Pescaíto frito
Photo: Tamorlan · CC BY 3.0

The Andalusian fried-fish platter in its Málaga form: small fish dusted in flour and flash-fried in hot olive oil until light and crisp, from anchovies and red mullet to squid and whitebait.

Pescaíto frito spread from Málaga and Cádiz across Andalusia in the 19th century, a way to make the cheap, small fish of the daily catch go far. The technique hinges on a special coarse flour, harina de fritura, and very hot olive oil that seals the fish in seconds without greasiness. In Málaga the classic mix is the fritura malagueña, a mixed fry of anchovies, squid, small red mullet and whitebait. It remains the standard order at every seafront chiringuito and old-town taberna.

4 editor picks for Pescaíto frito in Málaga, ranked by editorial score. All Málaga signature dishes · Pescaíto frito across every city.

Also in: Seville.

El Tintero ★ 4.3

€€SeafoodEl Palo

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

Marisquería Godoy ★ 4.2

€€€SeafoodCentro Historico

Marisquería Godoy sits on Málaga's Muelle Uno, a portside seafood house serving fried fish, red Motril prawns and rice with the bay in full view.

Los Mellizos ★ 4.1

€€€SeafoodCentro Historico

Los Mellizos brings the family's Rincón de la Victoria seafood to central Málaga on Calle Sancha de Lara, all fried fish, clams and rice from the bay.

El Merendero de Antonio Martín ★ 4.0

€€€SeafoodLa Malagueta

El Merendero de Antonio Martín is a historic seafront restaurant on Málaga's Malagueta, a Grupo Gorki dining room for fried fish and sea views.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Pescaíto frito makes more sense with someone from Málaga explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Book food experiences in Málaga

Málaga: Wine & Tapas Tour★ 4.9 (1,320)

Guided tour · 3h 30m

Málaga: Wine & Tapas Tour

Take a culinary tour through Málaga and enjoy the exceptional flair of Spain. Sample some fine wines of the regions and a few original tapas creations.

from€69 Check dates
Malaga: Tapas Crawl - All included★ 4.9 (469)

Guided tour · 3 hours

Malaga: Tapas Crawl - All included

Discover Málaga on a 3-hour tapas crawl through 4 unique local bars. Taste around 10 dishes with 4 drinks while experiencing the city’s food culture, hidden gems and i...

from€70 Check dates

See all 634 bookable experiences in Málaga