A Belgian beer hall that washed up on a Spanish beach.
Filed from Málaga — February 2026
To say that Untertürkheim is a surprise find is understating it. How many other beer bars are located on a sunny sandy beach? The name alone (a mouthful even for German speakers) suggests something out of place on the Costa del Sol. And yet here it is, sitting directly on Playa la Malagueta, Málaga's main city beach, with Mediterranean views from the patio and the faint smell of salt air competing with Delirium signage.
The selection is extraordinary by any standard, let alone the standard of a beachside bar in southern Spain. Over 200 varieties of beer (bottles and cans from Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the UK, and across Spain), plus twenty taps covering the full range from Belgian tripels to German wheat beers to Spanish craft lagers. The tap board on my visit included Delirium on draft, Gulden Draak, and a rotating selection that suggested someone was paying careful attention to what went on it.
Suspended from the ceiling, a large inflatable pink Delirium elephant surveys the room with appropriate gravitas. This is not a bar taking itself too seriously, and it's better for it. There is plenty of seating inside and a proper patio outside with tables facing the street and, beyond it, the Mediterranean. Our favorite spot was right inside near an open window, where you could look out over the Paseo Marítimo and catch the sea breeze. The people-watching is half the draw: monk parakeets in the palm trees, locals out for an evening stroll, and once, a drunk tourist who tried to skip out on his tab and didn't get very far.
The food follows the beer hall model: German sausages, hearty snacks, bar food done with some care. The staff are attentive and clearly know what's pouring, no generic "what do you want" guesswork here.
Right next door is a little bar called Magic, run by a longtime magician with the decor to match. If the bar's not too busy and you're lucky, you might catch a trick or two. It's a friendly little space, worth a stop for a cocktail before or after.
This spot is part of the Málaga craft beer guide, where all the city's spots appear together in one continuous read.