If You Go: Malaga

As I mentioned, we liked Malaga much more than we expected to like it!  During low season, it was very quiet and the restaurants and attractions were incredibly quiet.  I imagine during high-season with cruise ships, it might be a mad house!  So take the recommendations below with a grain of sand.

Hotels 

• Molina Lario: This was a very convenient hotel that was on a pedestrian street and was next to the cathedral.  Great location and large room.  It was more of a business hotel so it lacked some of the Spanish charm, but was an easy spot to stay for a few nights (~$120/night) 

Restaurants

• Uvedoble: We found this restaurant in a write-up by the Guardian and it was fabulous.  Some of the best food we've had in Spain, the menu was modern and inventive.  Every dish we had was fantastic and there were few traditional dishes.  Our favorites were the shrimp kebabs (mouth watering) and the black noodles with squid (spicy deliciousness). 
• Taberna Pintxo Lario: This was a fantastic spot for lunch.  Effectively a "pick your own" tapas restaurant.  You could go up to a row of cold tapas and grab whatever you wanted and then waiters walked around with hot tapas from the kitchen to pick from.  We loved the wide diversity of food we could try! 
• Garum:  This is a neat restaurant at the bottom of Alcazaba - the patio was closed when we were there, but this could offer a great view (and people watching).  The food was fantastic here - we ordered a series of tapas.  The tuna was stand-out (we had to order two dishes it was so good!) Definitely add it to your list 
• Mura Mura Osteria: We had Italian for dinner one night - it was good, but I was sad we weren't eating Spanish food because it is so incredibly delicious. That said, the food was very good, quick, and inexpensive.  Recommend this if you need a break from Spanish food, but otherwise suggest you avoid.

Sites 

• Picasso Museum: This was a fantastic museum.  We had been underwhelmed by the Picasso museum in Barcelona, so this was a treat.  A large collection of his paintings, they were well organized and the audio guide was really helpful.  You had an opportunity to see his full range from cubism to surrealism.  Note that his most famous paintings are scattered in world capitals (Madrid's El Prado, the Louvre, Moma), but this was a comprehensive collection of recognizable works. Pro tip: Buy tickets online for this and avoid the line. 
• Alcazaba: This fortification was built originally by the Romans, but was expanded by the Moors and Spanish.  A really neat set of gardens and terraces that overlooked the harbor.  We loved wandering through the beautiful spaces in Alcazaba and enjoyed a view of a rainbow over the city - fabulous!  Pro tip: the tickets are 2 Euro and have to be purchased from a cash-only machine.  Bring small bills / coins 
• Castillo Gibralfaro: Another impressive castle on an even higher part of the city, this was originally built by the Phoenicians.  There were a lot of major civilizations in this city over history!!!  This is the largest castle we've ever been to and you can walk the walls around it - there are amazing views of the city and a lot of great photo locations.  We walked up the hill here, but it was very steep and long.  If you have any trouble walking (or the weather isn't great), highly suggest taking a bus up the hill.
• Cathedral: We enjoyed seeing the cathedral - it was a typical Spanish cathedral, though the gardens outside are lovely with citrus trees and birds of paradise plants.  We really wish we had planned ahead and booked a group tour to the roof...I bet that would have been an amazing view.  Next time!