Certain avenues in Malaga have a special life to them, acting as small centers outside the main urban area. Echevarría de Huelin, Plutarco, Miramar de El Palo… these are very lively, spacious zones filled with great places to eat or have drinks. Avenida Moliere is one of them, in the northern part of Malaga. There, a very traditional Mesón delights lovers of good food, especially good meat. And specifically, those who crave steak cooked on a hot stone, their specialty. We’re talking about Mesón Los Pérez.
At Los Pérez, you’ll find something that’s surprising these days: professional waiters, old-school, who serve you wine uncorked at the table, letting you taste it with the cork in hand. The kind who refill your glass before it’s empty. Who serve and clear from the diner’s right side, ladies first. Professionals, in other words. This allows me to mention that they have an impressive wine list worthy of our attention.
The specialty here is the steak cooked on a hot stone. They place a huge stone on the table, heated to the same temperature as a dragon’s molars, a small casserole with fat and flaky salt to keep the stone hydrated, and a tray with a kilo of small steak fillets that each diner cooks to their liking on the stone. And as we always say, there are two types of people: those who like their steak rare, and those who don’t know how to eat. You decide.
Another exquisite dish at Mesón Los Pérez is the shepherd’s cake, a sort of tartare with goat cheese that will pleasantly surprise you. And another specialty that sets them apart are the fried eggplants with honey. These are not the typical thin, crispy fried eggplants, but rather a thick, flavorful slab. Whether you like it more or less is subjective. We, for example, disagree. But objectively, it is a high-quality dish.
Other dishes, perhaps not as striking or original, but by no means undesirable, are the scrambled eggs with mushrooms, salmon and shrimp, the mini beef and caramelized onion burgers, and the Iberian pork loin strips with ham on a bed of straw potatoes. Regarding the scrambled eggs with mushrooms, salmon and shrimp, don’t expect large pieces of salmon, let alone a shrimp – they simply provide just the right touch of seaflavor to the scramble. Very subtle. As for the mini beef burgers with caramelized onion, the meat has an spectacular, intense flavor, and the other elements harmonize very well. And the Iberian pork loin strips with ham on a bed of straw potatoes? Nothing to complain about. A very good dish, but not especially memorable.
On other occasions, we’ve ordered the marinated salmon, the croquette assortment, or the lollipops. We’ve included some additional photos of these dishes.
For dessert, something we don’t usually order, on this occasion we did: the cheesecake and the brownie. The latter may be a bit heavy-handed. The cheesecake, however, was thin and delicate. Very rich. There’s no doubt they have substantial, classically-prepared desserts.
Mesón Los Pérez is a true mesón. It’s a place to go for a hearty meal, large traditional dishes, generous in calories and flavor. Especially if you want to eat steak cooked on a hot stone in Malaga, this is a must-visit, so jot down the details.