Best Coffee Shops in Málaga: 7 Local Cafés Worth Visiting (2026)

We've lived in Malaga for over three years now, so it's safe to say I've had a lot of coffee, all over Malaga's old town.

Just the other day, I discovered my new favourite, a "cat coffee shop" where you can literally drink coffee while petting kittens and cats.

There is also a unique coffee culture in Málaga that you won't find anywhere else in Spain.

To be clear, we're not coffee purists, and this list is just as much about places where I've had great coffee as about places where I've had a great experience.

So, let's "spill the beans" on( subjectively ) the best coffee shops and cafés in Malaga.

Best Coffee Shops in Malaga

1. Paws For A Moment (Plaza de Uncibay)

Okay, this is not "the best" coffee in Malaga, but you can guess why it makes the top of my list!

If your perfect workday includes coffee and cats, Paws For A Moment delivers both. Just off Plaza de Uncibay, this cosy café and coworking space is home to nineteen resident cats who quietly roam between tables while you work or relax.

• What to order: Standard coffee menu, matcha latte
• Price range: €2.50-4
• Best for: Cat lovers, unique experience, coworking
• Wi-Fi: Yes

📍 Plaza de Uncibay, Old Town

2. Bolo Coffee (Takeaway Only)

This minimalist takeaway coffee bar might be the smallest shop in Málaga, but it punches way above its size. It's also about thirty seconds from my apartment.

The owners, Javi & Amy, both work as baristas and take care of the details.

They're always smiling and eager to chat, even when the queue is usually ten people long. They serve a great matcha latte, and the real win is that they open early at around 7:30, just when every other café in Málaga is still setting up tables.

Bolo is for the purists: no Wi-Fi, but they have a wide selection of coffees and Bolo do Caco is made in-house daily. You can choose your filling: Garlic Butter, Butter and Jam or P&B.

• What to order: Flat white, matcha latte, Bolo do Caco
• Price range: €2-3.50
• Best for: Early morning coffee (opens 7:30am), takeaway, quality beans
• Wi-Fi: No (takeaway only)

📍 Calle Mártires, Old Town

3. Recyclo Bike Café (Soho)

Part café, part bike workshop, Recyclo is as local as it gets.

It sits right on Plaza Enrique García-Herrera beside the dry Guadalmedina riverbed, its walls decorated with hanging bicycles and mismatched tables.

We usually come for the affordable drinks, but the coffee is excellent too.

The food leans toward vegetarian comfort fare: burgers, salads, nachos, and empanadas.

• What to order: Specialty coffee, vegetarian burgers, empanadas
• Price range: €2-5 (coffee), €6-10 (food)
• Best for: Local vibe, bike enthusiasts, affordable prices, riverside location
• Wi-Fi: Yes

📍 Plaza Enrique García-Herrera 16

4. Palermo Coffee & Drinks (Near Teatro Cervantes)

Palermo is one of those coffee spots where you stop and exit the rush for a while.

It's a corner café tucked beside the Cervantes Theatre, and it's always busy when other spots are quiet, which is telling.

It's cosy and full of character, and they focus on doing the small things well.

You can expect all the traditional coffees here.

• What to order: Flat white, cortado, traditional Spanish coffee
• Price range: €1.80-3.50
• Best for: Quiet atmosphere, reading, traditional coffee
• Wi-Fi: Yes

📍 Calle Ramos Marín, next to Teatro Cervantes

5. Concept 30 Café (Centro)

In the heart of Málaga, Concept 30 brings together mindfulness and speciality coffee in a calm, design-led space.

Partnering with Hermanos Coffee Roasters in London, they serve ethically sourced Colombian beans roasted for balance and flavour.

Their house espresso, El Faro, has notes of dark chocolate, red berries, and citrus, smooth in a flat white or bright as a filter brew.

What I love about Concept30 is their ethically sourced beans, and this culture carries over to their food, which is also incredible.

• What to order: El Faro espresso, flat white, filter brew, healthy breakfast
• Price range: €2.50-4 (coffee), €7-12 (food)
• Best for: Specialty coffee lovers, brunch, mindfulness, ethical sourcing
• Wi-Fi: Yes

📍 Calle Hoyo de Esparteros 7, Málaga

6. Reviv Café (Centro)

If you're after a quiet space to work, Reviv is a gem. We walk past it almost every week, and it's always busy.

It's calm, inexpensive, and welcoming, a rarity in the city centre.

There are plug sockets by the window tables, solid internet, and friendly staff who don't rush you out. Expect to pay about €7 for a coffee and snack combo.

My daughter swears by it when she needs to escape the house and study.

• What to order: Coffee + snack combo (€7), flat white
• Price range: €2-3 (coffee), €7 (combo)
• Best for: Remote work, studying, plug sockets, quiet environment
• Wi-Fi: Yes, strong connection

📍 Calle Comedias 18

7. Santa Coffee Roaster (Soho + Catedral)

Santa Coffee is another very local option you can't go wrong with.

With two branches, one by the Cathedral, the other in Soho, this is where we go for an affordable breakfast and coffee.

Their beans are roasted locally, the toast and pastries are fresh, and they've captured that Spanish style that most restaurants chase.

If you're working remotely, the Soho branch is your best bet for seating and Wi-Fi. The Cathedral is better for people watching.

• What to order: Locally roasted coffee, tostada con tomate, pastries
• Price range: €1.50-3 (coffee), €4-8 (breakfast)
• Best for: Affordable breakfast, local atmosphere, people watching
• Wi-Fi: Yes (Soho location)

📍 Calle Tomás Heredia 5 (Soho) & Calle San Agustín 5 (Cathedral)

Malaga Coffee Types

I cover this in more detail in my post about how to order coffee in Malaga, but here is the short version.

• Café Solo: 100% Coffee / 0% Milk. Pure espresso, strong and undiluted, is nothing but the essence of coffee.

• Café Largo: 90% Coffee / 10% Milk. Bold with just a hint of milk to take the edge off.

• Café Semilargo: 80% Coffee / 20% Milk. A Málaga favourite; smooth yet still strongly coffee-forward.

• Café Solo Corto: 60% Coffee / 40% Milk. A middle-ground drink with noticeable coffee and gentle creaminess.

• Café Mitad: 50% Coffee / 50% Milk. The standard café con leche in Málaga is equal parts comfort and kick.

• Café Entrecorto: 40% Coffee / 60% Milk. Softer than mitad, with milk starting to lead the flavour.

• Café Corto: 30% Coffee / 70% Milk. A gentle, creamy start to the day for those easing into their morning.

• Café Sombra: 20% Coffee / 80% Milk. A "shadow" of coffee under mostly milk, more about ritual than buzz.

• Café Nube: 10% Coffee / 90% Milk. "Cloud" in a cup. Barely any coffee, just a comforting milk-based sip.

Where to Buy Coffee Beans in Malaga

If you're a home barista or looking for a souvenir, there's one spot in Málaga you shouldn't miss: Artisan Coffee Roaster.

It's not a café, and it's not a brunch spot. This is where Málaga's coffee lovers go to buy fresh, locally roasted coffee beans.

Artisan Coffee Roaster offers high-quality beans sourced from around the world and roasted on-site in Málaga. Beyond beans, the shop also sells brewing equipment and accessories, including moka pots, grinders, filters, and more.

They also offer speciality courses such as barista training, latte art workshops, and other coffee-focused classes. Browse upcoming course dates on their website.

Best Coffee Shops for Remote Work in Málaga

If you're a digital nomad or remote worker, several Málaga coffee shops are perfect for getting work done:

Best for productivity:

• Reviv Café: Plug sockets, strong Wi-Fi, quiet atmosphere, staff don't rush you
• Concept 30: Design-led space, mindfulness focus, excellent Wi-Fi
• Recyclo Bike Café: Relaxed vibe, affordable, good Wi-Fi
• Paws For A Moment: Coworking space with cats (if you like feline company)

Tips for remote workers:

• Most cafés are busiest 10am-12pm; arrive early or after lunch for best seats
• Buy a coffee every 2-3 hours to be considerate
• Soho and Centro neighborhoods have the most laptop-friendly cafés
• Avoid peak tourist areas (port, Larios Street) for better Wi-Fi and prices

Málaga Specialty Coffee Scene

The specialty coffee scene in Málaga has grown significantly in recent years. Third-wave coffee shops focusing on single-origin beans, precise brewing methods, and artisanal craft have been popping up across the city.

Best for specialty coffee:

• Concept 30: Ethically sourced Colombian beans from Hermanos Coffee Roasters
• Bolo Coffee: Wide selection of beans, expert baristas
• Santa Coffee: Locally roasted beans, Scandinavian aesthetics

What makes it specialty?

• Single-origin beans with traceable sources
• Light to medium roasts highlighting bean characteristics
• Alternative brewing methods (pour-over, V60, Chemex)
• Skilled baristas trained in extraction and latte art
• Focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing

Is Málaga Good for Coffee Lovers?

Yes! Málaga offers the best of both worlds: traditional Spanish coffee culture with its unique ordering system (9 different ratios) and modern specialty coffee shops serving third-wave coffee.

Coffee prices in Málaga (2026):

• Traditional café con leche: €1.20-1.80
• Specialty flat white/cappuccino: €2.50-3.50
• Filter coffee: €3-4
• Breakfast combo: €4-8

Compared to other European cities, Málaga's coffee scene is affordable, growing rapidly, and increasingly focused on quality.

Final Thoughts

I enjoy a good coffee, but I'm honestly not someone chasing the perfect brew either. That's not what this post is about.

At these restaurants, you won't just find great coffee, but you'll also find great experiences, ethical practices, and beautiful people. Plus culture