Pedragalejo is a long, manmade beach in Málaga Este. It’s about fifteen minutes on the bus from central Málaga.
It’s a popular area with heaps of restaurants and bars along the long Paseo Maritimo. I’ve put the ones I visited on this Google map.
You can get a good run in along the Paseo in the mornings which is when I took these photos (hence the lack of people). Over the bay you can see Torremolinos on the left in front of the Sierra de Mijas mountains and Malaga on the right.
At night every restaurant will be grilling seafood in these little sand-filled boats. The boats can be swivelled so the wind doesn’t smoke out the diners.
The most popular choice is an ‘Espeto de Sardinas’, grilled sardines on a skewer which is stuck into the sand near the flames. This is very typical, in fact Malagueños get their nickname (Los Boquerones) from their love of sardines.
El Balneario aka Baños del Carmen (High Intermediate A), 26 Calle Bolivia, www.elbalneariomalaga.com
This is my favourite place to eat and drink in Málaga, well worth the walk or short taxi ride from the centre. It’s set in a beautiful location next to the sea with a nice view of Málaga across the bay. The atmosphere is magical at night time with the moon in the sky and the waves crashing against the rocks next to your table. The outdoor dining area is under a canopy but you might catch a bit of spray if you’re near the water.
I went twice, the first time on a Saturday night when they had a wedding in and the second time on a Monday when it was still quite busy but easier to get a table.
Reservations are probably a good idea but on both occasions the lovely lady front of house sorted me out and found me a table. The other staff were generally very nice as well even though they seemed very harassed at times.
You’re not supposed to have half portions but the amiable section chief let me have a media of Croquetas de Puchero which were excellent (A). The Croquetas de Bacalao on the second visit weren’t quite as nice but still pretty good (B+). The salad that came with them had a wonderful dressing (A).
The first time I had Gambas Plancha, a bit pricey at €20 for fifteen, but very good (A). A bottle of La Goleta Verdejo was pretty good (B) and well priced at €12.
On the second visit the Calamar Plancha was huge (I could only manage half of it) and again somewhat expensive at €24. I like it a bit crispier that it was but it was still good (B).
This time I had a bottle of Botani Blanco a really nice (B+) white from Málaga for €19 which upped the bill to a total cost of €48.50.
For dessert I had the Leche Frita and a glass of local Pajarete sweet wine which took the bill to €45.
On the top floor there’s a bar where you can get a fancy Mojito for €7.
It was too dark for my photos to come out sorry, but suffice to say it is a very romantic place. A top recommend, especially in the company of a loved one.
In August 2016 I rented an AirBnB in Pedragalejo and stayed on for four days holiday. I spent all my days lounging in the sun at this place…
Hotel La Chancla (Intermediate B+), 64 Paseo Maritimo El Pedregral, www.lachanclahotel.com
This is a small three storey hotel on the beachfront, the only hotel I know of in Pedragalejo, which has a restaurant and bar on the ground floor.
It’s a nice relaxing place for breakfast as from 9am they either had a violinist or a contrabass player playing soothing live music while you eat.
A narrow sunbed (hamaca) and sonbrilla (sun shade, sic) is €5 for the day or you can rent a double bed type affair on stilts for €24. You can get table service from a waiter who’ll bring you chilled beers in an ice bucket.
Kali (Elementary B), 62 Paseo Maritimo el Pedregral
Another good place for breakfast that’s right next door to La Chancla above, so you can still listen to the live music but pay slightly less.
Swan Bar (Intermediate B+), 67 Paseo Maritimo el Pedregral, www.facebook.com
The best Mojito I had on this visit was here (A) although when I went a second time a different bartender put way too much sugar in it (B-). Serving it in a jar is a nice touch. It’s also well priced at €6.50 a pop.
Helados Cremades (Intermediate B+), 34 Calle Cenacheros, www.heladoscremades.es
The best place for ice cream in the area according to my hosts because they make their own, unlike all their competitors.
Miguelito El Cartinoso (Intermediate B), 77 Paseo Maritimo el Pedregral, m.facebook.com
This chiringuito (beach restaurant specialising in seafood) is my host family’s favourite place to eat and for them the paella here is the best in Málaga. The Paella Mixta I had was pretty tasty (B) but the purists would scoff at mixing meat with seafood as many places do in Spain. With a tubo of Tinto Verano (B) and a half bottle of Marques Caceres white the bill on my first visit came to just under €30.
The second time I had the Calamar Plancha which was very nicely presented and pretty cheap at €14. With a couple of thirst-quenching tanques of Cerveza and a doble of Orujo de Hierbas, the bill came to €26.
Service ranged from dour and unsmiling to friendly and efficient over the two visits.
El Cabra (Intermediate C), 17 Paseo Maritimo el Pedregral, www.restauranteelcabra.es
Listed in 1001 Restaurants to Visit Before You Die, and a local institution since 1965 my experience here was sadly quite disappointing.
Unlike many places they will make a paella for one here but the Paella Mariscos wasn’t cooked properly (C) with a few grains of rice still hard and a pool of stock still sitting on the surface. The clams and prawn were nice though. Maybe it’s true that you do need to make it in large amounts for it to be good.
I had a half portion of Boquerones Fritas (fried anchovies) which were okay but pretty tasteless so I had to salt them a lot to enjoy them (B-).
The olives I began with were fantastic though (A) and the half bottle of wine was good so maybe I just caught them on an off day. Total cost with a beer €23.50. Service ranged from friendly to sour. I’d still give them another try if I was in Pedregalejo again.
If you’re prepared to walk a bit further along the beachfront to the next neighbourhood El Palo, there’s one place worth going to in the next post…