range from Premium Galician Beef Tenderloin to indulgent A5 Wagyu, depending on the time of year, is presented, with friendly and knowledgeable staff more than willing to lend their unrivalled expertise based on whatever you fancy that evening. Likewise, a seemingly endless wine list boasts perfectly paired pours to go alongside whatever’s on your plate, and we fully recommend letting the team take the lead on this front.

Aside from the steak, Verum also specialises in fresh Wild Bluefin Tuna. Dedicated to ensuring none of the fish goes to waste, guests can choose from various cuts, including Grilled Tuna Chops, Tail Tartare and Grilled Lo-Fat Belly, all of which are nothing short of spectacular.

After stumbling upon this place by complete accident, we couldn’t have been happier that we did. An unassuming little bar filled with locals, we were immediately made to feel right at home. In fact, after bumbling our way through ordering a couple of drinks in questionable Spanish, my heavy Salford accent became the butt of a joke between the group before being reassured ‘we are all like family here’. Soon, what was meant to be a quick stop-off became a much more substantial stay than planned.

If you’re after something a little more authentic and somewhere away from the often tourist-filled central bars, then this is the ideal drinking spot. The tunes were great too, The Pixies, Smiths and Depeche Mode all getting plays out of a small speaker behind the bar.

Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of tapas joints to choose from in Malaga, so much so it can at times feel a little overwhelming. Bar la Tranca, though, comfortably cuts through as one of the best, combining phenomenal small plates with an electric atmosphere that buzzes through its narrow dining area.

No reservations mean there can often be a bit of a wait, but the reward is well worth it the moment you step into this living, breathing tavern where all senses are immediately set alight as scurrying waiters hum along to traditional Spanish music, passing you by with a dizzying array of tapas, each somehow looking and smelling better than the last.

The empanadas are a staple of the constantly shifting menu and are a particular highlight, as is the flamenquin (deep-fried roll wrapped around pork loin, ham and melted cheese), either of which can be washed down perfectly with the restaurant’s signature on-tap vermouth.

Hidden away down a side street in Malaga’s historic centre, CHLOE is a specialist gin bar that boasts what is almost certainly one of the largest collections of botanicals in all of the city. It’s the cocktails that really won us over here, though, and more specifically, the expert craftsmanship and added theatre as drinks are prepared at your table side.

After reading a few reviews about how the Negronis here were the best around, we gave them a go, and the hype was very, very real. The basil smash was also wildly refreshing and packed with citrussy goodness — the garnishing for this was actually plucked from a flower pot just behind our heads, which was a nice touch.

Few spots could be more idyllic than the top floor of Pez Tomillo’s Thyme Fish at sunset, overlooking the ocean as waves slowly curl up the ramp below. As the name suggests, seafood is very much the speciality here, and the restaurant’s take on Fideuà — a Valencian dish similar to paella, only with pasta noodles instead of rice — has become one of my favourite dishes of any restaurant anywhere.

Thyme Fish’s Fideuà is as aesthetically striking as it is delicious, thanks to the jet-black colour brought about by its incorporation of cuttlefish, alongside cod and chopped hazelnuts. Cooked to serve two, and it definitely does, you’ll find yourself filling with joy with each sumptuous spoonful you take. The tuna ceviche is also exceptionally good here and is the perfect pallet-wakener after a long day on the beach.

Soho is recognised as Malaga’s creative quarter, vibrant murals line the walls and there’s an abundance of indie cafes, bars and exhibition spaces scattered around the busy streets. It’s here that you’ll find El Rincón Del Cervecero, a craft beer haven that stocks a plentiful catalogue of lagers, IPAs, sours and stouts. The team are always wonderfully friendly too, and are more than happy to oblige if you can’t quite decide what kind of tipple you fancy.

It always takes something special for us to step away from Spanish cuisine when visiting Malaga, but Niña Bonita’s divine tacos are simply too good to be missed. A charming little corner cantina, also in Soho, we turned up dead on opening time and just 10 minutes later, all tables are filled — once our food arrives, it’s quickly evident as to why this is.

Our tacos, one serving of gravy-soaked birria and another of crispy spiced prawns, are explosions of ginormous, fragrant flavours, ones that have us immediately delving back into the menu for more. For anyone after a cheap, quick lunch that doesn’t sacrifice on quality, Niña Bonita is an absolute gem.

Another old-school, casual tapas tavern, Er Pichi de Cái specialises in market-fresh seafood, along with pancakes and wine. Like many of the best tapas spots, this is another with a no-reservation policy, so expect to wait for 20 minutes or so if you’re turning up at prime time. This is little sacrifice for what is to come, as evidenced by the hordes of locals gathered around tables and packed into any space they can find, eagerly awaiting whatever shellfish or tentacle heads their way.

Things are no-nonsense here, seafood is sourced from the Cádiz fish market, and the quality and freshness of each upcoming dish is the focal point of the whole operation. Giant oysters and mussels served with just a slice of lemon, great luscious shrimp steamed and brought out immediately, a constant, mouthwatering conveyor belt of the most delicious things the sea has to offer. One dish that really, really blew us away was the simple Tuna with Onion Sauce, picked out from the specialist stew section of the menu — huge tender lumps of tuna smothered in a hearty, almost gravy-like coating — nothing fancy, just simple and seriously good.

There’s no way we could complete such a list without including the dish that is probably the most synonymous with Malaga. Espeto refers to a skewer of fresh sardines, often cooked over the open fires upon old fishing boats along the beachfront. No trip to the city is complete without enjoying at least one plate (we advise more) of these while sitting alongside the sand and sipping on an ice-cold cerveza and watching the afternoon go by.

There are plenty of places to get your fix along the coastline, but some of the best on our trip came from Los Cuñaos, which, like Verum and Pez Tomillo, can be found in the popular beach village of Pedregalejo.

I fell in love with this place during my most recent visit to Malaga, proclaiming it as one of my favourite bars in the world on more than one occasion. There were two major reasons for that: the steaming empanadas (the spinach one, in particular) that are the speciality at Viva Maria, and some of the friendliest service I’ve had anywhere. Located in the El Palo neighbourhood, just along the coast from the city centre, it’s regularly packed with locals who spill out onto the street in front, a sight that always bodes well when searching for that next bite.

As well as the empanadas, the magnificent skirt steak is deserving of its own shout-out, as is the black pudding.

Also in El Palo, La Terraza del Ferra is an idyllic little bar right by the beachfront that pours a variety of cocktails at alarmingly affordable prices. A cosy, laid-back setting, La Terraza del Ferra is ideal for unwinding after a long, hard day on the beach, or for an after-dinner tipple set to the serotonin-boosting soundtrack of rolling waves and late-night conversation.

For vermouth fans, Antigua Casa de Guardia is about as good as it gets. Tapped cask lines adorn the walls of this historic bar, each filled with different variations of the sweet wine that can be enjoyed either straight or ‘con gaseosa’ (with tonic). If you’re lucky enough to find a spot along the bar, you simply point out which barrel you’d like to try, and the team will mark your section with chalk each time you order a drink, which now happens to be my favourite way of keeping a tab. There’s also a fridge at the back of the room with prawns, mussels and other seafood treats that you can snack on in between servings.