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.
El Tintero ★ 4.3
el-palo · Avenida Salvador Allende 340, 29017 Málaga
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.
Marisquería Godoy ★ 4.2
centro-historico · Muelle Uno, Puerto de Málaga, 29001 Málaga
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
centro-historico · Calle Sancha de Lara 7, 29015 Málaga
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
la-malagueta · Plaza de la Malagueta 4, 29016 Málaga
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.