Málaga's defining dish: six fat sardines threaded onto a cane skewer and grilled over driftwood embers in a beached boat, eaten with your fingers and a squeeze of lemon on the sand.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
The espeto was born in the fishing villages of El Palo and Pedregalejo in the 19th century, where crews cooked their catch on cane skewers stuck into the sand beside a fire. Legend credits the Bono brothers and a royal visit by Alfonso XII in 1884 with fixing the tradition. Today espeteros still build driftwood fires inside old boats hulled with sand, angling the skewers toward the flames so the sardines cook on one side only. Sardines are fattest and best from May to September, the months when Málaga eats them almost nightly on the beach.
Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Sample some authentic Catalan food and drink with a local tour guide of the Old City of Barcelona. Savor a delicious variety of local tapas and...
Day trip · 10.5 hours
Exclusive experience to discover authentic Andalucia by visiting one of Andalucia White Villages and the famous Caminito del Rey. A total immersion...
Day trip · 10 hours
Discover Dragonstone in San Juan de Gaztelugatxe on an unforgettable scenic trip from Bilbao. Visit essential towns in Biscay such as Bermeo, Mundaka...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Madrid's tapas culture in the historic center like a local! Visit 4 traditional Spanish bars, where locals go, and try at least 12 different...
Common allergens: Fish
Tip from the editors. Do not gut the sardines: the fat inside keeps them moist and is the whole point of a good espeto.
El Tintero is Málaga's singing-waiter chiringuito in El Palo, where fried fish and espetos are auctioned aloud and you grab plates as they fly past.
OrderWhatever the waiters are shouting: grab the fried fish as it passes
El Cabra has grilled espetos on boat-hull fires at Pedregalejo beach in Málaga since 1965, a seaside institution for pescaíto frito and rice.
Los Cuñaos has grilled sardine espetos and fried fish on Pedregalejo beach in Málaga since 1983, a family chiringuito for a long seaside lunch.
Miguelito el Cariñoso is a beloved Pedregalejo chiringuito in Málaga, packed with locals for its espetos, fried fish and generous seafood paella.
El Caleño has grilled espetos and fried fish on Pedregalejo's promenade in Málaga for over thirty years, a beach institution for pescaíto frito.
More cities are in research. Want espeto de sardinas covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.
