As so many Brits flock to the Costa Blanca every year, I had expected a lot of English food and touristy spots on my trip with Jet2. I hadn’t expected the delicious tapas, fantastic wine and authentic Spanish cuisine I experienced in Alicante.
So naturally, I figured I should write-up some recommendations on my favourite restaurants I visited out there. I’ve also included some nice bars to drink at, because if you’re not drinking a glass of Rioja al fresco, are you even in Spain though?
Food and Drink Recommendations in Alicante
GREAT TAPAS
Cervecería Sento
This tapas bar majorly reminded me of the cute place I discovered in Barcelona that was full of locals. It’s very small with legs of ham hanging from the walls and lots of people packed in and standing up. I think that’s a sign it’s going to be good.
There wasn’t even a menu, the guy just asked what kind of thing we wanted and then brought it over. We essentially used this place as starters, so Josh ordered calamari and I ordered their version of patatas bravas (less spicy, more smokey). And both were A+.
Plus, they were MASSIVE portions (def bigger than starters!).
Syrah Wine Bar
We stopped at Syrah for some wine, because of the name. We enjoyed two gorgeous glasses of Rioja and again, decided to order a couple of snacks before dinner. Lo and behold, they were full-sized plates again…
The courgette strips with pesto and feta was so amazing. And we decided it was about time we had some Iberian ham so tucked into a massive of plate of the stuff, complete with mini bruschettas.
Oh my god, that stuff just MELTS in the mouth. So good, you have to try it.
D’Tablas
Okay, before you say it, I know D’Tablas is a chain in Spain. But it’s pretty awesome so I don’t care.
It’s basically the Yo! Sushi of tapas.
Waiters come out with massive trays of tapas, all on individual little planks of wood and you just take what you want as it goes past. Then at the end of it they tally up how many planks you have to give you your bill.
And mate, it’s 90 CENTS per tapas. Fuck yes.
Oh and 60 cents for a little beer. We visited twice and cleaned up.
There’s no menu but if it’s not busy you can also ask for the tapas, like 3 meat, 3 fish, 3 vegetarian, kind of thing. Although be warned, they’re not big on vegetarian food. I asked for 3 x veggie and got 1 x croquettes (the only authentically Spanish one), then 1 x spring rolls and 1 x onion rings with BBQ sauce. Lol.
But the meat ones were fab. I recommend a visit just for the novelty.
El Rincon De Alma
I wasn’t going to put this one on, because it’s not very me. I usually research great places to eat to avoid the tourist traps.
But we were hungry, Josh wanted paella and it had a nice view of the cathedral so we decided to eat at one of the tourist traps – El Rincon De Alma. The food was actually really good and the staff were nice, I just think they overcharge you in places like this.
Josh had this seafood paella and said it was banging. The only thing with paella in Spain is that it is always for two people and I don’t eat seafood. So Josh stepped up to the plate and demolished this entire skillet of paella like a boss.
I ate some veggie tapas and really enjoyed it – patatas bravas (obsessed), garlic mushrooms and padrón peppers. All really nice and again massive portions.
COOL PLACES TO DRINK
Soho Parc
By far my favourite place to drink was Soho Parc. It’s a little square of park in the middle of the Old Town with big Ficus trees that look like they’re out of a fairytale. And in the middle is a little kiosk selling drinks and snacks, and some cute patio tables.
We sat and drank wine outside and it was lush. Must visit if you’re in town.
Bandarra
If you want somewhere cool that makes you feel like you’re in a city, Bandarra is the one. It’s decorated with quirky artwork and colourful countertops and the guy that runs the place is a character.
They do food here too and it looked pretty good. The guy has the kitchen behind the bar which is a bit weird, but pretty cool to see him making the pulled pork and stuff!
Boca De Vi
A cosy little bar hidden away in a backstreet, Boca De Vi is super cosy. It’s very ambient and charming and again, another top-notch place to enjoy a glass of red.
Noray Club
This is a beach club on the main promenade, so quite touristy. But it has the perfect location, overlooking the marina, to enjoy a nice glass of rose cava in the late afternoon. I think this place would be nicer in the summer but I still really enjoyed the location.
ALTERNATIVE RESTAURANTS
Spiga
These are things I shouldn’t admit but I didn’t exclusively eat at Spanish restaurants in Alicante… my bad.
But I really fancied pasta one night and there was this cute-looking restaurant over the road from our hotel and I thought fuck it, I want Italian.
However it now means my favourite meal on this trip to Spain was actually… Spaghetti Bolognese.
I know, it’s embarrassing, but it was too good not to tell you about. It was rich and full of flavour and just perfect. Josh had pizza and was equally impressed. Seriously the food at Spiga was AMAZING.
The Good Burger
Ok it’s not tapas again but still.
We went for a quick lunch at The Good Burger and it was really tasty. Little smashed burgers in brioche buns, delicious potato wedges and the best onion rings I’ve ever had. They didn’t even look like onion rings, they looked like shoestring curly fries. But they were banging.
And such a cheap meal if you’re on a budget
There you have it, my favourite places to eat and drink in Alicante. Hope you like them!
Let me know if you have any recommendations in the comments below, tweet me at @HeelsInBackpack or find me over on Insta at @Heels.In.My.Backpack!
