Where to eat in Torremolinos — the best local restaurants and tables worth booking, filtered by cuisine and picked for tourists, expats and families.
Torremolinos has one great gastronomic asset, and it's La Carihuela. The old fishing quarter's promenade is a kilometre of fish restaurants, and this is where pescaíto frito — Málaga's mixed fried fish — is at its best: Casa Juan Los Mellizos is the famous, sprawling one; La Mar Bonita and El Roqueo are long-standing family houses; Chiringuito Larry grills prize-winning sardine espetos on the sand.
Away from the fish there's Restaurante Frutos in Los Álamos, the oldest restaurant in town and still formally traditional, El Botijo for Castilian roasts, El Gato Lounge for creative fusion, and in the centre the stand-up Bodega Quitapenas for Málaga wine from the barrel with a plate of fried fish.
A no-frills bodega in the centre from one of Málaga's old wine families — sweet Málaga wine from the barrel, fried fish, shellfish and tapas eaten standing or at a few outside tables. Cheap and thoroughly local.
Avenida Palma de Mallorca 2, Plaza Costa del Sol, Torremolinos
A taberna on Plaza Costa del Sol for Málaga wines with good seafood and tapas — a convenient, traditional stop right in the centre.
Calle San Ginés 20, La Carihuela, Torremolinos
The big name of La Carihuela — a sprawling, always-busy seafood house for fried fish, shellfish by weight and rice dishes, from lobster rice to black rice with squid ink. Book at weekends.
Playa de La Carihuela, Torremolinos
A La Carihuela chiringuito with a reputation for its espetos — sardines skewered and grilled over the fire in an old boat on the sand, which have won the Costa del Sol's espeto competition.
A Castilian grill in La Carihuela for when you have had enough fish — roast lamb, chargrilled meats, hearty stews and Ibérico ham, with a long list of Rioja and Ribera del Duero.
Calle Casablanca 27, Torremolinos
A creative fusion kitchen running since 2006 — international ideas with Mediterranean ingredients, good seafood and meat, and well-priced weekend lunch menus. Evenings on weekdays.
Calle del Carmen 35, La Carihuela, Torremolinos
A long-established seafront restaurant on La Carihuela's promenade for classic Málaga fish — fritura, grilled catch of the day and fish baked in salt — at tables facing the beach.
A beachfront Andalusian restaurant known for fresh seafood, paellas and espetos, served on a terrace beside the sand.
Paseo Marítimo de La Carihuela, Torremolinos
A family-run restaurant at the western end of La Carihuela that has served fresh fish and seafood for more than fifty years, with prize-winning grilled sardines.
Avenida de la Riviera 80, Los Álamos, Torremolinos
The oldest restaurant in town, open since the 1950s in Los Álamos — traditional Spanish cooking with Andalusian specialities, roast meats, fine fish and a deep wine cellar, served with old-school formality.
La Carihuela. Casa Juan Los Mellizos is the best-known for fried fish, shellfish and rice dishes; La Mar Bonita and El Roqueo are long-established family restaurants on the promenade; Chiringuito Larry is the place for sardine espetos.
Málaga's signature dish — a mixed plate of small fish and seafood (anchovies, squid, baby hake, red mullet) floured and fried quickly in olive oil. La Carihuela in Torremolinos is the classic place to eat it, and the town celebrates it each June with the Día del Pescaíto.
Restaurante Frutos, in Los Álamos, has been open since the 1950s and is still known for traditional Spanish cooking, roast meats and a large wine cellar.
Bodega Quitapenas in the centre is the classic budget stop — Málaga wine from the barrel with fried fish and tapas. The beach chiringuitos are good value for espetos, and many centre bars serve inexpensive tapas.