One of the most popular cities in Southern Spain, Malaga, is known for its delicious seafood dishes. Malaga is a city that stretches through the coastal line, which gives it ample access to fresh seafood. Therefore, seafood dishes are central to local cuisine. We gathered the top 10 seafood restaurants in Malaga in this article for you. You will be able to taste some of the most unique and delicious seafood dishes in either of these restaurants.
1. Restaurante la Barra de Zapata – One of the most trendy Seafood Restaurants in Malaga
Address: C. Salinas, 10, 29015 Málaga
Restaurante la Barra de Zapata is one of the most trendy seafood restaurants in Malaga. The venue is known for making traditional seafood dishes like paella and grilled octopus. While all seafood platters are delicious, the Pulpo a la Brasa is a must-try at Barra de Zapata. The Pulpo a la Brasa is an octopus dish cooked to perfect tenderness with a smoky flavour from the sweet and tangy red pepper sauce.
The restaurant also has an extensive wine list to accompany its rich menu, making it a perfect place to enjoy a luxurious seafood dinner. Restaurante la Barra de Zapata is a great choice for a fun night out with friends, a romantic date, or a cosy dinner with family.
The restaurant can be best described to be looking like modernistic bar. The tables are made of large barrels, giving the restaurant an interesting vibe. It is a hidden little venue on the street connecting the Cathedral and Plaza de la Constitución. You can see the Cathedral’s from your seat at this restaurant.
The menu also includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options to suit everyone’s liking. Make sure to leave some room for dessert while satisfying your taste buds at this venue, since the cheesecake at this restaurant is also fantastic.
2. El Pimpi
Address: C. Granada, 62, 29015 Málaga
El Pimpi is another restaurant considered one of the most popular seafood restaurants in Malaga. Its menu offers a rich selection of seafood dishes, including octopus, sardines, and squid.
A must-try dish at El Pimpi is the Fritura Malagueña, a platter of fried shrimp, squid, anchovies, sardines and other sea products. The freshest seafood is dipped into a batter and cooked perfectly to be light and crispy, making this dish a truly satisfying meal. Moreover, El Pimpi also has a very rich wine collection. Therefore, this place becomes an ideal restaurant to indulge in a luxurious seafood dinner.
Another important information we should note is that El Pimpi is a very historical restaurant. It was founded in 1971 by two men who wanted to manage a wine cellar. Since then, it hosted many celebrities, and has different rooms, each featuring a different vibe. Its unique setting, special menu and long history turned El Pimpi Malaga into a landmark for the city.
3. La Deriva – One of the finest Seafood Restaurants in Malaga
Address: Alameda de Colón, 7, 29001 Málaga
Another excellent seafood restaurant, La Deriva, is known for its creative and innovative seafood dishes. If you are interested in exploring seafood alternatives with a twist, you shouldn’t skip La Deriva when visiting Malaga. The menu contains many seafood dishes including grilled octopus, tuna tartare, and fresh oysters.
One of the most famous recipes of La Deriva is the Arroz Meloso de Mariscos, which is a creamy rice dish that includes a variety of seafood like shrimp, clams, mussels, and squid. Above all, each dish is carefully prepared to awaken the natural flavors of the seafood, with creative garnishes and sauces added, which create a good impression for the guests.
In addition to being one of the best venues for a seafood dinner, La Deriva also offers different options to eat at other times of the day. They open at the early hours of the day to serve breakfast dishes, accompanied with delicious coffee.
The restaurant is inside a stone building, but also has tables set in front outside the street. The interior displays a modern decor with eye catching ceiling lighting.
4. Marisqueria El Cateto
Address: C. Pedro de Lobo, 3, 29014 Málaga
Marisqueria El Cateto is known for its fresh seafood dishes and friendly service. The restaurant’s rich menu offers a wide range of seafood options like paella, lobster, shrimp, octopus, and more. One of the must-try dishes at this venue is the Paella de Marisco, which is the restaurant’s own version of the classic Spanish paella. The dish brings out the natural sweetness of fresh seafood, such as shrimp, clams, mussels, and squid by combining it with a rice cooked with flavorful broth.
Moreover, the friendly and relaxed atmosphere of Marisqueria El Cateto makes this place a great spot for a leisurely meal with family or friends. Overall, this venue is definitely a must-visit restaurant for all the seafood lovers visiting Malaga.
The restaurant looks like a small room from the outside. The interior is designed with humble material, creating a cozy and familiar atmosphere. However, beneath this regular setting, the restaurant hides delicious gems inside. To showcase its delicious menu, the restaurant was one of the finalists for the Gurmé Málaga awards.
5. La Cosmopolita Malagueña
Address: C. José Denis Belgrano, 3, 29015 Málaga
La Cosmopolita is a stylish seafood restaurant that serves an array of seafood dishes such as octopus with garlic, mussels in white wine sauce, and prawns with spicy sauce. If you’re looking for something light and fresh, the Ceviche de Gambas is a great option. This zesty dish features plump, juicy shrimp marinated in citrus juice and served with avocado and corn chips.
Moreover, the elegant and sophisticated atmosphere of this restaurant is the key element making it a perfect place for a romantic dinner.
La Cosmopolita Malagueña has a very cozy outdoor seating area, furnished with white tables and chairs. The interior is designed with a rustic and vintage style decor, with an exotic touch to accompany to its delicious Andalucian menu. The restaurant’s menu partly changes every day based on what the head chef has seen at the market that morning.
6. Cerveceria La Surena
Address: Muelle Uno, CC EL Muelle I Local: L-67, 29001 Málaga
Offering a wide range of fresh traditional seafood dishes like fried fish, squid rings, and seafood paella, the Cerveceria La Surena ensures a satisfying experience for all its customers. However, a must-try at La Surena is the Paella de Marisco. This traditional Spanish dish features a variety of fresh seafood like mussels, shrimp and clams. All the seafood products are cooked to perfection in a flavorful broth and served over saffron-infused rice.
The restaurant also offers a variety of tapas dishes with generous portions and reasonable prices. Hence, it becomes an excellent spot for a casual dinner or a quick beer.
The “cerveceria” of the restaurant is another item on the menu that its preferred the most. The cerveceria is a bucket filled with ice, and has four or five bottled beet inside. Every Tuesday, the restaurant applies a major discount to certain tapas dishes when they’re ordered together with a cerveceria.
7. El Tapeo de Cervantes
Address: C. Cárcer, 8, 29012 Málaga
El Tapeo de Cervantes is a seafood restaurant that specializes in tapas-style dishes. The restaurant offers guests a variety of seafood tapas such as tuna tartare, prawn skewers, and grilled octopus.
A significant seafood dish at El Tapeo de Cervantes is the Ceviche de Atun, a refreshing and flavorful dish of marinated tuna served with avocado and crispy plantain chips. This dish perfectly complements the fresh tuna with a citrusy marinade. In addition, El Tapeo de Cervantes is also well-known for its rich wine list to accompany the delicious dishes.
The restaurant is located near the Teatro Cervantes de Malagas. Due to its central location and the lively street its on, the venue is a popular stop for both the visitors and locals. The interior is designed in a way to be warm and cozy, with a touch of traditional wooden furniture.
8. La Taberna del Pintxo
Address: Calle Alarcón Luján 12, Esq, C. Antonio Baena Gómez, nº 3, 29005 Málaga
La Taberna del Pintxo is a delighted seafood restaurant that focuses on Basque-style tapas dishes. The menu includes a wide variety of seafood tapas like grilled prawns, anchovy skewers and tuna tartare.
A must-try plate at this venue is the Gamba Roja a la Plancha. This simple dish serves fresh and juicy grilled red prawns with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Therefore, the eaters are able to experience the full flavour of the prawns which are carefully cooked to perfection. The beauty and simplicity of this dish make it a must-try for any seafood lover in Malaga. Guests coming to La Taberna del Pintxo can enjoy the relaxing and casual atmosphere of the venue, as well as its flavourful dishes.
The design of this restaurant is as visually gorgeous as the food served. To accompany its well-put together dishes, the restaurant displays neat, white decor with rustic touches. During the day, occasionally, hot pintxos exit the kitchen and circled around the tables by waiters for the guests to take if they want.
9. Marisqueria La Palmera
Address: P.º Marítimo el Pedregal, 97, 29017 Málaga
Marisqueria La Palmara is a family-owned restaurant that specializes in fresh, locally caught seafood. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, including grilled octopus, crab, and razor clams.
However, the most well-known dish at this venue is the Pulpo a la Parrilla, a perfectly grilled octopus served with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. The cooked octopus is tender in texture and have a rich, smoky flavour. Bringing out the fresh octopus’s natural flavours, this dish will surely impress any seafood lover.
The venue features an Andalusian-style decor and has a very friendly staff, which creates a welcoming atmosphere. Thus, guests can truly enjoy the food like they are at home.
10. Los Mellizos – Among the must-go Seafood Restaurants in Malaga
Address: C. Sancha de Lara, 7, 29015 Málaga
For seafood lovers, Los Mellizos is definitely a must-visit restaurant in Malaga. Located in the historic center, the restaurant not only offers a vast selection of fresh seafood dishes such as paella, lobster, and grilled fish but also brings a cozy coastal retreat, with its simple yet elegant décor, and crisp white tablecloths.
At Los Mellizos, the Parrillada de Mariscos is a fantastic choice, which is a sizzling platter of grilled seafood. The plate includes grilled shrimp, squid and a variety of fish, all served with a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil. The fresh and flavorful seafood in this platter also carries they smokey flavor from the grill.
At the heart of Costa del Sol, Malaga offers a wide range of seafood restaurants. As a seafood lover, you’ll be able to find all types of venues, from cozy and intimate restaurants to elegant and luxurious dining experiences that serve both traditional and modern seafood dishes. Overall, there is something for everyone in Malaga’s seafood scene. If you are a seafood lover in the city, make sure to check out these top 10 seafood restaurants in Malaga.
Finally, after having your tasty meal and still thinking about where to go and what to do, you can go to “Best free things to do in Malaga during your stay, all year round” for more suggestions.
11. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What part of Spain has the best seafood?
Any coastal city of Spain has great seafood. However, Malaga and Galicia stand out as the ones having the most fresh and delicious seafood. Malaga is on the south side of Spain.
The waters around Malaga are relatively warm, which makes it a perfect location for seafood like crabs, skewers and shrimp. Galicia, on the other hand, is located in the northwest Spain. Its waters are in contact with the cold tides from the Atlantic. Therefore, Galicia is best known for its clams, mussels and scallops.
2. What is the seafood capital of Spain?
The seafood capital of Spain is known as Galicia. The cool and rich waters of the Atlantic ocean mixes with the waters around the city. Therefore, the sea around Galicia turns into a perfect habitat for many sea products.
3. What is the most popular Spanish seafood?
Spanish cuisine is very rich in terms of seafood. Sea Urchin, Scallops, Razor Clams, Mussels and Oysters are some of the most popular Spanish seafood.
4. What are top 3 seafood dishes in Spain?
Three most popular seafood dishes in Spain are Paella, Pullpo a la Gallega, and Gambas al Ajillo. Paella is a traditional rice dish including various seafood like shrimps, mussels and skewers, while Pullpo a la Gallega is a type of traditional octopus dish. Gambas al Ajillo, on the other hand, is a simple dish of grilled prawns served with olive oil and salt.
5. Is seafood expensive in Spain?
Spain is very abundant in sea products. Therefore, seafood is relatively cheap in Spain.
If you are looking for more information about life in Malaga, you can visit the official website of Malaga. To get more information about the public transportation lines, visit Malaga Metro’s website.
