Malaga and Madrid Trip Report - April 2025

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

Malaga! Where to begin? I arrived via Renfe train on the 18th

and it has been an eye opening week so far. First, the architecture here is so over the top beautiful, the buildings line up one after the other, Roman, Moorish, Baroque…

Andalusian,

Art Deco’ish?

Modern cubist…

And then they drop the occasional Brutalist Middle Finger in the midst of all this beauty…

And then the crowds of tourists! I reminds me of Yogi Berra, perhaps someday we will be saying “Malaga? No one goes there anymore, it is too crowded!”

Probably not, though.
Then there is the food, I have been concentrating as much as possible on variations of Tapas and baked goods. I felt like I was on a mission to find a few items and experience several refectoriums and taverns. First and foremost, I started on my bakery tour, in search of Nazareño, Buneulo or Pestiños. And learned a new phrase. Nosotros no tenemos comida frito. Only baked goods, not fried. But I got a nice simple white bread sandwich with cheese and some type of ham (Sandwích Masa?) plus a very nice double espresso. The owner of La Ventana is a very sweet woman and her baked goods are great too.

That evening my next visit was to Anyway Wine Bar. I kept it simple and ordered Iberico Jamon plus Pecorino Cheese with Truffles. I have been on a vermouth kick since I arrived and Anyway serves a rather nice dry vermouth. Plus the host and waiter were very welcoming, which is hard in a tourist city. I really enjoyed this place! It is one of the places that explains perhaps a little more the origin of the foods served than is useful to a tyro like me, but it is all good. Being proud of where they source their food is a rather good thing.

I had just spent an hour or more on a tall ship docked at the pier near Anyway. The Galeon Andalucia is a beauty! 400 tons, a true tall ship sailing under her own ail power, not normally using her auxiliary engines. You are allowed on the main deck, the gun deck and the hold and each had its charms.

My actual first meal in Malaga was a bit of a let down, not as much for the food as for the experience. I was tired from travel and grabbed a table at the best “looking” taverna that was open at 7pm, Cafe de L’Abuela. Kept it simple, bocadillo con Manchego Queso con Iberico Lomo plus a Tortilla España Patata. I am going to mangle some of these names, so please forgive my faulty memory! The sandwich was pretty darned good, I really enjoyed it! But the Tortilla España was dry and boring. Batting .500, not bad. Then my waiter just disappeared and his colleague would not bring me food or a bill. Or a beer! The nerve! Seriously, though, I had to hunt down the manager. Never did see my waiter again.

The next day was a walking day, Sentir Cafe for Cafe Con Leche and some sort of banana almond cake, pretty darned good.

After wearing myself out staring slack-jawed at beautiful buildings and stumbling into a few religious processions…

I took a few pictures and headed home to grab a bite at a “chain” cafe, Los Marangos Alamos. There must be 4 or 5 of them in Malaga, each of them slightly different but with a similar menu. The one on Alamos turned out to be a nice friendly’ish place to enjoy the tapas and vermouth. I had the Boquerones (Anchovies) Vinaigre plus a tripe/bean stew called Callos a la Andaluz that was simply delicious. The layered flavors, the texture, just outstanding! The waiter was a bit of a grump but his colleagues were laughing with guests and it was a good time.

Then it was up 40 steps to my clean, cool, comfortable apartment overlooking Los Marangos Norte and Sud, and the Museo de Arte Flamenco. Very chill, very nice.
Before I go any further, I would just like to thank all of you who gave me tips on where to visit in Malaga and Madrid! I try to take advantage of the knowledge shared here and I have gone to as many of the recommended places as I can. I am hindered a bit by my own shortcomings, I really have a hard time with reservations, lines and crowds. I live in a quiet neck of the woods and sometimes being around this many people gets me a little wild eyed. But I really appreciate the recommendations, even if I cannot get to all of them!
And I really like Malaga, even if there are way too many people like me.
Esos malditos turistas!
LOL

[Phoenikia]

I love how you travel!

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Fabulous trip report! Keep 'em coming

[GretchenS]

Love love love your reports! Please keep posting!

[PedroPero (PETER)]

Wonderful photos and reporting!

[erica1]

More, more!!! We’re right there with you!

[Maribel]

Love all the photos! You were very lucky to experience some of the pomp and beauty of Malaga’s Holy Week despite the crowds. And no rain, unlike last year’s!

Glad you enjoyed Any Way Wine Bar.

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

Well, my initial affection for Malaga has not changed. I really love this city! There are way too many tourists but not even hordes of us can tarnish the charm. It took me two days but eventually I learned north from south, mostly by wandering and unintentionally ending up over by Alcazaba, the hill fort. My third day I decided to try a Peruvian place, Caravana, because I had seen their ceviche and it looked delicious. I started with smoked mussels with tortilla chips and corn meal/polenta. The mussels were great and the Peruvian polenta was a perfect garnish of sorts. The ceviche was tapas on the menu but entrée sized on the plate. Loved this dish!!! And the owners were very cool, they stayed and chatted with me for a time.

Phoenikia had mentioned a few items and I was on a holy mission to find at least a few of them during holy week. My first bakery was Amaricio Pananderia and they had no Bunuelos, Nazareños or Pestinos, so I settled on some sort of Flan and Mojicon de Almenderas that was outstanding!

Then I ran into a problem of my own making. I have been living in Montana for a time and I have lost the ability to tolerate crowds. Or to do so willingly, most of the time. So I walked past a jammed Meson Iberico twice and ended up in rather quiet La Pecha instead. Avoiding a popular, well respected tapas place for one that is rather quiet might not be the best way to choose a meal. And I got what I deserved. But I am not sure what it is because I am pretty sure I did not order pickled herring on a rockhard piece of last weeks bread, drizzled with a vinegar reduction mixed with chocolate.

That one confused me. But I walked by my favorite wall art of the day. Imagine super sized squirrels and weasels falling to their deaths on a 10 story building. Sounds bizarre, but it works.

Walked some more in the central part of historic Malaga. Love just walking this city.

The next morning I resumed my quest for Pestiños, Buñuelos and Nazareños. Failed. Again. But I got a nice Caracola from Cervantes Pananderia over by the Bilmer and Refectorium Malagueta.

Then I screwed up my courage and dived in to the very crowded Refectorium Malagueta for vermouth griffo (on tap?), an outstanding gazpacho’like Porra Antequerana followed by a decent Flamenquin Malegueta. Great bar scene, I felt like an extra in a Spanish Rom-Com. Have I mentioned how many beautiful women are in Malaga? Unfortunately I am most definitely the extra and not the lead.

The Jardines de Alonso were looking pretty inviting after a good meal so I sat and admired the statue of the flower seller. Nice to see a common worker in statuary, not just the rich and famous.

Then I walked past the church doors at end of day, the shadows seemed to make the ornate decorations even more pleasing to the eye.

Finally! Found a Bunuelo at Mallorquina Pananderia, bought it and a simple folded dough treat to go with it and retreated home for coffee and deserts. The Bunuelo had a cream center that was slightly sweet but not overpowering. Very nice. The folded dough one was pretty simple, just a touch of an apple filling, but went well with coffee.

I was walked out so I returned to the cafe/taverna downstairs from my apartment, Los Marangos Alamos, for a very nice calamari (chipirones?) dish followed by a good but not great version of Ensaladilla Rusa/Russian Salad. I got the nice waitress instead of the grumpy waiter so all was good! And I am starting to like the vermouths of Malaga a bit too much…

[PedroPero (PETER)]

Loved Malaga, even with the throngs of tourists, like me, it’s still very charming and the architecture and food scene are outstanding. Hopefully you can take a stroll on the beach, not sure what the weather’s like tho.

[erica1]

Ziv don’t you know the extras always get the prize??

Those calamaris at LOS MARANGOS ALAMOS look divine. Not to mention all those gooey, creamy pastries!! I’m always so happily surprised to see how pastries differ from one city to another, even within the same region, in this case, Andalucia. The pastries you tried do not seem to resemble the types I sampled further west in the province of Cadiz. (I’m now going through withdrawal after finishing an entire box of “alfajores” made in Medina Sidonia.). I wonder if you can find something similar in Malaga; they are different from any pastry that I’ve had before…

Alfajores (Spain) | Traditional Dessert From Andalusia | TasteAtlas

So glad the “City of Falling Weasels” is treating you right!!

What about having a bite at LA COSMOPOLITA, as it seems to be so beloved among the Malaga-philes on this forum??

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

Oddly enough, my final post from Malaga addresses places mentioned by Peter and Erica.
But it is another long one. So i will post it tomorrow.
Thank you all for taking the time to read these posts!

[GretchenS]

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with such rewarding reading material!!

[Maribel]

Continuing to enjoy your lovely photos! They really do capture the city’s spring beauty.

I’m glad you enjoyed the bar scene at Refectorium Malagueta. We love their Russian salad, at both Refectoriums, but I think the bar scene at the one near the bullring is even more lively!

Have you discovered yet the 12 or so different ways to order coffee in Málaga?
“Nube, sombra, corto, mitad, cremita”… whether you want it served in a cup or a glass, short or long, with milk (con leche) or without (café solo) and how much milk you want (percentage of milk to coffee) then if you want the milk “caliente, templada o fria”.
And what you want along with your coffee, a “pitufo”, a “mollete” (soft bun) of something like “carne mechá”, “una tostada con pan y tomate o jamón”, some churros or “tejeringos”, churros fried into rings (at the classic Casa Aranda), etc.

And some of the old school accompany their coffee with a shot of brandy or anis, in the winter time to give them a little kick to start the cold morning.

It’s a challenge!

If you can endure the crowds at the Atarazanas market (best to go early before 11 and never on Monday when the fishmongers’s stands are closed. tight), there is a delightful place to nosh, especially on seafood at the very back of the market, with bar stools and a great selection of local wines. It’s MARISQUERÍA EL YERNO at stand 185.

Marisquería El Yerno, la esquina de la felicidad

I do love La Cosmopolita (1 Repsol sun), which is my first meal when I visit Málaga and the wait staff inside is very accommodating, especially when I go as a single female diner, as many items can be ordered in half portions.
it’s market based, so the menu changes daily, but if they offer steak tartar nestled in bone marrow, I always order it.

[PedroPero (PETER)]

And don’t forget the fabulous cheesecake! Also, if they have sweetbreads on the menu, don’t sleep on it.

[Maribel]

You know, Pedro Pero, I’m not a big fan of offal, but those sweetbreads look amazing,

[PedroPero (PETER)]

Like pulpo, I’ll order sweetbreads every time I see them on the menu.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Right? The pleasure is entirely ours, @ZivBnd

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Same. And those look fantastic.

[ZivBnd (Ziv)]

Those sweetbreads look outstanding! Unfortunately, this brings me to a point that I need to remember. I went to Cosmpolita and had a very nice meal, but I think I missed some of its best dishes. It is not enough to take recommendations on a restaurant from someone you respect, you have to listen to what they order as much as where they order it. This is complicated by the fact that Cosmopolita has an ever changing menu depending on what is freshest, but the point is still an important one. I saw that they had Peruvian/Japanese/Nikkei Tiradito prepared oysters, bacalao croquets and Callos a la Andaluza, all favorites of mine but not dishes that have been recommended at Cosmopolita. And like a fool, I ordered what I liked at other restaurants instead of ordering dishes that had been recommended to me at Cosmopolita. The Tiradito was completely unlike what I had in Peru, it was kind of a marinated oyster and it was unsliced. Luckily I only ordered one because it was thoroughly ok. Then I had an unmemorable cod croquet. I have a Brazilian friend who used to make Bacalao for me that I loved, but there are over 400 types of Bacalao and so far none are as good as my friends. The croquets were fairly good but I should have stuck with the referred dishes. Finally I ordered Callos and it was rather good, rich and creamy with a good amount of tripe. Service was very good and the vermouth was outstanding! I definitely will go back!

My other favorite stop was at Chiringuito Tropical on the beach for grilled seafood. This was a lot of fun, I got 6 sardines and a big bowl of clams and dug in happily. The sardines were outstanding and nibbling the meat off of the bones is half the fun. Loved this dish. I again ordered poorly though. I thought I had ordered the slightly more expensive but larger clams but got the small ones instead. They were good though slightly gritty but it was a lot of work getting to the bottom of that bowl! LOL!

I wandered into the cathedral after the beach lunch, just amazing architecture and light. Amazing place to visit!

Dinner that night was lighter at Bouganvilla, just Jamon Iberico (or was it chorizo?), Pecorino Cheese and salted cod fritters that were sort of Bacalao light, served with a delicious little side salad of veg.

I went back to visit my Argentinian friend at La Ventana Panaderia and she said I should try a pastry she called a Montaña. I had mentioned I was from Montana so she might have renamed it for me, but it was simply delicious with my little espresso sitting in the square at Plaza de la Merced.

The next morning I climbed up the hill to Gibralfaro Castle and wandered around the battlements enjoying the views of Malaga. Another great place to visit, the earlier the better to beat most of the tourists to the top.

Then it was back down to enjoy the night scene in Malaga’s old town area, very interesting place to people watch with a vermouth in your hand.

I just about bought out the store that had both a huge collection of tinned seafood and salted cod! The fact that I could not take any of it home with me kept me from making poor purchasing choices.

My final night I at dinner a little later at nondescript tourist places and both places were just swamped. The waiters were simply not able to keep up with the demand so service was very slow but the food was fairly good. The best of the three dishes was a chickpea stew called Puchero, if memory serves. Simply delicious, lots of chicken and not enough chickpeas, but chunks of carrot and potato made up for it.

And I found out at the last minute that I had a folded over little treat called a Pestino without even realizing what it was. So I had the Bunuelos con crema and the Pestinos con manzana, so I have gotten to enjoy two of the three main pastries Erica recommended I look for!

I have one more event to post about but it is not food related so I will just add it below, later.

[PedroPero (PETER)]

@ZivBnd

Chiringuito

I loved the chiringuitos! What a great way to eat and enjoy the beach. You’re right about Cosmopolita, or any restaurant that has an ever changing menu. Even if 10 people recommend the same dish, it all depends what time of the year you’re there. I think the cheesecake is the only thing that’s always on the menu. Looks like you’re having a great time.