How to eat in Alicante (Costa Blanca) – the tapas spots we don't miss
Alicante and tapas, that is no coincidence. The city has a serious food culture, a harbor full of fresh fish and a neighborhood where you can pull up a chair on every corner. The trick is knowing where. These are the addresses.
We start with a place you shouldn't miss during your trip to Alicante: Taberna Ali-Oli. Here, you stand at the bar, sip a good glass of wine, and eat canapés with sardines, smoked cod, or steamed oysters. This is the ultimate Spanish summer feeling all in one bar. Go early or make a reservation, because it fills up fast.
Looking for the perfect place to make an impression? El Portal is the answer. By Forbes Voted the best bar in Spain, and featured in the Michelin Guide. Chef Sergio Sierra worked in some of Spain's best restaurants, and you can taste it. The steak tartare is prepared at the table, the rice dishes are divine, and the patatas bravas? Fantastic. The cocktail menu is just as strong as the wine list. The best detail: the interior changes completely every quarter, so every time you return you see something new. A DJ plays on weekends. Be sure to make a reservation, because you don't want to miss this.
This is the place locals point you out when you ask where you really have to eat. Small, full, and always busy. Order the lollipops and the meatballs, pay cash and enjoy.
Calle San Francisco is also known here la calle de las setas, the Mushroom Street, and Vino y Más at number 32 is the reason to go here. Small space, extensive wine list, and a cuisine that surprises. The skewers They are flying off the shelves, ideal if you want to taste without having to choose. All this for a price you wouldn't expect for so much quality.
This lovely place is totally hot among the locals And after just one visit, you understand why. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is spot on, and the service scores highly. Here you can eat both classic tapas and tapas with a twist. The black rice with mussels is divine, and the artichoke with jamon and foie gras is the kind of dish you'll look back on fondly. Fortunately, half portions are available, because you really want a little bit of everything.
Do you have only one evening in Alicante and have to choose? Then this is it. At Nou Manolín on Calle Villegas, you can make a reservation at the restaurant, but you’ll prefer sitting at the bar downstairs. Be outside at least half an hour before opening time, because when it’s full, it’s full. At Nou Manolín, you eat the best tapas in Alicante in a cozy atmosphere. The menu features fresh and local ingredients, but also very tasty specials. How about the Russian salad and a glass of cava? Our absolute favorite.
Bar Manero had been on the list for so long. And the expectations were more than met. Bar Manero looks like a classic Spanish grocery store: tiled floor, wooden accents, and a counter full. delicatessen. You want to adopt the interior. Order the gilda, the anchovies and a glass of Verdejo. And then discover that there is a in the back speakeasys hides as Dom Pérignon-embassy. A bit more pricey, but you understand immediately why.
Tip: put together your own tapas tour visiting these addresses. Start at Sento Rambla for a quick montadito, move on to Ali-Oli for a glass of wine at the bar, and finish with a more elaborate meal at Nou Manolín or Vino y Más. Alicante is small enough to do everything within walking distance.
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