BYOKO Merced — Restaurant in Málaga

(Long read) This used to be my favorite spot in Malaga, coming here weekly for the past 5 years. Not coming back anytime soon until its fixed.

Quality: used to be spectacular, then started going down in 2024, now really disappointing

Portions: half of what they were 1 year ago

Staff: used to be great (up to 2023), then ok, now really inexperienced and disengaged

Value: used to be good (though priciest on Plaza Merced) now really bad as prices have gone up significantly and portions have shrunk by half. Shrinkflation? Greedflation?

Byoko used to be a favorite for many residents here, locals as well as expats. Now it’s become a bad tourist spot. Avoid until they fix it.

It seems the owners have decided to focus on expansion and the new locations (centro + Estepona?) and stopped caring for and keeping quality a the original one. Best way to kill a great place and great brand.

Of note:

mop in a bucket of dirty water in the bathroom, soap dispenser empty and broken, rusty parts on the sink, bucket under the sink full of dirty water to catch heavy leaks from the sink / drain… my phone battery was dead, I would have posted pictures otherwise.

we ordered lunch. 45 mns and after a few friendly requests to staff and reassurance it was coming : waiter realizes order was never taken properly. other waitress looks clueless and uninterested. Not professional.

To the (new?) owner: answering all the negative reviews is great, fixing the restaurant is much better. Please focus on making it good, that will be much more useful than hollow excuses and apologies… maybe go back to the old owners and learn from them how to run this place better? 🤷🏻‍♂️

I genuinely want to like it again, but not...

I came, I ate and I succumbed on the penultimate day at Malaga. After salivating over the photos of meals online, I gave up and decided to give the place a try. I have made an attempt previously, for a breakfast, but the place is popular, I was told I would need to wait at least 15 minutes.

As it was a hot day, I wanted something light and fresh, more brunch than lunch and Byoko exceeded my expectations. I opted for the orange, carrot and ginger fresh juice, a "normal" bowl of Buddha Fume Salad (smoked salmon, quinoa, grilled vegetable with Thai sauce and humus on a bed of baby spinach leaves with Asian vinaigrette) and finished with a Fruits Pudding with Chia and Coconut. It was a sensory feat of colours, smells and tastes that I will not forget.

The portions were just right, the products fresh and tasty and the food prepared with a lot of attention. The products are organic and gluten free and you have a selection of veggie/vegan options available too.

Location-wise, you cannot get more central and if you turn up late in the afternoon when the sun is hidden behind the surrounding tall buildings, you can use one of the cosy blankets when you seat outside.

The staff deserve an extra star for their attention and ability to speak foreign languages (we spoke French and English!). Should I ever come back to Malaga, I will...

I have mulled over whether to write this negative opinion of my last visit to Byoko en la Plaza de la Merced but finally decided that I needed to express my disappointment. I have been a frequent client since Byoko opened and have always been delighted by the excellent variety of food choices and the friendly attentive service of the efficient staff. However, I was dismayed by my visit on Sunday last. To begin with, the obligation to reserve a table via a website that did not allow to choose my time or place inside or out was a big surprise. I understand that this is the new trend and managed to get the family seated at 13.30 pm after a previous personal visit to confirm my needs with the understanding employee. We ordered (no more printed menus available) and waited patiently while dozens of dishes came out of the kitchen until it was our turn. The food was up to its usual standard but the empty plates were removed with a speed that indicated a desire for us to vacate the table. The fourth member of the party who arrived after us was told firmly by the server that anything cooked would be a long time coming and he should make do with guacamole. My family and I and many, many friends all residents in Malaga, have frequented Byoko with great pleasure for several years now and I am just hoping that this was just a blip, a...