Antigua Casa de Guardia

An antique-style establishment in Málaga full of character and history. This is a traditional standing-only bar where you can drink directly from the barrel, making the experience truly unique. The place is known for its sweet wines and old-school atmosphere. One charming detail is the bell ringing after customers leave tips, which adds to the authentic vibe. The staff were incredibly kind too. I accidentally spilled my drink, and they immediately replaced it without any hesitation. Tapas options are quite limited, but the drinks more than make up for it. I even bought a bottle of vermut to take home because it was excellent and very cheap (12,5 for a bottle!). The bar is recommended in Lonely Planet, and after visiting, I completely understand why. It’s also said that Picasso used to drink here, which makes the visit even more special. A must-visit if you want to experience genuine local experience.

Antigua Casa de Guardia is not just a wine bar—it’s living history. Walking in feels like stepping into old Málaga. No menus, no frills, just barrels of wine, chalk marks on the wall, and generations of stories soaked into the wooden counters. This place has been serving locals for well over a century, and you can feel that legacy the moment you step inside. I tried sherry here—slightly sweeter than my usual preference—but honestly, that didn’t matter. The experience more than made up for it. The wine is poured straight from the barrel, the atmosphere is loud and unapologetically local, and the vibe is pure, unfiltered Andalusia. What really stood out was the authenticity. Locals standing shoulder to shoulder, quick conversations with the staff, and that timeless feeling of this place hasn’t changed because it doesn’t need to. It’s exactly what travel memories are made of. If you’re in Málaga and want something real—not curated, not Instagram-polished—this is a must stop. Come for the wine, stay for the soul of the city. 🍷

It’s everything everyone else says it is. Reminds me of Rincanon en Seville how they keep the tab in chalk on the bar and then they do quick algebra to give you the bill. Fantastic vibe if you like crowds , I do yet everyone is friendly the bartenders are quick and totally nice. Tapas are delicious I had Gilda’s and Mussels and soprasada. ( that’s what I call it from New Jersey and the Sopranos. ) if you like apartifs and vermut this is a must do. Great dive bar experience only bc it’s old. Like me it’s great and old ❤️😳😳😳

A must visit and unique experience if you're in Malaga. A range of sweet or dry wines served straight from the casks just as it was nearly 200 years ago. We can recommend Muscatel no 1 and 2, Vermut which is served over ice, and also Lagrima Ańejo and Pajarette 1908. They also sell bottles of wine, beer and snacks

This is one of the oldest bars in Malaga. 300 years old, I believe, and like stepping back in time. Big tourist attraction. The wine is served from kegs behind the bar. They write what you have had, on the bar, in chalk and you pay at the end. Outstanding tapas too. Amazing seafood, meats and cheeses. A must visit, when in Malaga.

Nothing is more authentic than this century old bodega, where the specialties are finos (sherry wines), vermouth and muscatel (as well as boiled shrimps and mussels). Old school waiters will serve you in the most old fashioned style, writing down your tab directly on the bar’s counter using a chalk. Simply a time travel to old Malaga. Must experience when visiting. 👌 🍷

It is said that Málaga has two Cathedrals - the first is the Church, the second is the Bodega Antigua Casa de Guardia. Founded in 1840 by leading winemaker Don Jose de la Guardia, the Antigua casa de Guardia is one of the most authentic places in Málaga you will find and the oldest wine bar in Málaga. They even received a Royal Warrant from Queen Isabel II. The tavern breathes an authentic love of wine. It still retains an authentic, old-world charm with wooden barrels and antique décor, customs and climate, and it really is a place where it really seems like time has stopped, and you have been transported back in time. Life goes on here at the local bar as 180 years ago, and the bills still are written in chalk on the bar counter. Over the years it has been frequented by Royalty, Celebrities and the Rich and Famous (there are pictures of Picasso and others on the wall). In fact anyone who visits Málaga, comes here! You'll find there old wooden barrels of wine sweet, young and mature, as Pajarete, Guinda, Moscatel Seco Trasanejo, Lagrima Anejo, Pedro Ximenes, which are produced in local vineyards. Their flavour certainly warrants served in the traditional manner, seafood - shrimp, mussels, lobster, and Iberian meats. The smell of wine, the old barrels and the bustle will remind you of taverns that you have heard about but of which there are very few left to enjoy

If you can find it, then it is worth the journey for the experience of a typical Spanish standing bar with many happy locals enjoying the banters and happy cheers. A must to see, and be at... your invoice is written on the bar..a good old fashioned practice in Spain. Many thanks Antigua Casa de Guardia!

This was the second stop on our Malaga food tour. Wednesday night around 7 they were packed and loud. A good mix of Tourists and Locals. They make their own Malaga Sweet Wine. (From the Moscatos and Pedro Ximenez Grapes). You can also get a Semi-Sweet or Dry. We had a mix of orders. I went for the Semi-Sweet and it was quite sweet. 20% ABV so made for sipping. Vermouth is also available. For Tapas, we had Tuna Tartare and Cheese Skewers which were delicious. The Spiced Pepper started out mild and had a spicy finish. Service was quick and friendly. A must stop Bodega (oldest in Malaga) for the House-made Wine and local Bar/flavor experience. Salud!

We came to this bar/tapas location on a food walking tour recreated from a YouTube video from Spain Revealed. This old style bar/bodega goes back to when people would bring their jugs to be filled and taken home. You can still get jugs filled but most people I saw were just getting glasses. There is also a cold case with skewers of various pickled or cured items and seafood options. I had the Vermut and the skewer of olives, pickled onion, and white anchovy. The Vermut is not my typical type of wine but I wanted to try something local. It was ok. The skewers came two per order and honestly they were quite delicious. I don't typically like anchovies but this combo was the perfect salty, pickled combo to go with Vermut. We were there around1pm and it was wall to wall packed but we were able to get our wine and tapas relatively quickly.

This place is a must go! The staff is friendly and welcoming to tourists without it losing the old world local bar feel. There are some pickled snacks available.

Because this place is a popular stop for food tours (located near Mercado Atarazanas), I decided to check it out on my own. Initially, I thought I could try a bunch of different sherrys side-by-side, but it looked like they only had one. For variety, I tried a Vermouth (Vermut), a Pedro Ximenez Sherry (jerez), 18 year old, and a Lágrimas Añejo, 19 year old, which totaled around 4 €. If I was able to buy a half glass (media copa), then I would have been able to try more. Although I enjoyed a Vermouth over ice the other evening, this one didn't catch my attention. While the Lágrimas Añejo was very "raisiny", I liked the less complex PX Sherry and bought a 750ml bottle for around 9 €. If I brought my own bottle, the cost would be 8.70€/litre. For tapas, there's a little refrigerator where you can buy a selection of prepared items like a skewer (bandería) of cocktail onions, olives, and marinated anchovies and a plate of sliced Salchichon Iberico and crackers which is what I did. Additionally, there were plates of shellfish and bivalves. To obtain the food, you must let the busy man handling the food know what you want and pay at his register which is separate from the bar. My food tab came out to 6.70 €. What a fun way to try local drinks and food.

The Antigua Casa de Guardia is the oldest wine bar/tavern in Malaga. Founded in 1840 by Don José Guardia, the Casa de Guardia is so much more than a wine bar or cellar. Its an institution. For wine lovers, it is a place that must be visited when in Malaga. A true cultural heritage that has been producing wine in the same way for the last 172 years. They have tons of barrels full of local wines like muscatels and aged wines and, some form of port wine. You can try different wines here or just have a drink and you can also purchase wine to take home. There is a few older men behind the large wooden counter and you can take a chance and pick and barrel to try or try them all :-) They have aged wine and young wines as well. They write down on the counter what you have had with chalk and then tally it all up in the end for payment. Malaga has one of the longest wine producing histories in the world, dating all the way back to Phoenician times. All of the Malaga wine is aged in Malaga City itself. A place well worth a visit. It's busy and cheap and nostalgic.

This is how we got our food tour with Carolina started. 3 different wines and some vermouth in a very cool/old wine bar. No food, no frills, barrels of all the wines on the wall and it was the perfect way to start.

What a cute wee place! Clearly popular with locals and tourists alike, this place was stowed when we stumbled upon it at midday! Pretty simple premise really, they have dozens of casks stacked behind the bar full of different sherries ranging in price between €1-2. We (being new to the joys of sherry) ordered a random selection chosen by the barman, mostly sweet but a couple of dry ones in amongst them for good measure. Love, love, loved the sweet ones! Sadly we only had time for a quick round, but would definitely go back, and it would've been 5 stars if I'd had more time to take full benefit of the offerings! ;-)

Recently visited this local wine bar during a trip through Malaga with my husband. It was bustling the entire time we were there and only got more and more crowded. Wine is made in house from grapes of the region and served straight out of the barrel upon order. They will also bottle wine for you to take home out of the barrel. Juan served us and was awesome. Straight faced and a Malaga OG, he was very generous in his servings and even invited us behind the bar to snap a photo with him. The wine from the region of Malaga tends to be on the sweeter side, so if you're not into ultra sweet wines I would try the seco. Locals (including Juan) love the pajarate and recommend that as the best offering of the selections here.

This place has some truly POTENT vermouth. We went early in the afternoon on a friend's birthday and left with a solid buzz. These were some of the best vermouths I've ever tried, but I probably should have set a limit beforehand. Try to practice restraint and always know your limits.

Stubble upon the oldest wine making place in Malaga. Worth going to see the wine coming out directly from the old barrels. Quite potent! Not as refine as you would think of the wines but everyone had different palates. For me, it was potent, think of the 2 ounce pours between a wine and bourbon. It made my tummy warm. Pretty inexpensive: 2 pours=2.80€ Worth the experience!

It's like walking back in time in here. The barmen wear white lab coats and count money by using their brain like back in the day. All the bar tables look original. The set up is original and not modernised into modern bar. The wines... wow. Super cheap, super yummy! Served right out of the barrel. My favourite bar in Malaga!

Pro tip: Cash only here. Our time was limited because we didn't bring enough! But, if you can stay longer, it's a pretty cool place. It wasn't crazy busy when we went, but I can imagine it is pretty poppin' later in the evening. Go in, ask for wine samples and drink whatever you like. The samples are maybe between 1-2 euros, so hey, just go for the gold.

We came in just for the experience of this old wine bar! It had an older crowd, but the barrels all along the wall and the fact that there is no place for sitting is what called my attention and had me interested. You order little glasses of whatever wine you want, but we had the bar tender pick two for us to try. Not a huge wine person so I can't comment on the quality of wine but it was fun to just go in and take in the ambiance!

This is the archtypical Spanish wine bar. If you want local atmosphere, great service, great local sherry and great prices, this is the place. Served straight fron the cask, not to be missed.

Iconic! You get in there, fight for 30 centimeters of counter, get one of these funnily similar-looking waiters to serve you (12 choices apparently, but ours offered only 2 options: dry or sweet... and man, was the sweet good), drink the sugary nectar, pay €1.4 and leave. Bliss. Pro tip: Their toilets apparently are the worst place to be in Malaga!

Nice really cheap glasses of sweet wine! Would give 5 stars but service is hit or miss. Definitely visit and take away some bottles of wine because the prices are a steal!

Great old place to take a sherry whine. Atmosphere and prices are good! You can also grap a nice dish of seafood. Another great thing is that they write the check in the counter! Go there!

"Magic traditional wine bar" Reviewed 21 April 2013 Great place to swig back a vino at 9am in the morning. There are no frills, but you'll get a top class Pajalete in this institution frequented by locals and tourists alike and the atmosphere is fantastic whatever time of day you go. BTW, Don't take offence at the bar man attitude - just go with the flow :) Visited April 2013

Cold, unfriendly bunch but the wine is good and it's an interesting place to checkout. Don't eat there.

It doesn't get much better than this! All the local finos sold direct from the barrel, by the glass and to take away by the 1/2 lite or by the litre. They'll let you try them and mix and match too. Expect to pay about 1.60€ for a glass, 9€ or for a litre which they bottle and cork while you watch. This is full of atmosphere, is old Spain in abundance and I love it!

This was a very cool place we went to Malaga. You are served wine or vermouth straight from the barrel.