Casa Juan Los Mellizos
In a city full of seafood restaurants competing for tourist euros, Casa Juan Los Mellizos on Calle Mariscos in La Carihuela has been doing one thing exceptionally well since 1975: frying fish in the Andalusian style. The batter is gossamer-thin, the oil is clean, and the pescaíto frito — a mixed platter of whatever arrived from the auction that morning — is as good as it gets on this coast.
What to Order
The surtido de pescaíto frito for two (around €22) is the non-negotiable starting point: a mountain of lightly battered anchovies, baby squid, red mullet and whatever else the kitchen has deemed worthy that day, served in a paper cone in the traditional Málaga manner. The texture is crisp for exactly as long as it takes you to eat it.
Follow with a ración of gambas al ajillo — prawns cooked in a terracotta dish with olive oil, garlic and a whisper of chilli — and a cold bottle of Alhambra Reserva 1925 beer. This is the entire menu you need.
The Experience
The dining room is tiled, noisy and completely without pretension: paper tablecloths, plastic lemon-squeezers and a television showing football in the corner. It is beloved by Málaga families who drive specifically to eat here on Sunday afternoons, which is the most reliable indicator of quality on the Costa del Sol.
Reservations are strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch. Show up without one in high season and you will wait 45 minutes at the bar, which is not the worst fate given the quality of the house wine.
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