Matalascanas, Spain

Cosmopolitan and attractive, a meeting point for diverse cultures and nationalities, Málaga offers the visitor an great variety of cuisines: from the most traditional and native to the most exquisite and innovative. If its strength is pescaíto frito (small, whole fried fish), it is not weak when it comes to meat, rice dishes and even exotic dishes. As they say round here, there are places to give away, but being Málaga it could not be that simple.

A culinary tour of the south coast's capital should start with taverns - some of which are more than 100 years old - and wines. All over Andalucía and also in other regions is the tradition of the Via Crucis: a procession route with penance stops in each of the churches along the way. We propose a very different type of procession. Start from one bar and then try stopping in all the others along your route. The penance is a (small!) glass of wine. This is not a British pub crawl, mind you; it's a very Spanish social practice.

Start in the Campana with a glass of moscatel (sweet wine), then on to the Antigua Casa del Guardia (Old Guard House) - the oldest in the city - and ask for a Pedro Ximenez. From there to the Quitapenas, and have another one. In Orellana you can have some tapas - rice or grilled prawns would be the best choice. In the Inn a Barbadillo de Sanlúcar of Barrameda and in Ajo Blanco a glass of rose to accompany the porra antequerana.You have to give your body something solid so that it can carry on. A Ribera del Duero in the Rebaná and a fruity wine from the Canaries in the Tapería Siglo XXI. And now a good siesta.

Good food

From the Paseo Marítimo Antonio Machado (seafront promenade) to the Avenida Pintor Sorolla you will find all types of restaurants, and rest assured that they are all first class. For fish and seafood Sal Gorda , in the Malagueta; for Basque cooking, the 7 de Julio . For pasta enthusiasts and those who love traditional Italian cuisine the Commendatore or Tommasino are good bets. A grill with tangos and lassoos at the Malena and mariachis and enchiladas in Nacho's Tex-Mex. Ox chops and lamb chops in the Madre del Cordero and paellas and delicatessen in the Conde Ansurez .

But if you want to go somewhere really original, where the decor, service and cooking deserve top marks, then head for Bodegón de Gurpegui , in the area of Cerrado de Calderón. Bandit Style

It is best not to drive because the wine of the Montes is strong indeed, but the decision is yours. Whilst you are admiring the impressive scenery of the Montes de Málaga (surrounding hills), try the best of the best moscatel in the Venta Nueva , and the next place to visit is the Olivos, on a little detour off the main road and where you can try fried breadcrumbs with wine from the area. The winding road will take you to the Mirador, which is approaching heaven and one of the best places for lunch. The chef, María, has been using garlic, tomatoes and meat to make soups for over 50 years. The wine, whether you choose house or sweet, is from the Montes. If you prefer to go straight to a country inn, we suggest the Túnel , a perfect place to go with children and all the family. Pre-order one of their rice stews by telephone; these combine seafood and chicken paella that would raise the dead.

Seafood and pescaíto (fried fish)

Huelin is a seaside neighborhood par excellence; here there are plenty of restaurants where you will probably eat the best seafood you have ever tasted - although many people say the place for that is Madrid. One of the most traditional places is Mario-Eva , whose specialties are prawns and fried fish. For fried fish the place is Dos Erres, where they use pure olive oil and a little seasoning. Seafood and shellfish, finas and mussels at Santa Paula are heavenly. And if you want to eat beside the sea, go to Pedregalejo and El Palo. At the Tintero try the boquerones vitorianos (fresh anchovies), at Casa Pedro, the salpicón de marisco (a mixed seafood dish) and at the Cobertizo red mullet and calamari, Málaga-style salad and a good moscatel to celebrate.