Málaga & Marbella wine travel guide

Bodega Doña Felisa is a true family business, founded in 1999 by José María Losantos and his wife Gema Alonso. They came to Ronda, fell in love with the area straight away and never left. The second g…

Fabio Coullet is an agronomist who worked in wine countries around the world for more than twenty years. In 2020 he started his own winery in Almáchar, a white village in the heart of the Axarquía, ea…

Bodegas Jorge Ordóñez Málaga was founded in 2004 with the aim of reviving centuries of winemaking tradition in Málaga, destroyed by the phylloxera plague in the 19th century. The Moscatel de Alejandrí…

Bodegas Bentomiz was founded by a Dutch couple, Clara Verheij and André Both, who moved to the Axarquía in Málaga in 1995 simply looking for a life in southern Spain. The house they bought turned out …

Bodegas Quitapenas was founded in 1880 by Francisco Suárez Pineda, who let everyone drink on credit — making it the meeting point for everyone travelling to Málaga from across the province. Hence the …

Manilva is a small coastal town in Málaga, in the heart of the Costa del Sol, which still preserves historic Moscatel de Alejandría vineyards overlooking the Mediterranean — but which are in serious d…

Araboka used to be called Eboka and describes itself as a "casa de vinos y comidas": a house of wine and food. It sits on a quiet pedestrian street in the old centre, close to the cathedral and the Pi…

In a fully restored 17th-century building, Charo Carmona brings old Málaga recipes back to life. The restaurant is set around a covered patio. Next door is Arte de Tapear, the separate tapas bar in a …

Batik is on the fourth floor of the Alcazaba Premium Hostel, with a view of the Alcazaba. Chef Iván Bravo's kitchen blends Mediterranean cooking with influences from around the world. Examples are pra…

Hidden in the hills of Sierra Blanca, next to a waterfall and a small river. The tasting menu (€85, five courses) changes with the seasons and is available with a wine pairing for €30. Recurring highl…

A slightly more upscale option in the heart of Málaga, tucked between all the tourist restaurants. Here you dine at Michelin level. Think South American recipes with local accents — seasonal fish cevi…

Gabriel Spatz, an Argentine with a professional background in hospitality, arrived in Málaga in 2008, fell in love with the city and decided to stay — opening El Tapeo de Cervantes on the central Call…

As you walk in, fresh fish and seafood greet you straight away, and bluefin tuna takes a special place of honour: a whole section of the menu is devoted to it, in no fewer than 17 preparations. The gr…

Floren (Florentino Morillo) opened Charolais in July 1994, just a few metres from the beach in the centre of Fuengirola. It started out as a wine bar. Today it is two restaurants side by side, Charola…

Los Sardinales has the character of a classic chiringuito, but with a roof and tablecloths: fresh Mediterranean fish, espetos on the grill, rice dishes and seafood. If what you want most is a glass of…

Adivino is the project of Emilio Javier Campos Alami, a Malagueño with a long track record as head sommelier in Michelin-starred restaurants and in wine importing. He describes his wine bar as "an amu…

The oldest wine bar in Málaga, open since 1840 — and still a real wine bar. Behind a modest façade on the Alameda Principal, the wide boulevard that cuts through the historic centre of Málaga, hides o…

A wine bar and restaurant where you can go in any direction: sherry, sparkling, rosé, alcohol-free and the very best whites and reds from Spain. The options by the glass are very extensive. There are …

Located on Calle Álamos in the historic centre, just around the corner from the Museo del Vidrio y Cristal. This elegant yet traditional wine bar has one of the most interesting wine cellars in the pr…

Ok, a little touristy — but always busy and lively. The quality of the products is solid though, which makes this a great spot to try some local wines. You can have a good drink here and then head som…

G-Wine is a neighbourhood wine bar with a restaurant, right next to the San Pedro Boulevard and close to the beach. The idea is simple: even the everyday wines have to be good. The kitchen and bar are…

La Tranca is a typical Malagueña tapas bar. The way they used to be — and the way not all bars still are. Traditional tapas at traditional prices, plenty of Spanish drinks, a funky retro-kitsch interi…

More than 600 wines on the list, more than 50 by the glass. Two renovated 18th- and 19th-century buildings with patios, archaeological jars and a beautiful stained-glass window. Sommelier Julián Sanju…

Vertical is the wine bar of Julio Barluenga, a Barcelona sommelier with an impressive track record: he worked at elBulli, Azurmendi and Gastón Acurio's Peruvian restaurant, among others, before return…

A sensory oasis in the heart of Málaga — a place to enjoy an outstanding selection of quality wines and gin in a different way. Run by two Cuban brothers who describe the place as their passion projec…

Located between the centre of Málaga and the beach, just around the corner from the Arena. You could easily walk right past it, but a bottle of Vega Sicilia Valbuena 2017 for €138 caught my eye. So I …

Wine hotels and masias at Spanish wineries: where to stay in Catalonia, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Mallorca and Andalusia.

From sweet Moscatel from the barrel in Málaga's oldest wine bar to dry wine from steep slopes in the Axarquía: how to drink wine in Málaga and Marbella.