Málaga has spent years being overlooked in favour of its more glamorous neighbours. That has changed. The city’s historic centre has been transformed over the past decade into one of the most interesting food neighbourhoods in Andalusia, with a combination of traditional bodegas, excellent tapas bars, and a new generation of chefs doing serious work without the fanfare of Seville or San Sebastián.
The essential Málaga experience remains unchanged: espetos de sardinas — fresh sardines skewered on a reed and grilled over an open fire on the beach at a chiringuito. Eat them at lunchtime with cold Moscatel from the Axarquía wine region and bread to mop up the oil. For the city’s traditional bodega culture, El Pimpi — a cavernous bar in the old city with barrels signed by everyone from Picasso to Antonio Banderas — is the address that defines the local style.