Bodega El Pimpi.

This is a truly special place. We arrived a bit early, as it can get very busy, and I’m glad we did. The service was spot on—absolutely nothing more we could have asked for. And the food… what can I say? It was amazing! Generous portions and incredible flavor made for a perfect meal. Highly recommended. Special mention to Javi that works there and recommended what to eat. We'll be back!

We had dinner at El Pimpi and were excited to experience one of Málaga’s most iconic spots. The atmosphere is undeniably charming—vibrant, full of character, and beautifully located in the heart of the old town. The restaurant was packed, and while that’s a good sign, it did affect the service. We only saw our waiter when he took our order, and another brought us the bill, which made it feel a bit impersonal. We shared the Mediterranean salad, and tried both the sea bream and the chicken. The dishes arrived hot and fresh, which we appreciated. The flavours were a bit on the mild side—not bland in a bad way, but definitely understated. That said, we’d rather season our own food than be overwhelmed by salt. Overall, the food was good, but not particularly memorable. You come here more for the experience and ambiance than for a standout culinary moment. Worth a visit if you want to soak in the local vibe, but maybe not a place we’d rush back to for the food alone.

Had lunch at El Pimpi and it was a memorable experience! The ambience was full of charm—bustling, lively, and steeped in Andalusian character. Although it was quite crowded, we were seated surprisingly quickly. The service stood out—absolutely impeccable. The staff were warm, attentive, and professional throughout. As for the food, the black paella was a bit salty. But the pil-pil prawns more than made up for it—easily the highlight of the meal, bursting with flavor and perfectly cooked. Overall, a great spot in Málaga worth visiting for both the atmosphere and hospitality!

Not a place for me. Crowded. Ordered snails, meatballs, Mediterranean salad, and fried sardines. So much food for two people that it was unappetizing. Did not care for the flavors. We were seated at the entrance barrels. Beautiful foyer but not a place to seat guests since it’s a constant flow of people. Maybe the dining rooms are better. Would not return.

This place is definitely Malagas premier Bodega, we visited between 4-6p.m, so we got to enjoy this historical restaurant when things were a little quieter than usual. We could stroll around and look at all the photos and old posters that are everywhere, brilliant stuff!! All the food was amazing and the Gin and tonics were more than Generous and a big thank you to staff who added to a great afternoon!

Been to El Pimpi bar 2-3 times. We usually sit on the terrace as inside is too busy. It’s like mutliple rooms and decors and SO many peoole walking around. Hectic but fun atmosphere. The terrace is in the back and quite big! It has a view of the nearby ruins so pretty nice spot. Found is not the best i have had but pretty fair for the location and vibe. Menu was big enough with all the main generic tapas. I definitely recommend everyone to try this place at least once. You don’t go there only for food, but more for the atmosphere and central location. Could sit and eat for hours chilling under the sun on the terrace. Cocktails seem delicious but we mainly had wine. Service was good.

We went as soon as it opened - sat at the bar / tapas area. It became very busy soon after! My Spanish passed enough to order us some vermouth and the goat that we wanted to try. The bartender recommended the octopus salad. Safe to we had a great lunch!! Would go back for both dishes 😋

This place is really beautiful! I was looking for a tapas place where I can sit down in air con cause the weather is too hot, this place a is a real gem! Not overprice even in the middle of the tourist area. The beautiful Spanish design, the posters, pictures of history…the tapas and drinks are good and reasonable price, I strongly recommended it!

Three of us came here weeknight about 10pm for dinner. My two friends live here and say it can be touristy but the food is good. We ordered the Iberian chestnut ham, the hot pimpi shrimp tapas, a fresh salad, fried seafood for two, and shrimp croquettes. It was a lot of food but the three of us did a good job finishing it! Service was great despite how busy they were.

I love sashimi and sushi and when I say this was the best fish I've ever had, I mean it. The Tataki was incredible. I would eat it for my last meal. The service here was fast and attentive. We were seated quickly even though it was busy. The patio was lovely and the drinks were delicious. The food was absolutely incredible.

El Pimpi is certainly a popular place in Malaga. It is large and has a lot photos of famous guys. But the food is not that impressive. I ended up in another part of restaurant for tapas. It was busy and food is OK but not great. Due to its location and popularity, I recommend it. You may find something interesting from its menu.

Incredible food, service, and atmosphere. Great taste of Spain with a beautiful view right in the heart of Malaga

We went here expecting what we saw on the Gordon Ramsey Road trip but it was not as we expected based on the show but that's ok. This was meal was a food highlight for Spain for me. Shrimp croquettes. The absolute best bite I had in Spain. The fried fish was amazing. We don't know which kind of fish it was but it was delicious. Opens at noon and fills up quick in the outdoor area. Very clean private bathrooms. Don't skip this place!

This place is quite popular so I would plan on expecting to wait 15 minutes to an hour to get an outside table. You may not have to wait to sit inside though. They have a beautiful outdoor area with amazing views of the Old Roman theatre. Usually I say don't eat at the tourist places across from main sites as the food isn't usually great. But this place is an exception. I had the chilled almond soup with sorbet in March when I visited Spain and it was one of my favorite foods so I had to return to El Pimpi for it when I visited again in January and it was just as good as I remembered. I also had the tuna with peppers appetizer and enjoyed it as well

Another recommendation by a tour guide but this one was from a food tour guide in Granada. We decided to check this out around 5pm on a Monday. The place was plenty busy but we were able to find a table in the maze of rooms (we did not realize until afterward that they have a huge outdoor patio set-up that looked like the place to be). We also saw that they have a classier restaurant next door. This place is a dynasty! It took a bit to wave down a waiter and once we did we realized that we had scanned the wrong QR menu code so we had to start the selection process all over. No paper menus here though the ability to make a list off the website is handy especially when far from fluent in Spanish. They did give a small dish of olives with the drinks. Wine for me and "summer wine" for my wife. We ordered the cold almond soup with a small scoop of raspberry sorbet. It was unusual and delicious. We never would have done so if we had not seen it on Jose Andres' TV show in the US. It was our favorite. We also got an order of the lightly battered and fried eggplant which was very good and very salty. For me this is the way to have eggplant! The package of molasses that came with it was way too strong so we skipped that. Finally we ordered the deep fried anchovies which were again lightly bread and of course salty. Too much food! The prices were not too bad for such a touristy area. The atmosphere was lively and fun.

Two entrances to El Pimpi. I happened to get dropped off on the back side of the restaurant. They were super busy so I walked through to the other side where check-in was located. Cool interior (that used to be a home) with two levels and a mix of patios/halls with different seating options/atmosphere. There was a wait both for in/outdoor seating. Ended up sitting outside and this was much better given the weather. Started with their signature drink-Mojito made with local sweet wine. A bit sweeter than most Mojitos I've had but I enjoyed it. Malagueña salad (local favorite) was very good with sweet/savory notes-Potatoes with orange and Cod. Mixed meat confit Croquettes were tasty. Moved to Victoria Malaga-local Lager-excellent! The Legerita de Pringa (off menu) was okay. Award winning so maybe my expectations were too high for this sandwich- I would describe it as a slightly elevated Pulled Pork sandwich. Service was friendly but was hit or miss as they were busy. A good stop for the vibe/atmosphere and to say you've visited Antonio Banderas's spot.

Food was good a bit busy place to eat due to the amount of touristsincluding myself visiting Antonio Bandera's restaurant. The portions are big so don't order too much food. Ambience is busy and can be loud if you're sitting outside. They have a local style fruit/Iberico market inside the restaurant.

Loved the food! Loved the service and love the ambience of the place. We sat outside in front of the Teatro Romano! The food we ordered were so good.

5 stars for an excellent caipirinha! Best my husband ever had. 4 stars for the food, service and lack of menu. Had a very hard time accessing the menu in English on using the QR code. The avocado salad was good. We did order burgers which we shouldn't have being in Spain. Wrong thing to order but we were just in the mood for them. Not great. The side potatoes were good though. You have to flag the waiters down for everything; don't wait for them to service you... you will wait a long time. Outside patio is nice.

We had a great time at El Pimpi. We went around 6:30 in the evening and were able to seat our party of 6 at a nice outdoors table. The food and drinks were really good. The service was decent considering how busy they are. Great location as well!

The food was really good, and the service great, especially considering that the place was packed. A place that lets you experience local food, with great ambiance and decorations inside.

Worth the experience but not Going to be your best meal. It's a large restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating available

The guide recommended it for food and sweet wine and mentioned it's owned by Antonio Banderas. I walked in through the street entrance and through the restaurant to the patio which faces the ancient Roman Amphitheatre. It is beautiful inside but the outside is perfect. They had not opened up yet and I got a Sweet Wine until I waited for the kitchen to open. It filled up pretty fast and I could hardly believe the lineup later when I left. I had tapas- Adobo and Filetes Rosada, Sweet Wine and Vermouth. The fish crumbled in your mouth and frankly was more than enough for me. They also give you bread. Service was good and everything arrived on time considering they got busier by the moment. A musician started playing music and it was just good to relax on the patio listening to music, eating and enjoying people watching. Had a lovely lunch. For the experience, I believe the price is quite reasonable. Which shows smart business sense. I will go back and try more food. Do try it if you are in Malaga.

Located across the way from the Roman theater ruins and the Alcazaba is El Pimpi whose minority owner is Antonio Banderas. There are several sections to El Pimpi this review is for the Al fresco tapas experience. First locate the hostess stand. There you join the line--there is always a line--and wait for a table your size. Your best bet is off hours 3-6. You wait at most 15 minutes and then are sat down. Service is brisk and the food excellent with American style portions (see Pics). I had the croquettes of shrimp and then ham; both exquisite. We had the patatas bravas, healthy portion, but I've had better. The fried eggplant seemed the way to go with locals ordering drabs of it. The drinks were generous and help clear the mind when hearing a tour guide give an explanation of Moorish architecture. I suggest the "ginebra con tónica" gin and tonic with Hendricks Gin. The crowd is a nice mix of locals and tourists who I guess are trying to see if they spot Antonio. Tip: The spot is excellent if you are taking or recovering from a walking tour of the Alcazaba as the meeting point for most groups is the glass pyramid yards away and within eye sight. Bathrooms are inside and for ladies well the lines make you feel as if your in a harem at the Alcazaba.

horrible service. ordered Fresh Salad, waited 22 minutes for olive oil and vinaigrette while waiters stood around chatting with the ladies. finally the oul and vinager showed up but not the wine which had been ordered 25 minutes before and when it finally arrived it was not what we ordered. rude waiter tried to say take this this is better! never apologies from either waiter. if this is how Gordon Ramsey wants to run a restaurant, he can keep it! As a chef and professional staff trainee, this is not what I expected at all. just because it GR's name on the place doesn't make it good.

Came recommended from a tour guide but really don't recommend. Rushed service, poor food, busy and hectic ambiance. Outside looked better for views of Alcazaba and drinks were ok, but it was not worth it indoors.

This is a must, I know people who travel long distances to enjoy their cuisine. So if you are in the neighborhood, it would be a crime not to taste their excellent variety of tapas.

Amazing food! A foodies paradise! Quick service and fun atmosphere! Definitely recommend The cheesecake could bring a grown man to tears it's so good

Service was horrible, food not great. Much better places close by. We figured how bad can it be? But it wasn't worth it.

Awesome place!! It was on my list of places to visit in Malaga; it exceeded my expectations, great ambiance and drinks. our bartender Jose, was incredible! such a nice and welcoming person, he made me feel like family. I will recommend El Pimpi to my family and friends. a place that you can not miss.

Our first meal in Malaga. We had flown in late and wanted to grab a late night meal. Walking around the city center, we stumbled on this popular and lively restaurant by chance and could not be any happier. Great atmosphere and attentive service. Food and drinks were amazing. This was our favorite place for jamon in Malaga.

Our visit was to the location in front of the Roman theater. Given it's prime location, it is a relaxing place for a meal and drink, although flies were a nuisance. We had the fried fish and mussels as our meal. Plus a house white wine. The food is good although the fish is not served with any sides. The staff is efficient but not friendly. It's hard to get a smile out of the waitstaff at most places we visited.

Wandered into this establishment looking for a quick lunch. The menu has to be downloaded from a QR code which I am fine with. There are discriptions of what you are ordering. It still ends up being a point and order as you are guessing on what is included. I ordered the cordon Blue, wanted something small and quick. It was quick alright. Arrived at almost room temperature and VERY overcooked. They used dark meat chicken which should be tender and juicy. This was hard as a rock and hard to saw into it. The potatoes on the other hand were awesome! The bread was on the verge of being stale. No one came back to ask if everything was OK, but did come and take my bread plate with bread on it without asking. And avoid the person coming around selling lottery tickets. Also, don't sit by a door that says 'Privado' as the staff don't care how loud it slams as they go thru it. Service was awful. A TOTAL tourist joint. Avoid at all costs!!!

Great service!... very busy, and I recommend going before rush hour... long line, but moves quick. Conveniently Near historic sites. Delicious food!

Came here twice for lunch and dinner and enjoyed the food and ambiance. This is co owned by Antonio Banderas as I heard. Enjoyed the paella for lunch and the Iberico pork and three layer chocolate for dinner. I would come back and try their fried seafood! Trust!

Fun! People watching was almost as good as the food! Service was not bad and the food was excellent. Go!

This is one of Malaga's great places to visit. Even if you don't have a meal stop in for a glass of wine. But come early cause the place fills up quickly with locals and tourists alike. On the walls are photos of famous people whom have visited the restaurant. The decoration of the restaurant is very Spanish tradition. I always enjoyed coming for a glass of wine and a tapa at the bar. I like how it makes me feel like i'm in Spain.

Thoroughly enjoyed this vibrant restaurant. We were seated between the two main floor dining areas, near the bar, and it was like dinner and a show! All the servers and guest and the liveliness was wonderful. Our server was helpful and friendly. We loved our food, including fried anchovies and grilled fish . Great place, reasonably priced.

El servicio de este restaurante es deficiente y con mal actitud.. somos turista y no entendemos como un restaurante muy popular en malaga atiendan a los turista de esta manera.. por favor la excelencia de un buen servicio al cliente es el plus de una buena comida.. el appetizer de boquerones frito se tuvieron que devolver por el no buen cocinado... las críticas son constructiva y espero que mejoren como un buen Restaurante.

Ads for El Pimpi were plastered everywhere in downtown Malaga across the fortress. Impossible to ignore it and not going there at least to take a look at the beautiful inside (different levels, stairs up and down, filled with bullfighting and flamenco dancers real-vintage posters - many from the 1910s and 1920s). The restaurant is simply gorgeous in every corner and the service was great, considering the long wait under the rain (it seems everybody wanted a glimpse of El Pimpi during the pre-Goya prizes night). El Pimpi is a funny name for some interesting character of the city from days gone by. They make sure you know the full list of all the flamenco singers and artists that have had a show in there (you can read the list in pretty classic tiles at the entrance). There is a terrace outside on top of the different levels inside (so this place is good for couples, individuals as well as large groups, they cater them all). Our server was a friendly Argentinian actor-wannabe that was carbon-copy of a young Antonio Banderas. He was very fast and cool. My colleague and I waited for the food with patience, enjoying a glass of vino malagueno, the sweet wine to open the appetite. Amazing. Food was phenomenal, we shared a salad with goat cheese, avocado and fresh lettuce and fruits and was the most amazing salad for long time. It came already marinated for us, and was really to die for. My octopus dish was also epic, big, juicy, not gummy, flavorful and pretty. I loved everything. My colleague got a very juicy and happy chunk of meat he could not even finish devouring. We shared a guava based ice cream/dessert, very refreshing to finalize a wonderful night. Excellent place, I can't believe I am saying this from a very touristic establishment but it is what it is!

I'm not sure why this is labeled as a "dive bar" it must be a mistake. This is close to being a high end dining experience. They replace your cutlery with every course. The inside is very nice. The mussels were delicious. The octopus was just okay. I've given up on finding good octopus in Spain. The service was wonderful. The place was absolutely packed but the server was very attentive. I was very disappointed that they wouldn't serve me the black seafood rice as the minimum was 2. I offered to buy two portions and the answer was still no. I travel alone and shouldn't be punished for that. Hence the removal of a few stars.

The food was not great. The service was horrible! Extremely overrated! So disappointed with this place. The ambiance was load and a lot of chaos. Waiter seemed upset that he had to serve us and we had to ask for the check several times.

Average food no ambiance heavily touristed. Better places in the heart of the historic district.

I read a lot of mixed reviews which made me a bit sceptic to go out and eat in El Pimpi... Was I wrong to worry. We made a reservation upfront, skipped the line, got immediately seated and our orders taken. Good food and wine alike. Friendly service and nice atmosphere. Service was as good as it gets in Europe. If you expect US-like service be prepared to be disappointed at every lunch/dinner in Europe.

Sparce service, old fried fish, over cooked fish and old dried out Limon. Do not recommend

Avery popular dinner spot. Arrived at their opening to get a table as people line up fast. Food was solid, got multiple dishes and drinks.

El Pimpi is an absolutely gigantic Malagan bar and restaurant full of history and heritage (and yes, its name literally means "the pimp"). Its walls were lined with vintage Spanish posters/banners as well as photos of famous past visitors. The crowd here consisted of both locals and tourists, and our server was super friendly and helpful in suggesting some typical Malagan dishes to try. We started with the Malagan salad (Ensalada Malaguena), made of potatoes and codfish in a creamy orange fruit dressing, and decorated with slices of oranges on top. This was the first time I've had the combination of oranges and potatoes, and while I didn't think they worked particularly well together, the dish was a fascinating showcase of local ingredients. The Prawns (Langostinos) al Pimpi was a ceramic dish of prawns cooked in a slightly spicy red chili oil. But my favorite dish was definitely the Malaga-style squid (Chipirones a la Malaguena), made of squid tubes stuffed with squid tentacles (inception?) and stewed in a brown sauce, and served with sides of broccoli, red cabbage, and a cherry tomato. The taste and texture of the squid reminded me almost of mussels, and the sauce had a deep, savory flavor that accented the seafoody notes of the squid. Overall, El Pimpi was a truly iconic, atmospheric place for seafood-centric Malagan tapas!

Atmosphere. Food. Booze. People. Service. The perfect local bar... For tourists too. Go for the tapas. Go for supper.

Great place to take a break and have a beer & sangria along with a traditional tapa. We stopped into the EL TUNEL DEL PIMPI. Great prices, large size tapas. We sat at the bar on barstools. It was cozy and nice. Shared a couple tapas and olives. A very nice young man waited on us and chatted. It was great to visit with a local. They also have a larger location with outside seating just around the corner. We like the small 'tunel' the best!!

Every tourist will go here once. The outdoor patio are great. The view is good. Fresh air. Food is good. Dont eat inside as it can be stuffy. Order some wine outside and enjoy the cool breeze. At night time you can see the light on the fortress.

Love this. Was a bit concerned our picky kids would not like it. Everyone loved it! Delicious!! Concerned it might be too touristy, but it was a terrific experience.

The restaurant is worth visiting as it is a typical malagueño restaurant. The ambience is great and the food is ok. It is a tourist trap though with overpriced food. One way to get around that is to order half rations to try a bit of everything without loosing your shirt. The fried eggplant and the anchovies were our favorite as were the Shrimp al pimpi.

We decided to come here just to try. We were able to get seated right away inside. Outside seating would have taken a while. Ordered a couple of drinks, croquette, sushi, and clams. The salmon was okay,nothing out of the ordinary. But the beef tataki excellent. Ambience was great. The tour guides told us it good to go just to try but its not a must. Its good to come hear at least once while you are here.

I think this is the place to eat in Malaga. I ate here twice in one day. Partly because a few other places were closed but also because it's a nice place to eat at. It's almost like they own that entire plaza. Food is good. The service is, well, very European. I had the fried squid (calamari), beef tenderloin, beer and wine. Everyone is chilling. Its always packed. Its not high class dining. It is fine dining in a relaxed comfortable setting. Sit outdoors. Loosen up. People watch. Buenos dias.

I am afriad we didnt look at yelp before we went. Someone said "sparce service." Amen to that. We were ignored with such fervor we honestly thought we had offended the waiter. Cannot rate the food. We gave up waiting on service before we had a chance to order. I would pass on this one. There are so many offerings in this lovely town, you should try somewhere they appreciate you.

We entered the establishment not knowing it was a well renowned location. The service was lacking, no set waiter and the waiters we asked things from forgot most of what we requested. It's more for the ambiance and name. Antonio Banderas signed/scribed on a wooden barrel and there's several photographs of his visits. The actor is from the town of Cadiz, Spain. The food was delicious. I got two large pieces of salmon! I was so full didn't even finish but I didn't leave much. I ordered a salad and it had fresh tuna and quail eggs. One of the tastiest meals I had on my visit to Spain.

This place came highly recommended by a local but we were a bit disappointed. It was really popular, but maybe we just didn't order the right things. Everything was deep fried and overly greasy for my liking. Wine was good. Service was good as well