Malaga and Madrid, October 2025.

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

I am back in Malaga after completely sliding the last time I was here, failing entirely to take the Spanish class that was the reason I came to Spain. I arrived in Madrid by air a few days ago, 8am and dead tired so I used my DayUse app and got a hotel from 10am to 3pm when my hotel opened up. Walked by Palacio de Cibeles again on my way there.

Highly recommend DayUse if you are stuck and cannot check in to your hotel! I was on the run and wanted a quick bite and I notice on Google maps that there was a place nearby that makes Paella for one, seemed like a good fit so off I went. Now? I am not sure, but I do not think it is easy to make paella for one. In fact, at this point I believe that Paella for one is a bad idea. Dried out and unappetizing… I refuse to even start in on what they did to the calamari side dish. Paellitas Tradicion en Mercado San Anton does not get my endorsement, sadly.

I could not get in to Hotel Sardinero this time…

so I went with a slightly less expensive place, Aparthotel Tribunal which is right on top of the Tribunal Metro stop! Love the location! You can see just how close the Metro stop is to the hotel in this photo.

Immediately hit Duquesita for a couple pastries/cookies, I really like the simple stuff there. But the more ornate stuff looks good too. Wish I had a photo of the collection of cookies I got, they apparently sell the cookies by weight. It was a nice breakfast the next day. When I woke up I had the espresso in room, ate a couple cookies and walked in Retiro Parque for an hour.

Had a decent bocadillo con jamon at an open air park cafe. Not bad and the view of trees was great.

Then returned to Casa Dani where I had the same waiter as last April and I ordered confidently and in a relatively understandable accent! I was pretty chuffed.
Until my food got to the table and I realized that I had ordered Huevos Roto con Morcilla instead of Tortilla Español Tortilla con Morcilla. Whoops.

Still good, but not what i wanted.

But i did get a rather good Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp with garlic).

Next day I joined a Secret Food Tour of Madrid, which is a company I liked a lot in London. We started at el Riojano for a Bartolillo, which is similar to a flakey empanada but filled with a vanilla creme that was really good. Then we were off to Bartolome for a charcuterie plate with two types of Iberian ham and three types of chorizo, pork loin and ? Good time and good food, though I have to admit that the Iberian ham was only good not great. The downside of taking these food tours is that not every tour is relaxed and not every host of the tour group really wants the tour in their business all that much. Enough said about that.

Then we went to Bar la Ideal, the sister bar of the one I went to in April, but this time the Bocadillo Calamari was fresher and more tender and the waiter brought us a salsa brava (?) that added a slightly spicey touch that I really liked. And the Beer Mahau went down a treat, as well. Next it was off to Bar Refra for vermouth where our guide told how much the two owners there (brothers) hated each other. Oddly enough, we got moderately bad service. Odd that. Then we went to Casa Fraile for Manchego and Cabrales cheeses, spanish omelet, marinated peppers and the house shrimp toast thing. The cheeses and omelet were the winners there. Good time, though not quite as good as the food tour in London.

I am getting very slightly better at ordering in Spanish, which made my visit to Madrid even more enjoyable that my visit in April.

The next morning I boarded a Renfe Avlo train (Talgo trainset) from Atocha station in Madrid and was off at around 250 kph to Malaga. There is something oddly comforting about going to a chaotic place you know, slightly, and being able to navigate the ups and downs with ease. If only all of life was as easy as mastering a train station in a foreign county!

I really like the train system in Spain!

In Malaga I started out with a rather good Ensaladilla Rusa at Esquina Padilla, then ordered poorly. I have to learn to order to a restaurants strengths, not my whims.

The next day I walked by La Cosmopolita, sadly. I wanted to try it again, but of course it is closed. As was my favorite touristy cafe Los Marangos Alamos. Near Marangos the city has the entire sewer system opened up and being rebuilt, which explains both why Marangos Alamos and my favorite AirBNB in Malaga are closed…
I went to a couple restaurants I kind of want to try, but Araboka turned me down cold. I was only one person, did not have a reservation and did not look like I was their type. No, I did not take it personally. LOL!
But La Cosmo seated me immediately this time after turning me down last time. Who knows why. The fact that I do not do reservations is a problem I refuse to face up to. Someday I will, but not this day.
Anyway, I ordered Ostra Menier (Thai prep), Puerro (leek) con jamon and Amberjack Limon. The oyster was only borderline fresh and resembled the oyster I did not like at Cosmopolita, so I deserved that hit. The Amberjack was rather good, the prep was on point, the fish was very mildly cooked, so the flavor came through well and it was rather good. The hit of my meal, though, was oddly enough the leek dish. It was simply a slightly sweet, delicious treat. I really liked that dish.

I was up early the next morning for class and walked up the beach with a beautiful sunrise to the east…

I have been lunching between classes at panaderia owned by a very nice Argentinian woman, Claudia. I have a little empanada and a cortado and it comes out to less than 5€.

I usually have some parrots to help me with the crumbs.

Both my AirBNB hostess and my conversation coach recommended Uvedoble for tapas so I went there for a late lunch and was rather happy with my meal. I got Porra Antequerana, a tomato and dried bread soup dressed with shredded tuna. Very nice! I also had a super fresh and well prepared ceviche and an excellent octopus media racion/half portion.

Walked through a beautiful square as i left.

Finally, I got hungry late in the day and I folded under the pressure. I had seen multiple signs for French Tacos and I went in search of one. It was on the menu at a basic kebab shop just up the street and I ordered the Paris French Taco. Flour tortilla, diced potato, taco fixings, grill and press it. And it was rather good! I think it was originally a drunkards comfort food, but it has gotten huge in Spain. And I kind of like it!

But I am still in search of another Sopa de Andaluzia (tripe soup) and Frijoles Babitas, those little baby beans that I liked so much in Cordoba. And Espetos, the grilled sardines on a skewer. And the bigger clams since I spent an hour eating the little ones last time. And I have started stocking up on canned seafood, too.

It is probably apparent, but I really like both Malaga and Spain in general. And Madrid! This is a great country to visit!

[GretchenS]

You are a most excellent travel reporter! Always fun to read!

[Thimes]

Loved the post - and I can relate to so much of it! Especially the joy of navigating cities, menus, and trains - always a great sense of accomplishment. And I have often gotten something close to what I thought I ordered but not quite. LOL

I’m in the process of debating moving to France or Spain .. . . made me miss Spain. Thanks for the post!

[Thimes]

I had never heard of a “French Taco” until a recent trip to France - and had no idea it had made its way to Spain.

I have to say . . a French Taco . . . is the MOST unFrench things I’ve ever heard of (stereotypically speaking). Seasoned meat, fries, cheese, pressed between flour tortillas - I’d eat it but would never guess it was “French”.

[PedroPero]

La Cosmopolita is closed for good which is a shame, I’m glad you had better luck at La Cosmo than I did, I had a horrible experience there unfortunately. Great report as usual.

[erica1]

You are one funny guy! This was great to read and I like all the extra info about the day rooms, etc.

[Maribel]

@ZivBnd
The paella for one is indeed a very hard item to execute properly and few restaurants in Madrid will attempt it save the paella stand, “Paella by Rodrigo de la Calle” in the always heaving at the rafters Mercado de San Miguel and in the bar area of Rocacho Plaza on the Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca in the Salamanca district (this version for one is quite good). I’ve also had fine rice dishes for one (not paella) at the catalonian owners’ Can Bonet on Menéndez Pelayo, directly across from Retiro Park .
Here they serve a nice rice dish for one with snails and rabbit along with the catalán fideuá made with noodles instead of rice.

Glad to know that two dishes at La Cosmo were up to par and that you enjoyed UveDoble, which I´ve had on my “not so sure I’ll recommend anymore” list.

Since Dani Carnero closed La Cosmopolita, he indicated in press interviews that he would be adding a few of his La Cosmopolita greatest hits to the La Cosmo menu.
I hope he follows through and spends more time supervising there now.

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

My time in Malaga flew by. I was in class from 900 until 1400 most days, I made progress but I really need to spend more than 2 weeks in class.

After classes, I ended up going to a restaurant I felt comfortable in rather than one that had the very best food. It was Restorante Bar La Bouganvilla in Plaza Carbon, which is prime people watching territory. I had my favorites, the Queso Puro de Oreja Curado/Aged Sheep Cheese and Iberian Ham/Chorizo, their version of Bacalao, plus the Solomillo Retinto/Andaluzian beef “tenderloin”. Not sure if the translation matched the cut, but it was good. The main thing was that the waiters all knew me by Wednesday, and they actually talked to me in Spanish despite my halting progress in learning Spanish. Got into a long discussion with the head waiter about his future trip to Malaysia and Bali in December. It was just good to go somewhere where I did not care if I butchered my order. Which I did when I ordered salmon instead of tuna… I am not a fan of salmon anywhere, though. But the food was good and the people were welcoming.

Croquetes gambas/shrimp.

I forgot to mention the oxtail dish. It looked a mess but was delicious.

The view from my favorite table there. Oddly enough, i think those are bouganvilla flowers across the street.

They also serve very nice cheesecake and digestifs.

My next favorite place has consistently good food and an increasingly generous pour of vermouth each time I went. At UveDoble the waiter brings the vermouth bottle to the table and pours for you there. And if they recognize you, the pour takes a good bit longer. But more importantly, the food is very good. I went back for their grilled asparagus twice, plus the octopus/pulpo is excellent in both versions, roll and in an orange sauce of … Something I should recognize. But I like UveDoble a lot, enough that I got the sketch artist in the plaza to draw a picture of it from the outside, with me sitting at a table there. Not a great work, but one I will mount on my wall at home.

Ceviche at UveDoble.

And my fave, the asparagus, again.

Then it was back to Bouganvilla for the beef tenderloin. My photos are out of order a bit.

UveDoble and Bouganvilla use the same white with blue plates for some dishes, it threw me off.

I also had a very good version of Morcilla at Tasquita, near the Old Town Bar. It was futbol day and the crowds were everywhere, mostly watching tv’s with the game on.

I am not sure why, but for me, nearly every country I visit seems to have its own drink. In Greece it is Ouzo, in Italy it is the Aperol Spritz, in Portugal it is Port wine, in England it is cask ale and in Spain it is Vermouth. You may notice a glass of vermouth in a few of these fotos.
My favorite wall art in Malaga! Much better than the “Weasels Falling to Their Death” artwork i saw in April.

I hit two Chiringuitos, and the only good thing I got at the two of them were the espetos de sardinas. The sardines at Chiringuito Tropical were outstanding. Salty, and delicious. The seabass was not working for me, the skin was wrong somehow so I tried to remove it and made a mess of it. Not a great entré, but the starter was great.

At Chiringuito Cachalote, I asked if they had larger clams, or the smaller ones. The waiter said they were “medio” and I had been Jones’in for some clams so I ordered them again. And they were those same small ones that are ok but a lot more work than they were worth. And my king prawns at Chiringuito Cachalote were overcooked, peeling them turned into an epic battle. Not a great meal for me but I ordered poorly, again. My luck at Chiringuitos has turned bad.

Then the rains set in and walking took on a completely different feel. Malaga in the rain is beautiful in a completely different way.

I found Frinsa la Conserveras and started stocking up on tinned seafood, the best of which was the bacalao al pil pil/cod with spices. The chipirones in ink were good too. I also got Supremas al Ajillo, which kind of looks like seafood pressed into a noodle shape. I have not worked up the courage to try it yet. It is 54% aceite de girasol and 45% preparacion de surimi, so it is something I have had a lot of in the past.

The sun finally came out again, the day Malaga defeated CD Estepona conveniently. So the crowds were out walking and peeking into bars and businesses to see how the game was progressing. But I stopped by la Tasquita for their morcilla, which I had heard was good and it did not disappoint.

I had another off order when I returned to Anyway Wine Bar. I went for the beef stew but they were not ready to serve it so I chose the King Prawn Risotto which was only ok. The wines were good and the waitress was very good so it was a good time even if the main was not great.

I heard Meson Mariano had one of the best Ajoblanco soups in Malaga so I went and they were not serving it that day, but I had a rather good starter on the house, little white beans with cucumber, minced tomatoes, onion and green chilis. Very nice. Ordered Mariano’s Monkfish/Rapefish special with shrimp and those damned little clams and it was a very good meal, it tasted like something Mom’s have been making for their families for generations. I really liked that dish! The dining scene at Mariano’s is pretty tight, too many tables and not enough floor. But I wedged myself into a corner of the bar and dug in. Half the fun in Mariano’s is watching the waitstaff navigating around the customers, Mariano himself and the tiny little workspace. And they did it with style and a smile. Except Mariano, he was a bit grumpy but that was ok.

I cannot leave out my favorite little panaderia, la Ventana. It is run by a very nice Argentinian woman, Claudia. She has been preparing my empanada and cappuccino for a late breakfast every day for the past two weeks. Great little emapanadas and rather good cappuccino.

Finally, as I was leaving town I hit the bus station a half hour early so I got a cappuccino and a heated bocadillo with Iberian Ham and Manchego cheese at the bus station cafeteria and it was surprisingly good. The guy working there is a gruff older dude but when I told him “Ese bocadillo estaba muy, muy bueno!” he actually smiled and thanked me. That is about the only past form of a verb I have used this week, though. LOL!

Hopped my bus and watched the Spanish countryside roll by.
Life is good.

[PedroPero]

Even eating so so food in Malaga is such a treat! Such a beautiful city. I just missed the sardine season when I was there, but I did enjoy Chiringuito Cachalote. I ordered the roasted peppers and the fried baby squid, both were delicious and the view was heavenly.

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

Those both look great! I am jealous!
At least half of my “so-so dishes” are my own fault. I do not order well at times.

[PedroPero]

All good, looks like you had a great time regardless.

[Maribel]

Glad to know that you enjoyed UveDoble. It’s time to put it back on my list again!
Lovely photos!

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

I spent another few days with a quick visit to Granada, where the Alhambra was sold out when I tried to get tickets so I just walked the downtown area on my one full day. Like Granada a lot! I tried to get in to Los Diamantes Bib Rambla that has been recommended here (love the plaza and the cathedral there, i went back to people watch and hit another restaurant near there later) but it was heaving so I went up the street to Los Diamantes Plaza Nueva, which was busy as well but I found space at the bar and ordered a beer and Navajas. The beer was cold and quick, first free tapas was shrimp puffs which were only ok. The Navajas arrived and they were the star of the show! Delicious! They were swimming in oil and the bar tender did not give me a fork or toothpick so I just tucked in. Messy but delicious! Had another beer and it came with a fried seafood mix that was kind of good. Great scene, fun bar.

Had a Pionono on my way back to my hotel, it has a filling that surprised me but it was a fun dessert after the beers and seafood.

For dinner I wanted to go to El Orejas Cocinalenta but it was too busy so I went to La Telefonica instead and though it was busy they found a small table for me. The comp tapas was a chickpea curry of sorts, really tasty and completely unexpected. Starter was Tripe Bao, kind of a fusion plate but not a success. The tripe was only so-so and the bao fell apart immediately. The star of the show arrived then, a Salmon Tartar dish that featured an avocado base, pomegranates, walnuts and sprouts. I am not a huge fan of salmon but this worked. Odd, but delicious! Very welcoming staff and a good meal.

Walked about Granada a good bit, very nice.

I almost forgot, I had my first Chocolate in Spain at a neighborhood place, Cafeteria Internacional. Oh, my God! It was like a chocolate syrup reduction! I have never had more chocolate at one time in my life. LOL! I had chocolate milk growing up but this is like comparing Limoncello to grain alcohol… But in a good way.

In Madrid I went to Abuelo’s again, same guy served me, same welcoming manner. I think I ordered Huevos y Patata con Iberian Jamon. Good, not great, liked the Gambas al Ajillo a bit better but still good.

Then I was running out of time so I hit Mercado San Ildefonso and had Bulgogi and a Paulaner Weissbier. Good, not great but it was a nice change of pace.

Back home in Montana. My deer were surprised to see me back, they have been using my meadows for a quiet retreat this past couple weeks.

I love to travel but home is best. For a month or two…

[Maribel]

" I had chocolate milk growing up but this is like comparing Limoncello to grain alcohol"

That’s so funny. Yes, the hot chocolate here is incredibly thick and rich. I can never finish a cup.

What you had at La Casa del Abuelo was broken eggs, “huevos rotos”, a classic Old Madrid tavern dish.