Casa Aranda
Casa Aranda is one of Malaga’s ‘churrerías’ par excellence. (Frespañol anyone?!)
Established almost 100 years ago, this historic café has two branches in the historic centre, both relatively close to each other.
The combination of exceptional quality, prime location and prices that won’t make tourists weep means Casa Aranda remains a firm favourite with local people all these decades later.
What are churros and how do I eat them?
If you’re a beginner to Spanish breakfast culture, a churro is a curved, fried stick of dough.
In Malaga, they are typically of the porra type, which means they’re quite chunky rather than thin and delicate.
In fact, at Casa Aranda, they’ve been using the same recipe since 1932.
We recommend starting with two churros each unless you’re genuinely ravenous or planning to skip lunch.
The proper Andalusian way to enjoy them is to order a great big pile of churros for your table and a cup of thick hot chocolate each for dunking.
The hot chocolate here isn’t your average cocoa – it’s properly thick, almost pudding-like, and ideal for coating your churros.
If chocolate isn’t your thing (no judgment), you can always sprinkle sugar on your churros instead.
Beyond churros: what else does Casa Aranda serve?
Casa Aranda isn’t just about the main event, though the churros are admittedly why most people visit.
You can get everything else a typical Spanish café provides, namely sandwiches (bocadillos), coffee, juice and pastries.
It’s perfect for breakfast or an early-evening snack, known in Spain as merienda – that glorious meal that sits somewhere between lunch and dinner.
The café maintains that authentic, no-frills atmosphere you’d expect from a place that’s been around since the 1920s.
You’ll likely find yourself sitting alongside Malagueño families, students and workers rather than exclusively tourist crowds.
Planning your visit to Casa Aranda
Both branches are located in Malaga’s historic centre, making them easy to fit into a morning of sightseeing.
The beauty of having two locations is that if one is rammed (which can happen, especially at weekends), you can simply stroll to the other.
Morning and early evening are peak times, so if you prefer a quieter experience, mid-afternoon might be your best bet.
Don’t expect fancy décor or Instagram-worthy interiors – Casa Aranda is refreshingly unpretentious.
What you will get is arguably the best churros in Malaga, served by people who’ve been perfecting the recipe for generations.
Daryl is the co-founder of Malaga Guru. He is a copywriter, editor and translator who moved to Malaga over a decade ago, having first fallen in love with the city on his Erasmus year. After working for many years at local expat newspaper SUR in English, Daryl gained expert knowledge in life from the perspective of foreign residents and decided to co-found this site in 2016.