Antonio Banderas’ El Pimpi and the Amazing Anchovies of Malaga

There are more famous residents of Malaga, Spain.

But for my money, a tapas lunch at El Pimpi offers more cultural relevance, ah, resonance..okay, skip the culture. This is Antonio’s place in his hometown of Malaga. This guy. Star of movies like The Mask of Zorro and Desperado.

Tony’s Place

El Pimpi has been the place to hang out for Malaguenos for over 40 years. Two very cool guys from Cordoba, Pepe Cobos and Paco Campos, came to town intending to manage a wine cellar, ended up finding this interesting, historically significant home and instead founded a restaurant. They called it El Pimpi. Not only that, the poet Gloria Fuertes created the literary gatherings called “Gloria´s Fridays” which became an informal campus of Malaga University. True story! Offering master classes in Flamencology.

This old wine storehouse, or ‘bodega’, is located right in the heart of Malaga, next to the Picasso Museum, near the cathedral and Plaza de la Merced and in front of the Alcazaba, the Roman Theatre and the new Museum of Malaga located in the ‘Palacio de la Aduana’, the old customs house. According to local legend, the El Pimpi were the locals who would go to the port and help crews unload, entertain tourists with anecdotal tours of the city’s hot spots, taking them to the flamenco halls, talking them into eating the local favorite salted fish dishes…the anchovy or boqueron.

The Boqueron, King of Fish

While these fish are popular in all of Spain, anchovies are especially popular in Malaga, a part of Andalusia in southern Spain. Here the locals are even called boquerones! This has a lot to do with the fact that Malaga is a city by the sea and one of the most plentiful fish has always been the boqueron, or anchovy.

In Malaga, you don’t eat anchovies with a knife and fork. Here they are “finger food” and this Malgueno explains their importance to the city.

El Pimpi is located in an old townhouse dating back to the 18th century, built on an old Roman street and which, before it became a bodega, was used as stables for the nearby palace of the Counts of Buenavista, as a nuns’ convent, and later as a cabaret and flamenco ‘tablao’. There are two entrances: the main one on Calle Granada and another opening on to Calle de la Alcazabilla, next to the gardens with the same name.

Not just any old tapas restaurant, right?

El Pimpi

The ‘Rincón de los Pintores’ (Painters’ Corner) gets its name from its peculiar decoration-walls
lined with barrel tops that have been painted by both local and international artists. It’s a cozy
place where visitors can enjoy a wide range of tapas dishes in an ambiance of culture and art. Right in the heart of Malaga.

There’s always the possibility of “Banderas Sighting” as the famous Malaguena owner frequently visits to sample the wine list and menu. I recommend!

Calle Granada, 62 Calle Alcazabilla – 29015 Málaga, Spain