Base9

I stumbled across that restaurant by chance. It's almost the end of lunch time but they offered me a table on the patio. I started with a butter vermouth which was served with olives and a dried slice of orange. Delicious and generous. For starter, I ordered the aubergine in a miso sauce which was tasty. I asked for some bread that was fresh and tasty. It came with a delicious olive oil. Next, I ordered the lentils that was served with some perfectly cooked sliced duck. To finish off, I ordered a dessert that I forgot the name, it was a biscuit floating on a sweet patatoe cream. Delicious and surprising! Quiet a few wijes available by the glass. I'd go again.

Sadly, this was a case of style over substance. We went to Base 9 with high expectations after seeing all the glowing reviews and the Michelin recommendation, but it really didn’t live up to the hype. From start to finish, the whole thing felt rushed - we were in and out within an hour, and it never felt like much of an experience. The menu looks interesting on paper, but the execution just wasn’t there. We started with the Spanish potato salad with olives and piparra. It was fine, but essentially a Russian-style salad with a bit of heat - not bad, just unremarkable, and nothing particularly “Spanish” about it. The alboronía was similar: ok, but very wet and lacking depth or seasoning. One of the bigger disappointments was the venison cannelloni with black mushroom béchamel. Venison had been replaced with pheasant, which is already a dry meat, and paired with a very bland sauce it just didn’t work. The swede purée with cod and mushrooms followed the same pattern – overly wet, lightly flavoured, and under-seasoned, despite some decent chunks of cod. To make things worse, they had no tuna available, even though two tuna dishes were still listed on the menu, which felt like a real let-down given how central those dishes seem. Bread was charged at €2.10 for a very small slice, which felt a bit cheeky. The wine and drinks selection is decent, and the cheese board was actually quite nice, but there were no real dessert options beyond that. Service was fine but fairly hands-off - no one really checked in to ask how the food was or whether we wanted another drink. Overall, the food was just very average, especially considering the reputation and pricing. All in all, a pretty underwhelming experience. I wouldn’t rush back - for us, the hype really wasn’t worth it.

Such a beautiful restaurant. Service is phenomenal, food a delicious treat. You really can taste every ingredient. A delicious place. I highly recommend.

We walked in and were lucky because someone cancelled. Fantastic culinary experience. I highly recommend the food here. Everything we had was superb. Book in advance to save a spot.

Great ideas, food beautifully presented but considerable room for improvement Having read the gushing reviews we chose Base9 for a special lunch. It’s a small restaurant and we were encouraged by the number of people they turned away. They serve small plates and we asked to be taken on a journey through the menu. I intend these comments to be constructive criticism. It is the fashion these days to have paper napkins and no tablecloths or place mats. That’s fine but with a bill that ran to 220 euros for 3 we expected fresh bread rather than the pan de ayer we were served and the toilets should be cleaned before service. The food was beautifully presented - picture perfect. However in every single case there was an issue with the seasoning. In general the sauces were too sweet and with one dish too salty. The secreto had been carved finely and was cooked to the point - but it was unexpectedly tough. At an adjacent table we saw one person having to hold the meat with their fork whilst the other sawed through it. As other reviewers have mentioned there was little choice of desserts. In saying that one of us is a real aficionado of arroz con leche and he thought the crunchy topping a la crème brûlée was novel and delicious. Clearly a lot of thought and work goes into the recipes and cooking in Base9. They have great ideas and the presentation was faultless - perhaps review the consistency and flavour balance of the sauces - and always serve fresh bread!

If you are in Málaga and you like food, this is a must visit. Boy, do these guys know their sauces. Order anything with a sauce you will not be disappointed. It's a small menu, I reckon that with a party of 4 you could get to try the whole lot. The pistachio soup (it's thicker than that) with cherries, just wow. We're also had the cod and line caught hake. Both perfect. I would recommend getting a salad on the side as most of the dishes just show off the main ingredient. A salad would help balance the richness of some of those mains. We finished with the peach dessert, again just lovely. The bill came to €70.00 excluding tip and including 5 beers (it has been a long day travelling). A bargin for the quality of food served here. Lovely friendly service helpfully describing the dishes rounded up a great night. It may not be in the central old town (it's nearer the train station end of Málaga) but make the effort, you won't be disappointed. TIP - BOOK - it's small, popular and pretty much a one service sitting!

Amazing restaurant, Excellent service. Fabulous flavour combinations & beautifully presented dishes. We loved the tortilla and the trout but saying that the whole menu was delicious... xx

Cozy place with great food close to the city center ✨ That’s another one of the places that’s been so highly recommended by friends that I couldn’t wait to go and visit it myself. I’ve heard wonders about their croquetas and tortilla, so on a Friday evening it was time to test them out and see for myself what all the buzz was about. Let’s start with the location - super centric and close to the metro/train stations, yet avoiding the hectic rush of the city center, Base9 is located in Malaga’s Perchel Sur, just next to the river canal. It has a very cozy and welcoming atmosphere, making you feel like you are in a peaceful little bubble and could be anywhere in the world. The staff is super professional and kind, and the owners themselves are present, coming and going between the kitchen and serving some of the dishes as well. This close care shows as well in the quality and the aesthetics of the food - the dishes are not only super tasty, with a variety of flavors in each one, but very eye pleasing as well. The croquetas were definitely a hit, perfectly crunchy on the outside and very creamy / almost liquid on the inside. The tortilla as well is served in its modern version, with the egg yolk only lightly cooked (yet pasteurized) and with a wasabi mayonnaise on the side. We’ve also ordered a serving of alboronía and rice - both extremely rich in flavors, which made it very difficult to decide which one was the best, as we loved every bite of both plates. Dessert wise, I fell in love with the brownie moruno. I know some people might find it surprising as it mixes the sweetness of the traditional chocolate taste and the flavor of moruno spices with a touch of yoghurt, but if you are like me and enjoy going beyond the usual recipes, you’ll definitely get a lot of value for your courage with this dessert ;) Important to know: - the menu is not too long as the owners focus on quality over quantity and give a lot of attention to each dish, - the menu changes often as well, so I’ll definitely be going to Base9 again to see what they come up with next time, - the dishes are tapa/media sized and are thought to be shared between two people, and 4-6 dishes is the recommended amount to order (4 + dessert is what worked for us). Lastly, I was quite curious about the restaurant’s name and I’ve been told it also has a deep meaning for the owners as 9 is their lucky number and had to be included in their venture. I’ll be crossing fingers for them and for the amazing waitress Silvia, that made our visit go from enjoyable to extraordinary with her delightful attitude and the wonderful attention she gave us all throughout the dinner! ✨