Pet-Friendly Restaurants in Malaga

El Tintero is an Malaga institution. Waiters circulate around the terrace shouting out the dishes they carry — you flag them down and eat what you want. It's a controlled, gloriously chaotic system that has been going for decades. The seafood is ultra-fresh, the prices are remarkably low, and the open-air terrace right on the El Palo seafront is one of the most dog-friendly dining environments in the city. Dogs settle happily under the long communal tables while plates of grilled sardines and fried anchovies arrive in quick succession. Go hungry.

Pedregalejo is the neighbourhood locals send visitors to when they want to find genuinely welcoming terraces without tourist pricing. Los Mellizos is the anchor restaurant of the paseo, serving consistent Andalusian seafood from a terrace that overlooks a small beach cove. Dogs are a completely normal sight here — locals walking their dogs from the nearby Parque de Málaga often stop for a coffee or a glass of Manzanilla. The espetos cooked in the traditional half-barrel braziers on the beach are the definitive Malaga experience.

On the pedestrianised Calle Larios, Café Central has been the social heartbeat of central Malaga since 1925. The street-level terrace is a natural gathering point throughout the day, from morning coffee to evening copa. The historic centre is fully pedestrianised, which makes navigating with a dog straightforward, and the café's long terrace — right on the most elegant boulevard in the city — is one of the most relaxed places to sit with a dog in central Malaga. Staff are consistently welcoming to well-behaved dogs.

The Soho district, Malaga's answer to Barcelona's El Born, has become the most genuinely dog-friendly neighbourhood for eating and drinking in the city. La Deriva is a representative example of the neighbourhood's café culture: good natural wine, well-sourced food, a relaxed indoor-outdoor atmosphere and a clientele that invariably includes dogs. The street art and murals of the surrounding streets make the walk to and from the restaurant an attraction in itself.

La Farola sits at the end of the Malagueta seafront promenade, right next to the lighthouse, and is one of the most reliably dog-friendly chiringuitos in the city. The terrace is large and relaxed, set back from the sand with enough space between tables for dogs to settle without causing inconvenience. Sunsets from this terrace are among the best in Malaga. A cold beer, a plate of gambas al ajillo, and a dog at your feet watching the sea — this is Malaga at its simplest and best.