Antigua Casa de Guardia
Málaga's oldest tavern, founded by the winemaker José de Guardia in 1840 on the Alameda Principal, pouring sweet Málaga wines from the barrel and chalking each round on the counter.
About Antigua Casa de Guardia
The winemaker José de Guardia founded the tavern in 1840, and it is the oldest in Málaga still open. It has had several owners since, but the room on the Alameda Principal, close to the Atarazanas market, has changed little: a long dark-wood counter, barrels stacked along the wall with the names of the wines painted on them, old photographs and posters.
Everything is poured from the barrel: sweet wines such as Pajarete, Pedro Ximénez and moscatel, dry Málaga seco, Lágrima and a vermouth made from Pedro Ximénez. Each glass is chalked on the counter in front of you and added up when you pay. Food comes from a small seafood counter: boiled prawns, mussels, clams, pickles and other simple tapas. There are no tables; everyone stands at the bar.
It opens Monday to Thursday 10:00–22:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00–22:45 and Sunday 11:00–15:00. A glass of wine costs a couple of euros, so a couple of rounds with tapas come to about €8–15 per person (2026). There is no booking: point at the barrels or ask the barmen. Bottles are sold to take away.
Mid-morning and late afternoon are quieter; from 13:30 and from 20:00 the room fills. A copa of sweet wine before lunch is local style. Tip: try Pajarete, a semi-sweet wine named after a former convent, then compare it with the dry seco.
Antigua Casa de Guardia in pictures
What you’ll find
- Historic interiorHistoric premisesFree
- SeafoodFish and seafood (€3–€12)Buy
- Sherry and wineWines by the glass (€2–€3, 10:00–22:45)Buy
- Signature dishHouse speciality (€2–€3)Buy
- Standing barBar counterFree
- Step-free accessAccessible visitFree
- TapasTapas at the bar (€2–€8, 10:00–22:45)Buy
- Vermouth on tapVermouth (€2–€3)Buy
- Walk-in onlyNo reservationsFree
Nearby places to visit
Casa de Guardia stands opposite the Mercado Central de Atarazanas (80 m), Málaga's market hall behind a 14th-century Nasrid gate, where bars fry fish at lunchtime. Málaga Cathedral (410 m) is a short walk north-east, with the Málaga Museum (590 m) and the Alcazaba of Málaga (680 m) beyond it, and the Sea Museum Alborania (630 m) is on the port beside the Muelle Uno promenade. Bodega El Pimpi (650 m), on Calle Granada, is the next stop for sweet wines and fried boquerones.
Antigua Casa de Guardia at a glance
Category
Food & Wine Gastronomy
Location
Málaga City, Málaga
Town
Málaga
Address
Alameda Principal, 18, 29005 Málaga, Málaga, Spain
Opening hours
Mon–Thu 10:00–22:00; Fri–Sat 10:00–22:45; Sun 11:00–15:00.
Prices
Glasses of Málaga wine from the barrel about €2–3; seafood tapas a few euros (2026); about €8–15 per person.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 on the official website. Times and prices can change, so confirm before you go.
Website
antiguacasadeguardia.com
Phone
+34 952 214 680
More places nearby
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