Eating in Malaga

BEING situated in the southern tip of Spain’s Mediterranean coast, Malaga surely abounds of fish caught from that piece of sea. This variety of would-be seafood can mostly be found along the shorelines where residents and tourists alike buy fresh sea produce. Restaurants all over Malaga also serve seafood. The seafood is usually fried with olive oil which is the healthiest frying oil one can find. They come in different forms – red mullet, whiting, fresh anchovies, baby lobsters, clams, grilled shrimp, mollusks and squid. Olive oil is also used to fry meat-based viands and these are served in restaurants like 7 de Julio, La Taberna del Pintor, Orellana, Antonio and Adolfo Restaurante. There are also quality but cheap restaurants located along Paseo Maritimo Antonio Martin which caters only unique Malaga food.

Of course, there are still lots of other native Spanish delicacies that Malaga offers like their unique appetizer which comes in various forms, the tapas. Tapas (which is usually made of beef) is so known all over the world that it even has an offshoot in the Philippines called tapa. Spanish cuisine is also distinct because it incorporates halal food, parts of the country having undergone Moorish rule. One of the more prominent forms of halal is lamb kebab which is very delicious if you only try it. The Spanish are also known for their sherry wine fresh from the vineyards and wineries of Jerez. Other delicacies in Malaga are chanquetes which is made of tiny fish cooked in vinegar; gazpacho, a spicy vegetable soup; sardines grilled with charcoal; Malaga-style noodles; anchovy fried in vinegar; soup from anglerfish; egg soup; asparagus with buns; Malaga-style fried fish; Malaga-style stuffed tuna; potatoes with garlic sauce; rice with toppings made from various seafood; little cod omelettes; beans; Victorian-style anchovy; coquinas or small clams cooked with white wine; and bull’s tail (Spain being the land of bullfighting). Sardines grilled in charcoal are eaten by hand even by celebrities and government ministers. Polvorones are usually served as dessert.

The most popular restaurant in Malaga is La Posada de Antonio, a restaurant owned by Spanish-born Hollywood hunk Antonio Banderas. La Posada de Antonio specializes in grilled meat of various styles especially lamb kebab which I’ve mentioned earlier as halal food. Some of these varieties are fried meat-filled croquette, potatoes in spicy sauce, patatas a la brave, eggplant with honey, grilled sausage berenjenas con miel and churascos.

If you want to hobnob with celebrities and drool at the sight of young hunks and girls alike and at the same time eat good food, go to El Pimpi. Among the many popular visitors of El Pimpi are the king himself, Don Juan Carlos, who legendarily went inside the restaurant at the last minute to escape the rain while he was on a motorcade. The owner of La Posada de Antonio, Antonio Banderas, wife Melanie Griffith and daughter Stella Carmen are also regular fans here. Tapas served here are campesino, ham pudding and ligeritos which cost about 6 euros.