Are you a fan of ‘magro con tomate’? or perhaps the refreshing ‘pipirrana’ drives you crazy? To celebrate the ‘World Day of Tapas’ we bring you restaurants of Málaga where you can enjoy a free tapa with your drink.
Málaga’s gastronomy offers always a good excuse to try and enjoy different kinds of food, and there is no better way to do it that with the traditional ‘tapeo’ eating, (having your meals with the ‘informal’ tapas, sometimes just standing in a bar, instead of a formal lunch/dinner served with different main orders). In Espacar we think this is something very especial and you cannot miss the chance to try it, so we have come up with this guide of restaurants and bars in Málaga where you can have your drink with a free tapa.
This tradition of serving free tapas with your drink is not typical of Málaga. It is Granada the city best known for this. You can also enjoy it in Almería and some other towns of Andalucía, mainly in the hinterland.
History tell us the origin of tapas is related to the king Alfonso X ‘El Sabio’ (the ‘wiseman’) in 13th century. The king ruled that all inns had to serve some food with the wine to try to avoid it could ‘cloud reason and judgement’ of customers.
Restaurants in Málaga City Centre with drinks and free tapas
Some of the more traditional places in the city have joined the ‘new’ trend of offering free tapas with your drink. Among them you can find Chopp (in Muelle Uno and Plaza de la Solidaridad), ‘la Hermandad Jamonera’ located in Carretería Street and ‘Los Gatos’, in Plaza Uncibay.
Out of the city centre, but not far, you can also find in Carlos Haya Avenue, ‘El Martinete’ and ‘La Caña de España’, in the district of Los Corazones, ‘Cinema Café’ and close to the Train Station María Zambrano one of the franchisees of the Grenadian chain, Chopp.
In some of these restaurants, customers are allowed to choose the tapa from a list of them offered, but in others, you do not have that possibility although, usually, every day you have a different option to taste.
Cheap ‘tapeo’ in the Carretera de Cádiz area
Of course, not all restaurants are in the city centre. We can also find some of them in the western part of the city.
Las Pirámides district is the place to find two of these, located very close to each other: ‘Tapería Esencia’ with a ‘fusion’ kitchen with very reasonable prices and of course, free tapas with your drink; and ‘La Granaina’ with a huge offering of tapas to choose free with your drink but also with nice ‘extras’ like ‘pescaito frito’, Spanish scramble eggs, the typical ‘Russian salad’ (famously known in half Europe as the ‘Spanish salad’) or some funny small sandwiches (‘montaditos’). We also recommend to choose some tapas from the menu (only 1,2€ each!) and of course, the ‘patatas bravas’ (fried potatoes with hot spicy sauce). They have become so successful they have opened a second restaurant near Huelin park.
Moving around, in ‘El Torcal’ district, you must pay a visit to ‘El Aserradero’ or ‘El Tapeo del Colilla’. This last one closes on Sunday.
Teatinos distric: the new king for tapas in Málaga
Teatinos is one of the recently developed districts of Málaga full of new buildings close to Málaga University main campus. Its gastronomy offering is growing with the new housing developments and is becoming a popular place for ‘tapeo’ as parking here is easier than in other areas of the city.
Thanks to higher than average student population, bars and restaurants with free tapas are on the rise. They get very crowded so we recommend to arrive before 9’00pm to get a place to seat. If you like traditional tapas you have to go to El Refugio, with typical tapas from Malaga like ‘porras’ or ‘migas’. But if you prefer something more modern, and with an international touch, you better go to El Hormiguero or Raff Tapas&Bar. Both of them are opening in other districts of the city and you can also find them in Santa Paula district and in the city centre.
More restaurants to eat cheap in Málaga province
You can also find restaurants with free tapas with your drink out of Málaga city. For example:
- Quest and Chopp in Alhaurín de la Torre.
- La Tapería and the Bodeguita la Canita in Benalmádena - Arroyo de la Miel
- Hispania and Chopp Playamar in Torremolinos.
- Pal-Buche in Rincón de la Victoria.
- La Reina de las Tapas in Fuengirola.
Next time you drive around Málaga in your Espacar car hire we hope this modest guide may help you to enjoy a great gastronomy offer without spending a lot of money.
*Espacar cannot accept any responsibility because of changes on the menu of these restaurants.
Where to Find Them
Bar Jamones: Calle Carretería, 87, 29008 Málaga.
Los Gatos: Plaza de Uncibay, 9, 29008 Málaga.
Mesón El Martinete: Av. de Carlos Haya, 31, 29010 Málaga.
La Caña de España: Av. de Carlos Haya, 56, 29010 Málaga.
Cinema Café Los Reyes: Av. de José Ortega y Gasset, 42, 29006 Málaga.
Chopp:
- Chopp Muelle Uno.
- Chopp Málaga: Plaza de la Solidaridad, 2, 29002 Málaga.
- Chopp Huelin: Calle Tomás Echeverría, número 19, 29002 Málaga, Málaga.
- Chopp Playamar: Paseo Marítimo Torremolinos número 69, Urb. Costa Lago, 29620 Torremolinos, Málaga.
- Chopp Alhaurin de la Torre: Avenida Pau Casals s/n, Centro Comercial La Capellania local 2 y 3, 29130 Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga.
- Chopp Benalmádena: Calle Sol, 10, 29631 Benalmádena, Málaga.
Tapería Esencia: Av. Molière, 15, 29004 Málaga.
Cerveceria La Granaína: Av. Molière, 15, 29004 Málaga.
El Aserradero: Av de Velázquez, 22, 29003 Málaga.
El Tapeo del Colilla: Calle Antonio Chacón, 11, 29003 Málaga.
El Refugio: Calle Andrómeda, 20, 29010 Málaga.
El Hormiguero:
- Santa Paula: Calle Correo de Andalucía, 1, 29004 Málaga.
- Teatinos: Av. de Plutarco, 24, 29010 Málaga.
Raff Tapas & Bar:
- Centro: Calle José Denis Belgrano, 17, 29008 Málaga.
- Teatinos: Av. Parménides, 11, 29010 Málaga.
Quest: Av. Isaac Peral, 26, 29130 Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga.
La Tapería de Benalmádena: Av. del Chorrillo, 28, 29631 Benalmádena, Málaga.
Tapería La Bodeguita: Av. Antonio Machado, 80, 29630 Benalmádena, Málaga.
Hispania: Paseo del Colorado, 15, 29620 Torremolinos, Málaga.
Pal-Buche: Av. del Mediterráneo, 184, 29730 Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga.
La Reina de las Tapas: Calle Moncayo, 37, 29640 Fuengirola, Málaga.
Do not forget to use our car hire Malaga service during your visit. Find your nearest Espacar office and book your rental car!
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