Puerto Cristal Restaurante — Restaurant in Málaga

I stopped here while looking for a quieter spot to relax. Overall, the experience was mixed, with some highlights and areas for improvement.

The fish was quite tasty and well-prepared, and I enjoyed it overall. However, the vegetables were overly salty, and that really threw off the balance. Mixing the two together wasn’t terrible, but the veggies ended up overpowering the fish, which was a shame because the fish itself was done nicely.

As for the meat dish, it had a strange aftertaste - honestly, it reminded me of a kitchen towel or something off. I’m not exactly sure how to describe it properly, but it wasn’t pleasant and made it hard to enjoy the dish.

The plating was visually appealing, but I noticed that our plates - those already set on tables before we arrived, were not very clean - there was visible dust and dirt, which was off-putting.

The staff were friendly, attentive, and helpful throughout the visit, which definitely improved the overall atmosphere. The ingredients seemed fresh, and the drinks, especially the Tinto de Verano, were enjoyable.

That said, I do feel the meal was overpriced for what it was. At a certain price point, expectations naturally rise, and while I understand this was in Malaga city center during the summer, I expected more overall satisfaction.

In summary, it wasn’t a bad experience. There were some satisfying elements, but also a few details - especially regarding taste balance, cleanliness, and pricing - that could be improved to make the experience...

The service was a complete disaster. I have never been treated this badly in any restaurant. I ordered my steak medium, but it was served rare. When I pointed it out, instead of getting a properly cooked new steak, they just reheated the same piece twice until it became completely rubbery and well-done. I have photos as proof, which I am attaching…

No one checked on us after serving the food to ask if everything was okay. This was supposed to be my birthday dinner, and I was really looking forward to it, hoping to have a great time with my friends. Instead, this restaurant turned out to be the biggest disappointment in Málaga.

Our waiter barely paid attention to us and only came over when he saw how unhappy we were. No one refilled our wine, we never received the olives, and we were charged €4.5 for bread we didn’t even eat. The final bill of €140 was ridiculous, and no one even bothered to apologize…

Avoid this place if you want to enjoy your time in Málaga. Honestly, even the small restaurants nearby, which don’t look fancy, have much better food and service…

A restaurant that claims to be high-end should treat its customers with respect. But we didn’t receive an apology or any kind of compensation for all these mistakes. Our waiter was tall and had tattoos. Since the service charge was automatically added to our bill, I expected to be...

If you want be screwed over - welcome to Puerto Cristal | Restaurante Málaga Centro. At first, it was a problem for the staff to find a table inside the almost EMPTY restaurant. They wanted to sit us outside, but no thanks, in rainy weather I want to stay inside. The cozy tables for 4 people were without reservations and of course by closing time no one sat there, and for us (2 person) they found a small place only by the aisle near the wall. It is very pleasant to sit when you are constantly being bumped into. In this restaurant you will always feel like a guest! Thank you very much (I'm ungrateful) for the APERITIF, which the waiter kindly put on the table and said with a smile on his face: "This is an aperitif from the restaurant for you while you wait for the paella." and at the end they wrote it down on my bill!!! I thought such a devious scam for money was no longer done anywhere. Definitely not in a restaurant in the center of Malaga. By the way, my first experience in Spain. SHAME ON YOUR ESTABLISHMENT!!! And the cherry on the cake: paella for 40 euros, which is served to you burnt and with so much rice and seafood that the waiter probably ate half of it on the way. It's always nice to come back home hungry after a restaurant. Oh yeah, and a glass of wine... A glass... Do you measure out wine in 1 shot? Never...