El Chinitas

Restaurant Review: El Chinitas El Chinitas is a culinary gem that offers a delightful dining experience. Recently, I had the pleasure of enjoying a meal there, and the highlight was undoubtedly the exquisite paella. The dish was perfectly cooked, with a harmonious blend of fresh seafood, succulent meats, and aromatic spices, all combining to create an unforgettable flavor profile. The presentation was equally impressive, making the meal as visually appealing as it was delicious. Moreover, the service at El Chinitas was exemplary. Our server, Karina, stood out for her friendliness and attentiveness. She ensured that our dining experience was seamless from start to finish, offering insightful recommendations and promptly addressing any requests. Karina's warm demeanor and professionalism greatly enhanced our overall experience. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a memorable dining experience.

We tried both the fish paella and the mixed one and they were both really good. The waiters were very nice and polite. The price is reasonable, definitely worth it!

Was recommended from a local as one of the last authentic Malagan restaurants and would soon to be closing. Came for the tasting menu and it was conveniently unavailable, so we had to spend a lot more money. Food was not bad, service was good, but there were a few separate groups of locals inside that were very rude. A few older groups at the bar and one big guy even blocked the restroom and wouldn’t get out of the way.

Sweet baby Jesus…. I have eaten a lot of paellas in my life , but this mixed paella was the best I have eaten in all of Spain. Well cooked with just the right amount of each ingredient and well seasoned. Portion wise it allow me and my wife to have 3 plates each , this portion is well for 3 people let alone 2. Service was good and reasonably priced considering it was smack on the middle of old town. Cannot recommend enough.

Service reasonable . This place had some good reviews , but the quality did not live up . The goats cheese salad was poor due to processed cheese and a bad yoghurt dressing . The bellota ham was poor in comparison to neighbouring restaurants Steak was 3/5 The price exceeded the value On the plus side sole was ‘ok’ , and had nice GF bread roles I’d skip here if I was you

Not good to say it mildly. Ordered the tapa started and most of the options were just not good. Avoid the pork one, just disgusting. There are no chicken options so I got a burger hoping it will be made differently but was disappointed as it was tasteless to sat it nicely. The attitude of the staff was very unpleasant and they did not speak almost any English. Inside the facility it was cold so had to stay with my jacket as it was almost the same temperatureas outside... this place is mostly for people over 50 years old.. Will not recommend

Nice old restaurant, placed in a narrow walking street. We sat outside, and was a little annoyed by street-sellers. Our waiter was very charming , on his first day at work. We didnt care it came wrong water, or a small misunderstanding about my gambas! It was fixed in a minute. We shared a tuna tartar, it was huge! Nice taste, with mango and onion. We had to ask for olive oil, should come automatically! My grilled shrimps was small, but tasty. My mans fresh fish, was only half! But tasty. A shame it wasnt fresh vegetables. Looked like from a frozen bag! For 20euro, they shall manage better! Desserts was fantastic, homemade tiramisu and crème caramel. Service is a little slow, and we had to find waiters a couple of times. But we are on holiday, and really enjoyed our food, the waiters personalities and our surroundings. A lot going on in this street, but not noisy or too annoying. Except the sellers.

What a lovely 💕place with very friendly staff. The owner even came by to welcome us to this gem 💎 in the centre of old historic Malaga. Good food and drink close to fiesta central. Perfect place for lunch during Caraval. Authentic food and the atmosphere is the real thing. I really want the painting of the flamenco dancer 💃😉 We will be back!

El Chinitas was the last stop on our food and wine tour. We sampled the fried eel and the Iberian pork shoulder. This was paired with a red wine from Rondo and a Sauvignon blanc. The food was great! The paintings around the walls were great and one has to live the hams hanging near the bar area. This is a place with character.

Totally unexpected awful experience because the reviews were so great.. arrogant waiter..rude.. ordered appetizers and paella and waited 90 minutes while other tables who came in later were served.. Clearly they didn't like English speaking clients... We asked if there was a problem and they just walked away.. Left without eating.. recommend you do too

Enjoyed a good dinner here sitting outside on a warm July evening. Some warm bread rolls and a refreshing salad of tomato, cucumber and octopus was brought as a complimentary course. I ordered Ajo Blanco, my favourite cold soup and the waiter brought two spoons so we shared it. We had seafood paella which looked good and tasted fine though I have eaten better elsewhere. The house white wine served by the glass was cold and great with the food. Service was good and we will try again next time we're in Malaga but will order something other than paella.

Had an extremely disappointing meal here for lunch. Firstly, the service was extremely poor- we had to ask several times for the wifi password and water - ordered the tasting menu and they missed two dishes and rushed the dessert in to us. Staff paid only the barest attention to each table and carelessly set down dishes although they did speak English and do have English menus available. That being said, the food was just as bad as the service. Only a very few dishes were satisfactory. Our mixed fried seafood was soggy, and the plate was soaked with oil. The salad that was recommended by the waitress was subpar. There were no real outstanding dishes worth the price we paid for such small portions. Would not recommend.

Just finished dinner there, it was a very disappointing experience, the waiter mixed up our order and brought us a different type of fish that didn't taste good, and tried to argue with us that it was exactly what we ordered, after I have confirmed with him the order previously..very unprofessional, won't be coming back!