The restaurant in Málaga, just a few meters from the beach, that according to Chicote prepares the best fried fish: 'It shows its passion for cooking'

The cuisine of Malaga was featured a few months ago on one of the episodes of Battle of Restaurants hosted by chef Alberto Chicote. The contest sought the restaurant that best mastered one of Málaga's most deep-rooted specialties, the pescaíto frito (fried fish). Four establishments from the capital of Malaga competed in a competition where technique, flavor, and tradition were tested, resulting in a single winner, Taró Restaurante, a restaurant located just over 100 meters from Huelin beach, which has won over Chicote himself.

In the mentioned episode, the restaurants Freiduría Marisquería Moya, La Sal y el Son, Sacaba Mar, and Taró competed to demonstrate their mastery of the perfect fry, a balance between lightness, sea flavor, and absence of grease that defines the authentic Malagan pescaíto frito. Each establishment presented its proposal before a jury made up of the participants themselves, and finally, by chef Alberto Chicote, who provided a final assessment based on multiple aspects: product quality, execution, service, presentation, and overall experience.

The restaurant Taró, led by chef Pachu Barrera, not only obtained the best score of the episode but also received the highest rating that Chicote had given to date, a 7.5 out of 10, comfortably surpassing the other contenders. The chef highlighted Barrera's work, stating that "he demonstrates his love and taste for cooking" and that he is capable of "reinterpreting dishes as typical as the fry."

Taró, a proposal born from the Malagan cookbook

Located at number 15 Tomás Echeverría street, in the Huelin neighborhood and just steps from the beach of the same name, Taró has quickly become one of the benchmarks for modern traditional cuisine in Malaga. The venue was inaugurated in 2021 by Pachu Barrera, trained at the Escuela de Hostelería La Rosaleda, and with experience in renowned kitchens like Tragabuches, by Dani García, or Las Rejas, by Manolo de la Osa.

Taró's proposal is based on local products and the Malagan cookbook, reinterpreted with contemporary techniques without losing the essence. Its menu, where frying is the star, stands out for its precision: the cooking point is measured to the millimeter to avoid excess grease and maintain the texture and flavor of the sea. Dishes like octopus fry and monkfish nuggets coexist with creations like Malaga sausage tartar with raisins and cane honey, grilled scallop ajoblanco with roe, or Canillas goat with vegetable tabbouleh.

The hallmark of a committed chef

During the program, Pachu Barrera made it clear that cooking is his life: "I dedicate myself body and soul," he confessed on camera, ensuring that his restaurant is "a comfort zone" where he can develop an identity-rich cuisine, carefully detailed. "At Taró, we don't do beach bar fry-ups," he added, emphasizing the difference between mass frying and precise, quality preparation.

The restaurant has quickly positioned itself as a reference both for lovers of fried fish and for those looking to rediscover Malagan cuisine with new nuances. A proposal that, as Chicote pointed out, "has a lot of sea flavor" and, above all, "a lot of taste for cooking."