Going out for tapas in Fuengirola is always an excellent idea. This town on the Costa del Sol has a multitude of tapas bars, from the cheapest to the most gourmet options. This, together with its vibrant nightlife and plethora of cultural and leisure activities, makes it a fantastic option for tourism.
Holidaymakers wanting to try the best tapas in Fuengirola will be able to reach this town by hiring a car at Malaga airport or by travelling in their own car around the different bars from Los Boliches to the infamous Castillo de Sohail.
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Cheap tapas in Fuengirola
Despite being a town with a lot of tourism, Fuengirola is home to some cheap bars with a lifetime of experience in the sector where you can enjoy some simple and delicious tapas, escaping the typical venues that are focussed on mass tourism.
Sal Gorda
Between the fairground and the promenade you can find Sal Gorda, a tapas bar which has been offering family cuisine for more than 12 years, where you can enjoy tapas at good prices. Its chef, who is Italian, combines Spanish tapas with Italian cuisine. Its star tapas include fried cheese or small sandwich with pork and quail’s egg (montadito de lomo con huevo de codorniz). Its pizzas are also popular, with an average price of six euros each and with the calzone as the stand-out dish.
La Bodeguita del Tapeo
Just a few metres from the seafront promenade, La Bodeguita del Tapeo is one of Fuengirola’s most popular tapas bars, as shown by its terrace which is always full. This bar offers tapas of fried fish, cold meats and some classics like diced vegetable salad (ensaladilla rusa), prawns in pilpil sauce (gambas al pilpil) or oxtail croquettes (croquetas de rabo de toro), offering most of its menu as a tapa with an average price of less than two euros per tapa.
Gourmet tapas in Fuengirola
Just as there are places to enjoy tapas in Fuengirola at a reasonable price, with simple dishes adapted to all palates, there are also options to suit more exquisite tastes. Hence, you can find various options of restaurants with creative tapas that are bursting with flavour.
Tanico’s
Tanico’s is committed to quality in each of its tapas and portions (raciones), basing its menu on market produce. This restaurant boasts a varied menu, although it is typical for its customers to ask for suggestions of the day, since when choosing local produce, it always offers a plethora of fresh and delicious options.
Noteworthy tapas include the small oxtail pasty (empanadilla de rabo de toro) and barbecued octopus with creamed potato (pulpo a la brasa con crema de patatas). Additionally, it has a wine cellar with more than 300 bottles which you can pair with each dish. Quality and price come hand in hand at Tanico’s.
El laberinto Bistro
With more than 25 years spent working at the stove, Baltasar Díaz, the owner of what has been known for years as El Laberinto de Balta, has the experience and culinary technique to amaze customers. This chef has worked with the big names of Spanish cuisine, including Martín Berasategui and Santi Santamaría, which has given him the creativity and skills to create unique dishes.
On his menu, the star dishes are definitely the chilled garlic and almond soup with rum and raisin ice cream (ajoblanco con helado de pasas y ron), mushrooms with Iberian ham and Rossini sirloin steak in truffle broth (solomillo rossini en caldo de trufa). Ultimately, a selection of dishes that have nothing to envy of Michelin star restaurants and at reasonable prices.
Picoteo
Picoteo is probably one of the best tapas bars in Fuengirola. Its cuisine combines innovation and tradition to offer a unique culinary experience. This restaurant features a large outdoor terrace and a welcoming interior dining area. Its menu combines international dishes with typical Andalusian products.
Although it can’t be considered a tapas bar because its menu doesn’t include this selection, it does have plenty of portions (raciones) to share which customers will love. These include garlic shrimp croquettes, tuna tartare or diced vegetable salad (ensaladilla rusa) with tuna belly and quail’s egg. Additionally, Picoteo offers a variety of vegan and vegetarian options and has ecological values deriving from a sustainable consumption in its kitchens.
Tapas in Fuengirola by the sea
In coastal towns like Fuengirola, it is difficult to find tapas bars by the sea, but not impossible. These are some of the tapas establishments in Fuengirola by the coast.
Tomaquet Tapas
With an extensive selection of affordable tapas, Tomaquet Tapas has a cool interior terrace where you can enjoy a quiet meal with family or friends. Its menu also features a multitude of portions (raciones) to share, such as honey-coated aubergines, ‘fritura malagueña which contains fried seafood or chicken goujons (lagrimitas de pollo).
In terms of tapas, they are all priced at less than two euros. They include the serranito warm sandwich, ‘diablitos’ and cresta picante con queso. This, together with the friendly service, makes this tapas bar a classic in Fuengirola.
Bodega el Tapeo Andaluz
Bodega El Tapeo Andaluz boasts more than ten years of experience in the sector and is an excellent option to enjoy tapas which feature Iberian meats, seasonal vegetables and fresh local fish, all marinated with the typical wines of Malaga and Andalusia.
In Bodega El Tapeo, a good option is to start the experience with an Andalusian cheese board to continue with a tapa of Spanish omelette (tortilla Española), a pepper salad or meatballs in tomato sauce, all costing an average of three euros.
Tapas in Fuengirola centre
The centre of Fuengirola is home to a long list of tapas bars where you can combine a tapa with chatting to friends, enjoying an unforgettable time in the heart of the town.
La Abacería de David
La Abacería de David is one of the most charming bars in Fuengirola to eat tapas. With a menu which opts for Spanish cuisine, this establishment is in a small venue with just a few tables in the street and a small counter which is also a shop where you can buy gourmet products from the area.
The couple that run this bar offer a friendly service from the moment the customer sets foot inside the premises and offer a menu where the protagonists are soup tapas. Although, the Iberian pork meatballs in almond sauce (albóndigas de cerdo ibérico en salsa de almendras) also stand out, just like the homemade prawn and horn of plenty mushroom croquettes (croquetas caseras de gambas y trompeta de la muerte).
Tipi Tapa
Tipi Tapa restaurant is one of the best known in the town, famous for its tapas and its barbecued meats in particular. To liven up the evenings, Tipi Tapa usually offers live flamenco shows.
Its star tapas are the crab stick salad (ensalada bocas de mar), pure goat’s cheese, meatballs in tomato sauce or stew croquettes, although it also has portions to share and matured meats with denomination of origin.
Bodega Charolais
Charolais is a winery which offers a fusion of Basque-Malagan cuisine. This restaurant features two different areas, each with a different ambience, with a modern tapas corner and a more traditional restaurant area.
So, the tapas room boasts a vast menu of interesting dishes such as the Charolais Spanish omelette with goat’s cheese and piquillo peppers, the chicken roll with almonds or quail chupa-chups with soy sauce. All of this is accompanied by more than one hundred national and international wines.
Map of the tapas route in Fuengirola
Visitors wanting to discover the rich gastronomy of Fuengirola will be able to locate the town’s different tapas bars on this map, so they can visit them all during their stay, enjoying every mouthful.
