A lot of tourists come to Málaga and ask: “where should I go if I want to try a great paella?”. The thing is, even though we’re not in the epicentre for this delicacy in Spain – Valencia -, we can certainly say that there is no greater pleasure, particularly when good weather arrives, than treating yourself to a great rice dish and a light, fresh white wine, before taking a stroll beside the sea.
Regardless of whether you’re on the seafront or enjoying views over the old town centre, in Málaga there is no shortage of restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious paella prepared with care and fresh, high quality products. Just one mouthful will convince you that its on a par with those on the east coast”. This time, we’ve designed a gourmet tour for sampling all of Málaga’s best rice dishes.
Where to eat a good paella in Malaga
Soleo Marbella
It is an exclusive restaurant located right on the beachfront. It is the perfect setting to relax in front of the sea while enjoying a menu with a great choice of rice dishes such as “Paella de la Costa” or “Black Rice with mushrooms, cod and carabinero” and “Mussels and seafood rice”, they are also specialists in the traditional “espetos” (fish skewers).
La Lonja
La Lonja is located a few steps away from Marbella’s marina. Although this restaurant specializes in grilled food, it offers a great selection of rice dishes. In addition, La Lonja features a select cellar, which includes Andalusian wines as well as wines from the rest of Spain.
El Picadero
El Picadero restaurant open its doors in front of the beach in Torrox. It features a marvelous deck that serves as a meeting place to have a drink and enjoy relaxing views of the sea.
The gastronomic offer of this establishment is characterized by simple and homemade cooking supported by the finest local products. Here, you will be able to enjoy an incredible grilled tuna or a fried fish. A dish worth mentioning is the Lenguado a la Naranja (Sole à la Orange); we promise you will love it. You must not miss the opportunity to taste the rice dishes and Paellas prepared by experts.
El Colono
This establishment is a place to enjoy the authentic flavors from Andalusia. If you visit this restaurant, we recommend you start by tasting a delicious Ajoblanco (chilled garlic and almond soup) followed by a wonderful Paella. All of which can be accompanied by a bottle from its selection of exquisite wines.
This restaurant offers the benefit of having a genuine Flamenco atmosphere, presenting live shows every Wednesday.
Arrozeando
Arrozeando is the place to go to enjoy the best rice dishes of the Mediterranean, tasting its specialties, such as the Paella Valenciana, the Arroz con magro, pasas y pimientos (rice with pork loin, raisins and peppers), the Fideuá con pato y foie (Fideuá with duck and foie) or the Arroz negro con ajetes (black rice with leeks), quickly becomes a vice. However, on top of this great variety of rice dishes, you can enjoy appetizers such as the varied dish of homemade croquettes, the Salmorejo (tomato and bread cream with dices of ham and eggs) or the mussels with red Thai curry.
Los Mellizos
Los Mellizos is famous for its shelfish, its shrimp tortillas and its fried fish; although, it also offers a varied menu of shellfish Paellas and rice dishes.
If you decide to visit Los Mellizos, be certain you will enjoy the best of the sea in a restaurant characterized by its quality and its great service.
Restaurante María
The María restaurant is located in the Bellavista area, in a fabulous building decorated in a Castilian style, with exposed brick and wood. Its cuisine is characterized by offering a traditional food with Mediterranean touches and its main concern is to offer excellent service and its very careful cuisine. This restaurant offers local cuisine but with top quality products.
The restaurant is introducing the new author’s cuisine through the suggestions of the menu such as Valencian paella with garrofón, vegetable rice and broths like lobster or rabbit, baked northern fish, homemade stews as Corns, potaje and pochas with clams.
This place is perfect for meetings family or business meetings.
Avenida Pintor Joaquin Sorolla, 45, 29016 Málaga
Chiringuito Larry’s
Playa Larry’s restaurant is an establishment located in front of the sea specialized in the art of fried fish and Mediterranean cuisine; however, they also serve very good rice dishes, among which we can mention Arroz a banda (rice in fish broth), Arroz de verduras (rice with vegetables), Arroz negro (black rice), Arroz de carabineros (rice with scarlet shrimp), Arroz de conejo (rice with rabbit) and Arroz de caracoles (rice with snails).
The informal vibe and the delicious dishes prepared with top-quality products, as well as the capacity to host all kind of events make this a great place.
Trébol
At this restaurant, you will enjoy Mediterranean cuisine at its finest.
At the Trébol restaurant, you can taste the Mediterranean flavors with dry, creamy and soupy rice, although many of them have to be ordered in advance, such as the Arroz de conejo con serranas (rice with rabbit and snails), the Paella verde con albóndigas (green Paella with meatballs), the Arroz de costilla de cerdo con pimientos (rice with pork ribs and peppers), and the Arroz horneado (baked rice).
As you will immediately notice as you set foot in it, Trébol offers some homemade desserts that you would crave to taste as soon as you see them.
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Where to stay
The best option to stay in the province of Malaga to enjoy the best paellas and rice dishes of the province is, without a doubt, Fuerte Hoteles. The hotel chain offers establishments where you can enjoy, besides its services, the best of what each of the region’s destinations has to offer. Its more than 60 years of experience are the best guarantee. Marbella or Torrox are places where you can find incredible lodging.