Area for a 2 Week Stay in Malaga
 

Hi all!!! DH and I will be spending 2 lazy weeks in Málaga in October. We will definitely want an apartment close to great food shopping, café life (not to be confused with night life, lol) and easy access for sightseeing. We do not plan on renting a car.

Going to the beach is not a priority. Food is.

We are looking for the 'local experience'. Not really interested in resort/timeshare kind of apartments. The pedestrian old town is much more interesting to is but I don't know how good the food shopping will be.

Since we have never been, I'm kind of overwhelmed with choices. There are lots of posts about hotels but it is not quite the same for apartments.

Any suggestions regarding areas on which to focus the search?

If you will avoid the hardcore nightlife scene, don't stay in the area immedieately North of the central Plaza de la Constitución towards Plaza la Merced. Apart from this, all of the Old town is excellent, perhaps especially around the cathedral or along the eastern bank of the Guadalmedina river. I also have a soft spot for the very local atmosphere Victoria district, a little North of the very heart of town.
The cathedral: http://www.malagaturismo.com/en/tour...l/catedral/132
Victoria district: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Victoria_(M%C3%A1laga)

Malaga SoHo art district, down in the harbour, is also getting fashionable: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/mala...t-district.htm

And the Malagueta area is excellent, close to the bullring and the fabulous Gran Hotel Miramar Hotel, ten mins walk east of the absolute city center.
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/mala...a-de-toros.htm
http://www.granhotelmiramarmalaga.co...-hotel-malaga/

Or you can stay even a little further to the east, in the Palo/Pedregalejo district with the Acacias beaches and lots of very popular and affordable seafront restaurants. https://www.guidetomalaga.com/malaga...o-and-el-palo/

This could be an idea for an Apartment in Málaga, next door to the cathedral and with fabulous cafés, restaurants, tapas bars and food shopping right on your doorstep: http://www.holidays2malagacathedral....spo-square.htm

The Apartment is 200 meters from the Atarazanas market, my favourite food market in all of Spain. Also a couple of excellent tapas bars in here: https://eastofmalaga.net/2014/07/25/...ry-perception/

Elizabeth_S here on the forum was very happy with this apartment:
"the scene outside our apartment looks like a set - overlooking the Plaza in front of the Cathedral. I rarely book apartments on Plazas with restaurants (for noise reasons) but figured it was worth the risk in December. The windows in the apartment are excellent at dampening the sound and by 11pm it was quiet. Friday night might be different but it's worth it! (and there's a bedroom in the back facing an interior light well so we're good).

It's a lovely apartment - even better than the pics. I booked directly with the company after seeing their listing on both airbnb and VRBO. The price to book directly was about 60% of the cost of booking on those two sites. In fact it was so much cheaper it caused me to be extra vigilant that I was dealing with a real company not a scam artist. I have been very impressed with the company - Holidays2Malaga - excellent communication throughout and very easy meet/greet. As mentioned the apartment is lovely and spotlessly clean".
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-174346-2.cfm

Some updated Málaga food tips, I go here all the time:

Affordable cuttting edge dining in Óleo at the Contemporary Arts Center by the river. Excellent terrace, atmosphere and the most friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating waiters. Best food experience in more than a year, and that includes several days in food mecca San Sebastián: http://azahar-spain.com/azahartapas/oleo/

The Apartment mentioned above is 50 meters from hole in the wall Wendy Gamba with the gourmet bulltail burger with au jus mayo and havarti cheese (and lots of other goodies) plus vermouth on tap. A great food find on our latest trip here last October. http://azahar-spain.com/azahartapas/wendy-gamba/

According to a friend who lives in Málaga, recently opened and cutting edge Eboka, on the other side of the cathedral, is very well worth a visit: http://ebokarestaurante.com/
Gets raving reviews from Spanish guests: https://www.tripadvisor.es/Restauran...Andalucia.html

For the best traditional Málaga tapas and meals, go to El Cortijo de Pepe on lively and local atmosphere Plaza la Merced: https://www.cortijodepepe.com/

For the best steaks, lamb etc., go to El Botijo a 5-7€ and 5-7 min taxi ride from the heart of town. Had the most juicy and tasteful lamb leg here, and the solomillo with the house mushroom sauce was also spot on. Genuine and popular place with no molecular gastronomy pretensions, and not many tourists find their way out here. http://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant...Andalucia.html
Home page: http://www.restauranteelbotijo.com/M...tacion_ma.html

The freshest typical Málaga style fish and seafood in very popular Chiringuito Cachalote right on the Malagueta beach. Also several other excellent chiringuitos (beachfront restaurants) along the long and wide Malagueta beach, for example more upscale Chiringuito Tropicana and more laid-back Chiringuito La Jabega where you eat the freshest grilled fish and seafood with your feet in the sand. http://chiringuitoelcachalote.com/

The new Gastro-market, next door to the Picasso birth-house. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...odie-traveller

Five "gastronomical spaces" in the fabulous Gran Hotel Miramar: http://www.granhotelmiramarmalaga.com/en/services/

And here are the nine restaurants in Málaga city that are listed in the Guia Repsol, the Spanish counterpart to the Michelin guide: https://www.guiarepsol.com/es/la-gui...locality=|7367

And above and around it all, the Atarazanas market!

Thank you Kimhe, I knew I could count on you. I'm currently in the boonies of Umbria and have very spotty access to internet. I will look into your recs as soon as I have reliable access!!!