The best Russian salad in Málaga in 2025 is made by Mariano Rodríguez at the restaurant Eme de Mariano.

Starting this Monday, Málaga now knows what will be, until next year, the best Russian salad in the province. The seventh edition of the Málaga Russian Salad Championship, held at the facilities of El Corte Inglés, has crowned Mariano Rodríguez from the restaurant Eme de Mariano as this year's winner, outperforming nine other top-level cooks and chefs from different parts of Málaga province. Mariano has recently won the first Gourmet Gazpachuelos Championship by Sabor a Málaga, so he can now claim to make both the best gazpachuelo and the best Russian salad in Málaga.

This edition was one of the most significant to date of the Málaga Russian Salad Championship, since its first event in 2014 organized by Media&Chef. Not only because of the exceptional level of this edition's participants, including two runners-up from previous editions such as Pachu Barrera (Taró and La Caverna) and Mariano Rodríguez Sánchez (Eme de Mariano) – this time the winner –, but also because of the high representation from the province, with Russian salads coming from Álora (Casa Abilio), Rincón de la Victoria (Alma Playa), Torre de Benagalbón (Marina Playa), Casabermeja (La Huerta), and Coín (Casa Paco). The capital was once again well represented with Russian salads from La Chancla, Alaparte, and Bendito, in addition to the mentioned Eme de Mariano and La Caverna.

The Russian salad from Eme de Mariano. / Javier Albiñana

Thus, Mariano Rodríguez and Eme de Mariano (Calle Císter, in the center of Málaga) are established as the restaurant and chef offering the best Russian salad in Málaga this 2025, a traditional and classic Russian salad, with a simple yet powerful mayonnaise and an olive and shrimp spherification that crowns their masterpiece, which led the jury to unanimously award 285 points.

The second place, just five points behind, went to chef Fran Rascado, from Alaparte (Pl. Arriola, 1), one of the latest restaurants to open in the center of Málaga where a traditional and local cuisine is championed, to which the jury awarded 280.5 points for his Russian salad, with its touch of yolk and pickles that made it stand out and almost win the prize.

Meanwhile, Pachu Barrera, a runner-up in previous editions, came in third representing La Caverna (C. Tomás Echeverría, 21), with 260 points from the jury. Lastly, Pepi Flores, from the restaurant La Huerta in Casabermeja (Carr. Colmenar, km 1), received the Special Prize for the Most Flavorful Russian Salad of Málaga.

The finalist Russian salads in this seventh edition

The Russian salads participating this edition. / Javier Albiñana

• Abilio Arteaga Luque, from Casa Abilio (Ålora)
• Mariano Rodríguez, from Eme de Mariano (Málaga) – FIRST PRIZE
• Daniela Romero Espinosa, from Alma Playa (Rincón de la Victoria)
• Yohana Rodríguez, from La Chancla (Pedregalejo)
• Marina Playa (Torre de Benagalbón)
• Pachu Barrera, from La Caverna (Málaga) – THIRD PRIZE
• Pepi Flores, from La Huerta (Casabermeja) – SPECIAL PRIZE FLAVOR OF MÁLAGA
• Fran Rascado, from Alaparte (Målaga) – SECOND PRIZE
• Francisco Ruiz, from Casa Paco (Coín)
• Mario Rosado, from Bendito (Málaga)

The jury of this seventh edition of the Málaga Russian Salad Championship was composed by Leonor García Agua (Director of Sabor a Málaga), Curri Ramírez (Refectorium), Héctor Medina (Malagueño y Sibarita), Manu Balanzino and Marina Martínez (SUR), José Ramón Mendaza and Luis Villatoro (La Opinión de Málaga), Antonio Méndez (Málaga Hoy), Willie Orellana (Uvedoble Taberna), Andrea Ruiz Becerra (Eating very tasty in Málaga), Pepe Gómez (Grupo La Reserva), Ignacio Luque (Academia Gastronómica de Málaga) and Pedro Hernández Cabello (Heineken).