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SUR Food and drink The most original and hearty breakfasts in Malaga province: 16 stops for a strong start to the dayFrom Ardales to Torrox Costa, a route through bars, restaurants and cafés that have turned the first meal of the day into something irresistible, full of tradition, local flavour and a lot of imagination
Malaga
Friday, 19 December 2025, 19:01 | Updated 19:18h.
Starting the day in the province of Malaga has never been so exciting. The first meal of the day has become an authentic showcase of creativity and culinary tradition, where recipes inherited from rural areas, sandwiches born from the intuition of a customer, specialities with a local stamp and ideas that surprise even the earliest risers.
There are places that have been toasting molletes (soft bread rolls) for decades as if it were ritual - in Ardales, Antequera or Benadalid - and village bars where eggs are still fried with spring onions from the orchard or churros are dipped in water and salt as tradition dictates in Ojén.
There are modern urban cafés and neighbourhood businesses that have elevated breakfast to new heights: molletes with their own seasoning, Iberian cured meats cut on the spot, pulled pork, grilled shawarmas or sandwiches with names as unpredictable as "escombros" (rubble). A tour of bars in the province of Malaga shows how the day can start in many different ways.
1
Spanish breakfast at El Cruce (Ardales)
In Ardales, El Cruce restaurant has turned its so-called Spanish breakfast into one of the most popular morning rituals among those passing through the Guadalteba area or heading to the Caminito del Rey. Its not a new addition - it's been on the menu for over a decade and a half - but the constant passage of tourists and cyclists has catapulted it to fame. Its strength lies in its authenticity: local chorizo sausage, free-range eggs and a garnish of peppers, onions and garlic fried with Ardales oil, as well as several slices of bread to dip in egg yolks as per tradition. Everything comes from the immediate surroundings, from the vegetables from the Antoñuelo orchard to the local cured meats from the Cuartel. The idea started thanks to a regular customer and, since then, it has become one of the morning hallmarks of this family-run establishment that has been open since the late 1980s.
WHERE IT IS:
Restaurante Hostal El Cruce - Google Maps
2
Bread with an assortment of spreads at El Cordobés (Teba)
Venta El Cordobés, in the municipality of Teba and very close to the main road connecting Campillos with Ronda, has established itself as one of the temples of traditional breakfast in Malaga's interior. After five years of closure, it has reinvented itself, but has kept its spirit: home-style cooking, a pleasant atmosphere and a homage to its past as a rural chapel school. Its suggestion to start the day is an original assortment of spreads that arrive at the table like a palette of colours: zurrapa, 'manteca colorá', homemade pâté, sobrasada, butter, extra virgin olive oil from Teba and crushed tomato. In total, a dozen small tubs to have with pitufos, molletes or toast. In addition, there are cold meats, ham and modified choices for those with allergies, without losing the essence of a traditional open house that keeps the most classic recipes of the Guadalteba valley alive.
WHERE IT IS:
Venta El Cordobés - Google Maps
3
Fried eggs with spring onions in Platero (Coín)
On the outskirts of Coín, the Platero restaurant has been offering a breakfast that sums up the essence of the Guadalhorce Valley for more than a third of a century: fried eggs with fresh spring onions, all made with local produce.
What was once a common meal for farmers who worked long days in the fields has now become one of the most popular morning meals for hikers, cyclists and loyal customers. The key is in its well-executed simplicity: seasonal spring onions - almost always bought from the Coín orchards - eggs from Granja Salvi and plenty of extra virgin olive oil from local olive oil mills.
To accompany this is the essential 'cateto' bread from the Hijos de Ana Hevilla bakery, perfect with the egg yolks. Despite time passing, this breakfast never goes out of fashion and every weekend hundreds of eggs are fried, a reflection of its undeniable popularity.
WHERE IT IS:
Platero Restaurant - Google Maps
4
El bocadillo Juanito (Casabermeja)
In the restaurant La Huerta, at the entrance to Casabermeja, the morning bustle is constant. Among the many breakfasts offered by this restaurant, renowned for its traditional cuisine, there is a sandwich that was born almost by chance: the 'Juanito'.
More than a decade ago, a regular customer from the nearby industrial estate always ordered it the same way and that order ended up becoming a classic. Its formula is simple but infallible: lomo en manteca made in the kitchen itself, a two-egg omelette, tomato grated on the base and a thin layer of mayonnaise on top. The bread is another secret, from the bakery Nuestra Señora del Socorro, a staple in the village. Over time, the 'Juanito' has become one of the most loved breakfasts by the restaurant's regulars. "Those who order it, come back for more," sums up its cook, Pepi Flores, proud of this local sandwich.
WHERE IT IS:
Restaurante la Huerta - Google Maps
5
Molletes that have a secret in Caserío San Benito (Antequera)
At Caserío San Benito, at the foot of the Málaga-Córdoba motorway, breakfast is no longer a simple formality but a real attraction. Its owner, Esperanza Muñoz de León, argues that the mollete bread roll deserves special treatment, its tradition inherited from those years when it was bought hot in a basket at dawn.
Here they have elevated this tradition to a small liturgy: the mollete -from Horno San Roque- is heated before cutting to keep the softness of the crumb intact and to conserve the heat until the moment it is served. The waiter opens it without separating it and leaves it to the customer to complete the ritual with extra virgin olive oil - a blend of arbequina, picual and hojiblanca from Cortijo Manalba - and crushed tomato from their own orchard. For those looking for something more, there is a 'Catalan' version with freshly sliced Iberian ham. In winter, the lit fireplace adds to the charm of one of the most carefully prepared breakfasts in the north of the province.
WHERE IT IS:
Restaurant Caserío de San Benito - Google Maps
6
Mollete de cochinillo in Las Adelfas (Antequera)
In the industrial estate of Antequera, restaurant Las Adelfas has been serving one of the most talked-about breakfasts in the area since 1995: the so-called mollete de cochinillo. Its name, which often surprises those who read it for the first time, is actually a nod to the past, as it does not contain suckling roast pig, but pork shoulder. Despite this, or perhaps thanks to this anecdote, this sandwich has become a classic for those who make a stop first thing in the morning before arriving in the town. The homemade aioli is one of its indisputable hallmarks, along with the tomato, the lightly melted cheese and the grilled mollete antequerano. Its fame has meant that other nearby restaurants have also incorporated it into their breakfast menus, even keeping the same name. The Pozo sisters, belonging to the business' second generation, have now focused their activity on the first meal of the day, driven by constant word of mouth and the popularity of this unusual sandwich.
WHERE IT IS:
Bar restaurante las adelfas - Google Maps
7
Mollete of Venta La Solana (Benadalid)
Those travelling along the scenic Ronda-Algeciras road in the Genal Valley have many good options for a good breakfast. Among them is an early stop at an inn near Benadalid, La Solana, where, as well as having a very good lunch, you can enjoy breakfast alongside panoramic views. The molletes and tostadas of this establishment are famous. They have a lot of options, but their breakfasts are always made with local ingredients. The speciality, in fact, is zurrapas and lomo en manteca (pork loin in lard).
WHERE IT IS:
Venta restaurant La Solana - Google Maps
8
Mollete with Alto Genal flavour in San Antonio bakery (Pujerra)
It is the only place where you can have breakfast in the village nowadays, although it is more of a bakery than a café. Located next to the Pujerra town hall, you can not only order the large and very tasty molletes, but also buy them. This mixture of bakery and bar allows its customers to eat a good mollete or other bread freshly baked in its oven and then take more home. Please note, it does not currently appear as San Antonio bakery on Google Maps.
WHERE IT IS:
9
Churros in Er Mojaíto (Ojén)
In Ojén, breakfast tradition is called 'Er Mojaíto'. For almost fifteen years, this small bar has kept a unique custom alive: dipping the churros in a basin of salted water as soon as they come out of the fryer. The result is churros that are crunchier on the outside, with a slightly thicker batter and more satisfying than the traditional 'secos'. Jorge Gómez Bermúdez, heir to a tradition that his mother used to practice in a nearby shop, prepares each churro individually with tongs and only on demand. The experience requires eating them right there, standing up, as is the custom, while another basin placed on the floor collects the salty drops. The origin of this culinary ritual seems to be linked to times of scarcity, when dipping fritters in water and salt helped to tackle hunger. Today, locals and visitors still come to try these unique churros in the province of Málaga.
WHERE IT IS:
CHURRERÍA ' ER MOJAITO' - Google Maps
10
Pan-fried pork loin, peppers and eggs, in Cafeteria Puerta Nueva - La Molletería de Sergio (Vélez-Málaga)
In Vélez-Málaga, Cafetería Puerta Nueva has made a name for itself thanks to a breakfast that has been a hit for years: the pan-fried pork mollete. Sergio Muñoz, its owner, started working with molletes from Antequera in 2015, but what really made the difference was his commitment to homemade products and local produce. The loin, which comes from a local butcher's shop, is cooked for three hours in its own seasoning and then shredded to achieve a particularly juicy texture. The bread arrives daily from Hornos San Roque and complements a sandwich that can be enriched with fried peppers or a grilled egg. Introduced to the menu six years ago, it soon became their star mollete, a breakfast that is even reminiscent of the traditional migas of the Axarquía in its heartiness. The cafeteria also offers a menu full of local touches, from sobrasada de Colmenar to roast pork leg, which makes it a leading figure for those looking for unique breakfasts.
WHERE IT IS:
Cafeteria Molleteria Puerta Nueva - La Molletería de Sergio - Google Maps
11
Molletes for all tastes in the Cafetería de Noy (Rincón de la Victoria)
This is possibly the establishment on this list with the greatest variety of sandwiches. Many of them are made from roast pork leg, which is deeply rooted in much of the Axarquia region. There is something for everyone: with mojo picón and cheddar, catalana or pechá (with kimchi sauce). Their sandwich menu has sections such as 'Para los que se cuidan', 'Para los que no se cuidan' or 'Lo Verde'. Among the breads they also offer many options: muffins (white and wholemeal), gluten-free bread, pitufos (normal, wholemeal, cereals and multigrain) and vienna.
WHERE IT IS:
Cafeteria El Cafelito de Moy - Google Maps
12
German breakfast at Wolfgang and Karina's Backstübel (Torrox Costa)
The German population is especially concentrated in the centre of Torrox Costa, in the Axarquía. This means that today it is not difficult to find German gastronomy in many of its restaurants. Among them are Wolfgang and Karina's, right on the promenade, where you can have the most traditional breakfast in this European country while enjoying the backdrop of the Mediterranean.
WHERE IT IS:
Wolfgang und Karina's Backstübel - Deutsche Bäckerei & Café Torrox - Google Maps
13
The small rolls of La Ñora (Malaga)
La Ñora, in the middle of Calle Gerona, and opposite the historic Mesón Astorga in Malaga city, turned the 2008 crisis into an opportunity: from only opening for lunch and dinner to reinventing itself as one of the benchmarks for breakfast in Malaga. Sisters Paqui and Montse Moya then devised breakfast rolls that break all expectations, both for their size and the variety of fillings.
There is no written menu: the customer looks at the counter and asks what is available. Carne mechada, roast ham with semi-cured cheese, serranitos, sirloin in lard or marinated pork loin are just some of the usual options, prepared in advance and in generous quantities. On Fridays, stuffed tortillas are the order of the day, with up to eight different combinations -from cooked ham and cheese to spicy chorizo or vegetables-. Their "house pitufo", invented almost by accident, is a symbol of the restaurant today. A breakfast that may seem excessive to some, but which many customers embrace as "the La Ñora diet".
WHERE IT IS:
enalce_iniko_0** La Ñora - Google Maps La Ñora
14
Sandwiches made with iberian cured meats at El Ruiseñor (Puerto de la Torre)
At El Ruiseñor restaurant, in the Puerto de la Torre district of Malaga, Ibérico breakfasts have become a real hallmark. For years, Paco Zumaquero was the one who popularised the formula: Iberian ham cut on the spot and a slice placed on top of the pitufo or mollete to differentiate between the classic 'catalanas'. His idea of placing the hams in full view and slicing each piece at the counter marked a turning point for this family restaurant. That decision boosted demand until Iberian ham sandwiches became almost half of the breakfasts served every morning. Today, the family continues to work with Embutidos Fili's Iberian hams, a product that has brought customers from all over Malaga.
WHERE IT IS:
Restaurante el Ruiseñor - Google Maps
15
The 'rubble' sandwich, in Las Marismas (Malaga)
In the heart of the Guadalhorce industrial estate, Las Marismas restaurant has been serving one of the most unique - and filling - breakfasts in Malaga for a decade: the bocadillo de escombros (rubble sandwich). Its name already warns diners and the menu makes it clear: "it is not suitable for the delicate".
There are no fixed rules or ingredients here. Every day it changes depending on what is being prepared in the kitchen and you only discover it when you open it or take the first bite. It can have a grilled egg, an omelette, bacon, cooked ham, lettuce, tomato or even an unexpected sauce. Lorena Conejo, waitress and promoter of this idea, created it after years of listening to lorry drivers who asked for a "very filling" sandwich to get them through long days. Today it is the house special and usually includes at least seven or eight ingredients, piled generously. Of course, if someone asks for something to be removed, it is no longer "rubble". A surprise breakfast that many celebrate... and that others don't always manage to finish.
WHERE IT IS:
Las Marismas Restaurant - Google Maps
16
Bocadillo moruno, in Tu Sitio Cafetería (Málaga)
In the Malaga neighbourhood of El Atabal, Tu Sitio Cafetería has transformed a late-night campero into one of the most original breakfasts in Málaga: the bocadillo moruno. Its creation is a direct response to the demand from customers, who after trying the shawarma or the campero at night, asked to enjoy it in the morning as well. Daniel España, owner of the restaurant, decided to incorporate it and it soon became one of the most popular sandwiches. In the kitchen, Mónica Cuenca is the one who gives it shape: shawarma-style chicken meat, grilled onion, tomato, lettuce, melted cheese and a smooth yoghurt sauce, all grilled to enhance its flavour. It can be served on different breads -vienna, rustic pitufo, wholemeal, mollete or moulded-, adapting to each customer. This proposal fits in with a menu that is committed to creative combinations and which in 2017 won the restaurant the prize for the best mixed pitufo in Malaga. A breakfast full of flavour for those looking to start the day with energy.
WHERE IT IS:
Tu Sitio Café - Google Maps Tu Sitio Café - Google Maps
*In addition to these options, there are many more, such as Vista Alegre (Cuevas del Becerro), El Escalón (Benaoján), La Rondeña (Ronda) or La Recova and El Diamante, in Malaga, among many others.