Updated October 2017
Bar Nerva was first recommended to me by my friend Victor @WeLoveMalaga back in 2012 – it’s a bit off the beaten path but definitely worth making the effort. Now more than 25 years old, this traditional family-run tapas bar and restaurant will immediately win you over not only with its fabulous home-style food, but also with the genuine warmth and enthusiasm of the staff. There are only a few tapas on the menu, so best to go with friends and share larger plates. Or try the menú del día, which is excellent value. Be sure to try the croquettes (which is not something I usually say) and the arroz de Ibéricos, which is chock full of jamón and various sausages. Though I think it’s safe to say that you really can’t go wrong here – I’ve never had a dish that wasn’t exceptionally delicious.
Cristo de la Epidemia, 55
Málaga
Tel 952 267 949
€ € €
Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 8
wine list
la carta
complimentary starters
ensaladilla de gambas
croquetas: Málaga sausage (L) and puchero (R)
spicy gambas pil-pil croquetas
serranito especial with bulltail, fried peppers and
jamón Ibérico on toasted beetroot-dyed roll
selection of montaditos
white wine kept cool with a frozen grape
arroz de Ibéricos
fried hake
garlicky clams in sherry sauce
grilled presa Ibérica
tender-stewed carrillada Ibérica
solomillo Ibérico in cabrales (blue cheese) sauce
chocolate cheesecake mousse
father and son Joaquín & Agustín
Updated October 2017
salmorejo cordobés with chopped egg and jamón
creamy bulltail croquettes
pastela mozárabe: lamb & cinnamon in sweet pastry
200-year-old pomegranate tree
conchas finas
bolos
a “small” house salad
salmonetes
puntillitas (baby squid)
roasted red pepper salad
coquinas (cockles)
gambas a la plancha
sardines “espeto”
fried boquerones (anchovies)
Opened in October 2010 and run by chef Daniel Carnero, La Cosmopolita is just off the calle Granada in the centre of Málaga. The decor is fresh and fun, with a twist on traditional. As are the tapas, which have become more inventive each year (though there are fewer tapas these days, and they are only available at the bar and selected outdoor tables). The food is very good – past favourites include the bulltail meatballs and the “pan de cristal” options (long chapata-style bread scooped out and filled with meat or cheese and then toasted). I also really like the croquetas (not something I say often) and the bacalao fritters.
bulltail meatball in gravy
croquetas de puchero
buñuelos de bacalao (little cod fritters)
Guillardeau oyster
lightly grilled tuna belly (ventresca)
baked bone marrow with prawn tartare
patatas a la importancia with king crab
grilled chistorra with potato purée
ravioli filled with smoked aubergine,
calamares en pepitoria
pringá in a warm bread roll, topped with quail egg
grilled beef with pesto on “pan de cristal”
pringá with winter truffle
lagartijo Ibérico with fresh herbs and sriracha sauce
dining area
the terraza
boquerones al vinagre
caña de lomo
arroz del día
prawn & jamón brochette
grilled chistorras
flamenquín
gambas pil pil
stewed oxtail
beef “albondigón” with spicy almond sauce
biznaga seller
Belén, Horacio, Curry, Julio, Belén, Alberto & Sergio
conchas finas
zamburiñas pil-pil
“espetos” (bbq’d sardines)
sardines on the BBQ
tortillitas de camarones (prawn fritters)
whelks
garlicky coquinas
crispy fried rosada with alioli
fried puntillitas and calamari
tomato & garlic salad
garlicky grilled urta
grilled tuna
squid on the BBQ
whole BBQ’d squid
langostines & cigales
fried whole boquerones (anchovies)
filleted boquerones al limón
FOH Julian Susanu & owner Andrés Maricuchi (photo 2014)
Andrés & son David serving salt-baked fish
Team Maricuchi 2017: Andrés with Manuel, Jesús & Julián
Andrés and biznagas
napkins drying on the rooftop
the barbeque boat