A wide variety of culinary treasures hide in the alleys of Málaga’s historical center. One of them to explore is the café La Recova. If you are expecting fancy menus or restaurant classics like paella, pasta or pizza this might be the wrong place. Instead, at La Recova, you will find light traditional meals in Málaga style. Especially the traditional Spanish breakfast is highly remarkable and characterizes the charming café.
Breakfast on paper and carton
If you fancy a breakfast at La Recova, you can decide between different options. They offer a vegan and vegetarian alternative to the traditional course that comes with meat spread. People can also decide if they would rather like to have a coffee or an orange juice for their breakfast. After a short time of waiting, you get a large piece of toasted gluten-free white bread and six homemade spreads, such as marmalades, cheese, tomato or meat, that vary regarding which breakfast option you chose.
But do not expect to get your food on regular plates. Instead of china the waitresses at La Recova serve the bread on a piece of paper and the spreads in an egg carton.
Málaga’s unique coffee classification
The only thing you will get in tableware is your drink. When you decide on having a coffee with your breakfast, the waitresses will ask for something very important: your preferred ratio of coffee and milk. The different coffee measures have their origin in the postwar period of World War II. During that time, a lot of people had to struggle with poverty and could not afford coffee, which was back then a true luxury item. Therefore, José Prado Crespo, who founded the Café Central at Plaza de la Constitutión in Málaga, created a display board where the different variations of coffee were categorised.
Today, smaller versions of this illustration hang beside every table at La Recova.
A journey into the past
When entering La Recova, you will find yourself in a chaotic but charming atmosphere. When you get to sit inside the café, you will be surrounded by antiques, vases, porcelain, woven baskets and pots. Even an old bike hangs from the ceiling above your head while entering La Recova.
And if one of these items caught your eye, you can take them home with you. Nearly all the treasures you will see around you while sitting in the café are purchasable.
Right beside the Iglesia de San Juan, in a small alley, lies this historic café. La Recova’s doors are open from 8:30 am to 3 pm and from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm every Monday to Saturday. Enter it, and you will find yourself in a world from another time.
