Order paella for one at most rice houses in Malaga and the answer is no: the menus say “minimum 2 people”. Ask for it at 9pm in Pedregalejo and Arrozeando is closed, because it serves only from 1.30pm to 6pm. Both rules have one exception, All Rice at María Zambrano station, which serves paella by the plate from 12.80 euros until 11.30pm.
Where can you eat good paella in Malaga? By the sea at lunchtime, at Arrozeando in Pedregalejo, 15 to 18.50 euros a head, or Casaamigos Playa in El Palo, from 14. For the award-winning pan, Los Reyes in Cruz de Humilladero. For one person or dinner, All Rice at María Zambrano station, from 12.80 euros a plate.
Paella in Malaga is a rice dish shared from one pan, priced per person for a minimum of two, at 12.80 to 22 euros a head, and served mostly at lunchtime. The seafront rice houses are in Pedregalejo and El Palo, about 3.5 kilometres east of the old town, reached on EMT buses 3 and 11.
When paella is served, and why it is for two
Two things surprise visitors. First, the minimum: Casaamigos Playa, Arrozeando, La Proa de Teatinos and El Balneario all price rice per person for at least 2, and Arrozeando adds a limit of 2 varieties per table. Second, the clock: Arrozeando closes at 6pm, and El Balneario at 8pm from Sunday to Thursday.
How ordering paella works in most of these places:
- Count heads: prices are per person, for at least 2.
- Pick at most 2 rice dishes per table at Arrozeando.
- Order oven-baked rice or fideuá ahead, at Arrozeando and El Caleño.
- Book lunch, because several places close by early evening.
That leaves All Rice, inside the Vialia shopping centre at María Zambrano station, as the answer for a solo traveller or a late dinner: paella by the plate at 12.80 to 15.50 euros, open noon to 11.30pm every day, and “ready in under 10 minutes” by the house’s own claim. The C1 train from the airport stops at María Zambrano in 8 minutes.
How much paella costs in Malaga
Per person, Casaamigos Playa charges 14 euros for vegan paella and 15 for seafood. Arrozeando runs from 15 for arroz a banda to 18 for paella valenciana and 18.50 for oven-baked rice, which must be ordered ahead. La Proa de Teatinos charges 16 for arroz ciego and black rice and 21.90 for chicken and chorizo.
Chiringuito Picasso in La Malagueta prices the whole pan for 2: 27 euros mixed, 48 seafood and 65 lobster rice, or 13.50 to 32.50 a head. El Balneario serves soupy rice at 17 to 18 euros a head and lobster at 30. Los Reyes charges about 22 euros for paella valenciana, according to the press, since its website is down.
Where to eat paella by the sea
The eastern seafront is where rice comes with a sea view. Arrozeando, Avenida Juan Sebastián Elcano 5, books on +34 951 624 632. Casaamigos Playa, Calle Quitapenas 3 in El Palo, is the cheapest by the sea, from 14 euros, and has a vegan paella. El Balneario, at the Baños del Carmen, asks for bookings 5 hours ahead on +34 951 90 55 78.
El Caleño, Paseo Marítimo El Pedregal 49, holds a 2022 Repsol Solete, publishes no prices and books by phone only on +34 952 29 00 06; its fideuá has to be ordered ahead. The beach bars for grilled sardines along the same stretch are in El Palo and Pedregalejo beach bars, and other sea-view tables in Malaga sea-view restaurants.
Where to find the award-winning paella
Los Reyes, Calle Río Cabrera 3 in Cruz de Humilladero, about 2.7 kilometres west of the centre, won best paella cooked outside the Valencia region at the Sueca International Paella Valenciana Contest in 2023 and best national paella in 2025, according to the Academia Gastronómica de Málaga and SempreValencia. Its website is down, so book on +34 952 333 938.
| Rice house | Area | Per person | Minimum | Serves dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Rice Vialia | María Zambrano station | 12.80 to 15.50 euros a plate | none | yes, daily until 11.30pm |
| Casaamigos Playa | El Palo | 14 to 15 euros | 2 people | ask when booking |
| Arrozeando | Pedregalejo | 15 to 18.50 euros | 2 people | no, 1.30pm to 6pm |
| La Proa de Teatinos | Teatinos | 16 to 21.90 euros | 2 people | Thursday to Saturday |
| El Balneario | Baños del Carmen | 17 to 18 euros; lobster 30 | 2 people | Friday and Saturday |
| Los Reyes | Cruz de Humilladero | about 22 euros | 2 people | hours when booking |
For the rest of the city’s food map, see where to eat in Malaga, and for Spanish meal times, Malaga meal times. A seafront dinner for two is covered in romantic restaurants in Málaga.
Paella questions from visitors
Can I order paella for one person in Malaga?
Yes, at All Rice, inside the Vialia shopping centre at María Zambrano station, which serves paella by the plate from 12.80 to 15.50 euros and says it is ready in under 10 minutes. The other rice houses with published prices require a minimum of two people.
Is paella served at dinner in Malaga?
Only in some places. All Rice serves until 11.30pm every day, La Proa de Teatinos has dinner from Thursday to Saturday, 8.30pm to 11.30pm, and El Balneario only on Friday and Saturday. Arrozeando in Pedregalejo opens from 1.30pm to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with no dinner.
How much is paella in Malaga?
Most rice houses charge 14 to 22 euros per person, for a minimum of two. Casaamigos Playa charges 14 to 15, Arrozeando 15 to 18.50 and Los Reyes about 22 for paella valenciana. Lobster rice costs more: 30 euros a head at El Balneario.
Where can I eat paella by the sea in Malaga?
In Pedregalejo and El Palo, about 3.5 kilometres east of the centre on EMT buses 3 and 11. Arrozeando charges 15 to 18.50 euros a head at lunchtime, Casaamigos Playa from 14, and El Balneario, at the Baños del Carmen, serves rice by the sea with dinners on Friday and Saturday.
Where is the award-winning paella in Malaga?
At Los Reyes, Calle Río Cabrera 3, in Cruz de Humilladero. At the International Paella Valenciana Contest in Sueca it won best paella cooked outside the Valencia region in 2023 and best national paella in 2025. Book on +34 952 333 938.
Treat paella in Malaga as a shared lunch; for a solo supper, head to All Rice at the station.