El Pimpi did not disappoint! Everything we ordered was delicious, from the papas bravas and garlic shrimp to the creamy Russian salad. My husband tried the caracoles (snails) and really enjoyed them too. The decor is beautiful and authentically Spanish, with different areas to sit, some tables by the bar, others indoors surrounded by a wall full of photos featuring famous guests. One of the photos of Antonio Banderas, who happens to be a co-owner! The service was super attentive, and the overall ambiance was just great. I really liked El Pimpi, it fully lived up to the hype! read more

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This restaurant is more about its famous owner than the food. Antonio Banderas, a native of Málaga, is rumored to own the restaurant and live in the condominium adjacent to its patio dining area. People come in the hope of sighting this celebrity, crowding the restaurant at all hours and overwhelming its staff. Our server pointed us to a QR code on the cocktail menu so we could look up what's on offer. This menu gave ONLY the names of the dishes on offer, WITHOUT any description of the dish or its sides. Nor did the server have the time to describe them to us. Service was a 2, at best, while the food was a 3. If you're looking for good food and good service, there are plenty of other options in Málaga. If you choose a place to eat on the off chance you will see a movie star, this is the place for you. read more

If you go make sure you sit in the main dining room or outside. We were seated at high top tables near the bar and it had none of the historic charm or ambiance. Our waitress brought us the wrong dish and was hostile when we told her. She then charged us for it. Food was mediocre. This was by far the worst dining experience I've had since traveling in Madrid and Malaga. read more

Total meh. We went for tapas and sat outside on a Thursday afternoon. This is during a time when it's not very busy and there's no excuse not to do it well. We were seated immediately without a wait. The bartender inside was very helpful and professional but the service outside left something to be desired. The drinks are served fast and taste fine- to be expected. The food was underwhelming. We ordered pulpo, zanahorias, their signature salad, and patatas bravas. The pulpo was the best, I'd order that again. The bravas were on the sweeter side. And the other two were pretty and plated well but nothing to drool over. All of it was very average. I liked their complimentary olives the best! That said, I'd suggest a drink and move on to better restaurants with better service. The restaurant is beautiful, though, and their business is doing great so I figured an honest review isn't going to hurt them much. Even after reading this, you'll probably go anyway. Just do it when the line isn't an hour wait! read more

El Pimpi - Dive Bars Near Me - Málaga, Massachusetts

What a great place! right next to our hotel and quality all around, The Jamon and Olives -Chupa Dedos were amazing! We had our Sangria or glass of wine every day at this place, what a gem. The staff were so attentive and the selection on the menu was superb. Each night the staff would bring in all the tables, umbrellas and whatever else so that the area could be cleaned, well done! Not sure why Yelp designates this as a Dive Bar, the outside area is very well done, and the inside although a bit heavy in the decorations it certainly did not feel like a dive bar. The Food quality and consistency was very good, not Sure what some of the issues are with others, I am Latin and speak the language, so maybe that makes some things easier. The tomatoes in the area are just amazing! and the local cheeses were terrific. read more

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Came here for lunch with a group of eight after going to the Picasso museum. The restaurants in a cute area and is definitely convenient. We ordered a variety of burgers, soups, and salads and overall everything was good. Definitely a slightly touristy spot, but the food was solid even so. read more

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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. read more

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Tourists trap! Don't waste your time! There's plenty of unbelievable places to eat in Malaga, this is not one of them! This is not about the food. It's about the shit show! Leading up to the food!!! read more

What a beautiful treasure in Malaga! Worth a visit just to checkout the celebrity photos and ambiance. went for lunch and we had the meatball in almond sauce and the moorish lamb tapas which were both good with beer and tinto de verana. Multiple bars inside but does get busy after it opens. I heard Antonio Banderas is a co owner. Anyway, would recommend for a nice tapas lunch with good, fast service. read more

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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! read more

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Here's your review, cleaned up a little, sharpened, and still keeping your tone -- just a little more polished and funny: --- I've had worse meals -- but that was in jail. My wife ordered the salmorejo. It came out looking like bread mashed up with ketchup. Not a soup. Not close. More like something you scrape off a drunk guy's shirt. I had the Iberico tenderloin. Supposed to be a highlight. What I got was overcooked, dry, and tougher than a grizzled Delta Force veteran who's been living off cactus and bad decisions. I didn't finish it. Honestly, I'd rather gnaw on an old shoe. The one bright spot? The waiter. He looked like The Hound from Game of Thrones -- but friendlier. Maybe because he didn't stab me or set me on fire. Points for that. Would I go back? Sure. If I lost a bet. read more

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 read more

El Pimpi - Chilled almond soup with Rasberry sorbet - delicious - Dive Bars Near Me - Málaga, Massachusetts

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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. read more

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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. read more

El Pimpi - Inside - Dive Bars Near Me - Málaga, Massachusetts

Not sure what all the hype is about for this restaurant. The food is average at best. The restaurant is worth wandering through to see the all the barrels and decor but aside from that it's not worth the long wait in line. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

El Pimpi - Front Entrance - Dive Bars Near Me - Málaga, Massachusetts

Food was all so tasty. Our favorite was between the pork dish or the tuna. Everything tasted so good and this should be must stop by if your in Malaga. read more

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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. read more

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Staff not friendly, the food wasn't great and didn't enjoy our time here at all. I wouldn't recommend El Pimpi at all. There are definitely better places to eat in Malaga. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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Food was decent. Server was not the nicest. Cool restaurant. Wouldn't go back... way too many better places with servers who care.

Traditional food and good service. The tomato avocado salad was delicious and the drinks hit the spot. It is busy, but you they don't rush you. Take it slow. read more

El Pimpi - Traditional food and good service. The avocado and dried tomato salad was delicious. - Dive Bars Near Me - Málaga, Massachusetts

This is a total tourist trap which was unfortunately recommended by our hotel. Sangria was too sweet and the cuttlefish was awful. The fig salad was the only thing we liked. We are much happier picking our own mom and pop restaurants on the street. read more

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. read more

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Great place for tapas with a great menu. Service was top notch. We also went to the restaurant and also was amazing.

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

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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! read more

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

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. read more

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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. read more

Short wait times for table, as the place is huge. Service is prompt and helpful. Food is traditional Spainish tapas. Have not had a bad meal. The bulls tail over mashed potatoes is excellent read more

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. read more

El Pimpi - Dive Bars Near Me - Málaga, Massachusetts

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

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! read more

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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! read more

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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 read more

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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. read more

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. read more