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Horeca
The reviews below are based on our personal experiences and are therefore quite subjective. On the other hand, we have quite a lot of experience in this area 😅.
We have divided the categories into:
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Roof Top Terrace
– A drink
– Dinner
– Nightlife
We realize that many of the catering establishments described do not only provide Breakfast, Lunch, Drinks, etc., but this is what we know them for and what they are good at!
First we start with the explanation of Tapas and Pinchos.
Have fun reading and enjoy!
Tapas en Pinchos
Just like in other Spanish cities, the center of Alicante offers a wide range of tapas bars. The name tapa is derived from the word cover and tapar which means ‘to cover’. The origin of the name lies in the past when reading and writing were not yet commonplace. Travelers therefore did not know what to order, whereupon the host served a small portion of several dishes to taste.
This was served on a ‘tapa’, the lid of a pot. In Andalusia, the first tapas were thin pieces of bread, ham or chorizo that were placed on the glasses of sweet sherry to keep the flies out of the glasses. Innkeepers responded to this by offering several types of glass coverings, after which these tapas gradually became as important as the sherry. Every region has its own tapa history.
Pinchos or Pinxtos are the originally Northern Spanish brother of the tapa. The base is formed by a piece of baguette with delicacy and the stick (pincho) that holds it all together. However, the stick has an extra function: if you want to pay for the pinchos that you just ate from the bar, you simply show how many sticks you have. The number of empty glasses does the rest for la cuenta.
picture: www.anniepannie.nl
08.00 – 12.00 BREAKFAST (DESAYUNO)
We realize that there are many more good spots for a delicious breakfast, but this is our selection.
Cuatrolatas, Breakfast, tapas and traditional Alicantina kitchen – Plaza Gabriel Miro N1 (€)
Small and very personal tapas shop with terrace on the most beautiful square in Alicante Center. Simple menu and for a modest amount a tuna baguette, fresh orange juice and delicious coffee are served with a smile.
Café El Mirador – Breakfast and Lunch – C. de la Virgen del Socorro 37 (€)
Edge of the center, but just off the tourist route you will find a relatively large terrace for the ‘in crowd’. Great menu! Super friendly service and (usually) lovely in the sun, looking down on beach and sea. If you hear a language other than Spanish, it is not a tourist, but someone who works or studies in Alicante.
After breakfast or lunch, walk via the walkway to the boulevard.
Madness Coffee – Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee, Drinks – Calle San Nicolás 4 (€€)
Everything here breathes coffee, but you can also enjoy breakfast or lunch. Beautiful place; There are old coffee roasters and coffee machines everywhere, tubes with coffee beans from exotic countries hang everywhere and you can smell coffee. In their own words, their coffee is “Unique in the world, but Madness Coffee is so much more”. Choose between the highest quality beans from Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya or Panama. For €2.00 (2024) you get delicious pure coffee, served in a very original way. Don’t like coffee? Then, for example, order a bottle of excellent house rosé.
Terraza del Gourmet – breakfast and lunch – Passeig Esplanada d’Espanya, 2 (€€€)
As part of the varied Grupo Gourmet, this is the terrace branch on the beautiful boulevard of Alicante. The Esplanada is in any case a bit more expensive and touristy, but this is a great place for breakfast, lunch or a drink. People watch and enjoy the dishes that are partly prepared in fellow restaurant La Taberna del Gourmet (see entry in ‘Dinner’).
Jevole Coffee – Calle José Gutiérrez Petén 29
Want a cup of coffee in grandmother’s café? Without Alicante like a local we would never have found this coffee gem. Just outside the center, in the Mercado district, you walk into a very cool coffee shop with a retro atmosphere and a cool patio terrace. Look at the photos below and take a walk!
El Pont Restaurante & Tapas Bar – lunch – Plaza del Puente 7 (€€)
Located at the foot of the Santa Barbara mountain towards the sea tapas restaurant El Pont is located on a very quiet square. Although the accent of the wait staff may be somewhat reminiscent of the Balkans, they serve typical Spanish tapas of a good standard. Authentic dishes, made from fresh ingredients on an unpretentious terrace. The price-quality ratio is very good. El Pont is also a B&B and has a roof top terrace.
EA Taperia Cofrade Bar – Plaza Virgen del Remedio 7
New (2024) Tapas bar in the and in our opinion a winner from the start. This Mexican host is very friendly and serves surprising quality dishes. For lunch and dinner on a small terrace on a small quiet square where the wine shop is never open, around the corner from the nunnery (Monges) and also a 45-second walk from our apartment! We are going to enjoy this a lot. By the way: ‘EA!’ is a way of saying ‘Let’s go!’ in Andalucia.
Los Mejillones de Coreos Tapas Bar – Lunch – Plaza Gabriel Miro 17 (€€)
Small Mediterranean tapas bar with terrace, also on that beautiful square. Loosely translated, this restaurant is called ‘The mussels of the Post’ named after the beautiful former post office building (see second photo).
Mainly seafood, but also other tapas such as delicious Patatas Bravas.
Open from 12 noon.
La Kafeteria, – breakfast and lunch – Calle Longa de Caballeros 8
Not only is Angèl the creative brain behind this very simple but very friendly ‘restaurante pequeña’, but he is also the entrepeneur, waiter, barman and cook. Take the three course lunch menu for € 14,95 with a choice of various dishes. Price/quality is very good.
Opening hours: weekdays 08:00-15:30 and Saturdays 11:00-16:00.
La Villa Bandida – Lunch and diner – Calle de la Almadraba 6b (€€)
The entrance to the restaurant, located on the border between Playa San Juan and Albufereta, promises a lot: you walk down a path between tropical plants and arrive on the first floor. The restaurant consists of two parts, with the ground floor not having the best acoustics when the glass doors are closed, but the entrance floor has a beautiful terrace just above the short beach. We also took the photo below ourselves and it gives a good impression. By the way, you can see two towers in the distance; that is the center of Alicante, just to indicate that it is a very brisk walk from the Rambla (more than an hour) or 10 minutes by taxi.
La Villa Bandida had some trouble finding the right staff after its launch in 2022, but the few times we were there ourselves (2024 and 2025) the food, the surroundings and the service were all excellent!
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM AFTERNOON DRINK/APERITIF
Most of the kitchen are closed, so we go for a drink in preparation for dinner. We make a distinction between drinks when the weather is nice (almost always) and drinks when the sun has set. Here too, it is about our own experience.
A little further on in this section, special attention is paid to roof top terraces, which in our opinion also fall under the afternoon drinks category.
Samoa café del Puerto – drinks and bites – Puerto De Alicante, Muelle De Levante (€€€)
Was previously called Sohomar, but the new owner has given the minimalistic building an upgrade and is a great place to sit back and drink a glass of beer, wine or cocktail until the sunset. Luxury terrace with relatively high prices, but the beautiful view of the marina makes up for those prices. Personnel has improved since the takeover, but the result is a que of waiting people sometims..
Picture: Loungebar Samoa Puerto
Xiringuito del Postiguet – Bar/Club – Beach (€€)
Relaxed (and only Alicante) beach bar, where the cañas and cocktails are (unfortunately) placed in plastic cups on your wobbly table. The atmosphere is very relaxed and from 3 p.m. (or earlier) they place lazy beach chairs in front of the Xiringuito. To enjoy the cozy atmosphere until closing time in the summer, you have to be persistent: in the evening the beach bar turns into a small open-air club where the disc jockey is busy until 4 a.m. to keep the mood at the highest level. Open all year round, with the exception of bad weather.
Xiringuito is easy to find by walking on the beach towards San Juan (east).
Een snel opkomende fenomeen in Alicante en daarom onmisbaar in dit hoofdstuk!
La Milagrosa rooftop Calle Villavieja 8 (€€)
Opposite the previously described church of Santa Maria is yet another rough diamond: the roof terrace of Bed & Breakfast La Milagrosa. Not so long ago a fairly atmospheric terrace, with plastic IKEA plants on every table. In 2021 Three Monkey bar started operating, making this terrace perhaps the hotspot it deserves in terms of view.
Right in front of the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria, which was built in the late Middle Ages, looking left over the museum of modern art, opened in 1976 Museo MACA Sempere (elsewhere on this website) and at the top left is Castle Santa Barbara, which started in the early Middle Ages. Three time frames in one breathtaking view!
Vive Eurostars, Plaza del Ayuntamiento 6
New (2022) roof terrace of hotel Eurostarts, right next to the town hall. Beautiful view, but the service is not yet set up for regular guests. No doubt that will soon change.
Highbar Rooftop, Calle Gravina 9
Lovely bar on top of Odyssey. Just walk in and find your way to this friendly bar via the elevator. Opened in 2022 and already one of the places to be.
Cuppola Cocktail Bar, Carrer Gravina 5
Two doors away from High Bar you can take the elevator up again. On this rooftop terrace all cocktail glasses have a movie theme. ET, Aladin, a horse (pictured), King Kong, Jack Nicholson and even a shoe from Sex in the City were models for the glasses.
It may be that the decor of all this beauty moves to the lobby of the hotel in winter, but even then it is more than worth a visit.
La Terraza de Amérigo, Calle Mayor 6
In the old center you also can find a roof terrace on the ‘best’ (in price and guest rating) hotel in Alicante. In their own words:,”Enjoy the best deep house music and spectacular views of Santa Bárbara Castle on our Amérigo Terrace, where you can enjoy refreshing cocktails and drinks from our signature cocktail bar.”
The Botanical’s Skybar, Maisonnave 53 (Corte Inglés)
After an afternoon of shopping in the largest and most complete shopping center of the Costa Blanca, you deserve a snack and a drink! If your pedometer is already filled enough, you will also find a roof terrace here. Although you first have to walk through a self-service terrace to get there, it smells wonderfully fresh and everything is freshly prepared. So no service, but a popular restaurant with a terrace among Spanish shoppers.
Malevo Brutal Food & Music, Calle San Francisco 45
For the time begin Permanently closed, so let’s see who or what will continue here..)
More fast food than restaurant or bar, but on this new (2022) roof terrace you can eat the hamburger, chicken wings or sandwiches you ordered downstairs. Not a fancy affair, but why eat your quick bite inside instead of outside on a nice terrace with ‘brutal’ music!
Grøn Gastro & Cocktails, Calle Bazan 37
(Permanently closed and the new owner called the Vietnamese place ‘Vi Viet Comida Vietnamita’ with rooftop; not yet visited by us)
Surprising new (2022) Gastrobar in Centro Traditional. We couldn’t find it right away, but the door swung open and a couple of young guys gave us a warm welcome. The roof terrace has just opened, so they still had to connect a mobile speaker to a telephone and the barrel was tapped for us, but everything was super relaxed. The Tataki Ternera (pictured) was delicious and we will definitely come back here. Open every day from 6pm.
Ristorante Casanova, Calle San Isidro 4
Haven’t visited it yet ourselves, but the roof terrace is open for cocktails and dinner from 7pm.
Hotel Les Monges (de Monniken), Calle San Augustin 4
Beautiful classic entrance of this two-star hotel. We have yet to visit the roof terrace, but it is open to everyone on Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 1 am.
Boga Bar – Drankjes en cocktails bij het zwembad – Av. de Cataluna 20 Playa San Juan
In the Alicante resort of Playa San Juan, on the top floor of the hotel ‘Port Alicante City & Beach’ is the Boga Lounge (somewhat misleadingly called Restaurante Boga while you can’t eat there).
However, feel free to bring your swimsuit, because everyone is welcome to use the pool. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the bar on site has a wide variety of refreshing drinks and cocktails.
TUSSEN MIDDAG EN AVOND
The afternoons in Spain extend deeper into the day than in the rest of Western Europe. The bridge to the evening meal (la cena) is a bit longer, so that of course offers possibilities!
While restaurant kitchens in the Netherlands, for example, often open at 9 p.m., while in Spain we experience that a group of Spaniards enters without a reservation at 11:30 p.m. and is simply welcome for dinner.
Reserving a restaurant before 8:30 PM is already a challenge in Spain :-).
Once we have left the roof terraces behind and freshened up, we can bridge the time between afternoon and evening with a number of nice, beautiful or authentic tapas bars. We will take you along a nice route:
Taberna Alioli – Calle Miguel Soler 12
You could just walk past it and if you see it, it looks more like a private drink. The space is not large, so without a reservation there is sometimes no room at the bar or against the wall; especially not on weekends.
If you have secured a seat, order the Salmon Fresco (fresh salmon) with a nice glass of white wine.
The bar staff is very confident in themselves, but when it comes to food and drinks they really have a right to speak. After possibly another snack, continue to Pipirrana (described below).
Pipirrana Vermut – Drinks (vermouth) and tapas – Rambla de Nunez Mendez 10
Lovely place on the main street to connect between afternoon and evening. It is part of the large El Moli y Pan, but you don’t get that feeling when you are inside.
First they let you taste which vermouth (of 18) suits best and it is relaxed and cheerful. They also have beer and wine, but just give it a try! Their tapas are specialist and delicious.
Suggestion: order en enjoy a Llanda Arroz Rabo de Toro. Not a big pan, more like a snack.
Let’s move on to Mushroom street!
Glasses of Fabuloa Vermouthglaasjes Typical Pipirrana humor 🙂
Vino y Mas, Calle San Francisco 32 (Paddestoelenstraat)
As the name suggests, they have wine and more here. They are not afraid to let you taste wine until you have a nice one in your glass and the snacks (tapas) are above average.
This tapas bar has two locations in Alicante. The above mentioned and one on Calle del Teatro 18. We have regularly visited the Paddenstoelstraat location and we sometimes had to laugh at an older man who served everyone extremely grumpily or put customers in their place (literally and figuratively). The intimate atmosphere, the wine and the delicious snacks kept us coming back, but always spontaneously without a reservation. Then you may be out of luck, because the number of places is limited. Waiting five minutes is often sufficient.
In September 2024, the man mentioned was not there, but two young, cheerful people in their thirties formed the ministry. What a relief. All the good things were still there and the only negative had been replaced by a positive!
Naturally, we checked in November and December with positive results whether this change was permanent.
Nice to go here after Pippirana!
El Portal Taberna, Cocktails & Diner – Calle Bilbao 2 (€€€)
Lovely cocktail bar/restaurant. See and be seen in the business of Alicante. In high season, lines of people are waiting outside. Beautiful bar that is known for its ever-changing interior decoration. The whole thing is restyled several times a year. At the cocktail bar, in the middle of the business, a few professionals are carefully preparing your cocktail. The staff in general has a concentrated look without being impersonal. Portal has over 300 different wines in a sort of library wall. 80 of those wines can be ordered by the glass and they let you taste first. Not tasty? No problem! Let’s try another. For the ambiance and the quality of the drinks it is absolutely excellent value for money. This ratio is under more pressure on the menu, unless you stick to the tapas on the menu. Despite the hip appearance and the somewhat touristy location, they say that 70% of the visitors come from Alicante.
Bar Manero – Calle Médico Manero Mollá 7 (€€€)
Tapas bars in Alicante come in various shapes and sizes. Manero is a high end Tapas Bar located two doors down from Portal. Beautiful tapas from a few euros (Anchovies, oyster) to € 160 for 50 grams of Beluga caviar.
The wines start at €3.90. Absolutely a beautiful restaurant! Even if you arrive at the entrance that you only come for a drink, you eventually cannot resist to order delicious snacks. Manero is part of a catering group that also includes Portal: Gastroportal.
Manero got another sisterlocation in Plaza Dr Balmis 1 in November 2022. The 19th century interior was developed at the time when Dr. Balmis the first doctor has died in Latin America and the Philippines an international vaccination campaign against the smallpox virus.
El Singular Manero–Teatro Principal (€€€)
Manero’s pre-existing little sister is reached by a staircase at the side of the theatre. You imagine yourself 100 years back in time and the mirror ceiling (photo below) fails to create spaciousness. Two tables and two standing tables and a few bar stools. Very charming little place for an aperitif. Half an hour before the program starts in Teatro, a door suddenly opens, allowing you to enter the theater through the inside.
D’tablas, Calle Rafael Altamira 6 (€)
The cheapest tapas bar in the center of Alicante is D’Tablas. A (small) caña beer costs only €0.80 and a tapa €1.10. The competitive prices (which apparently increase every year) do not detract from the excellent tapas and the humor radiates from the faces of the staff. As befits a real Spanish Tapas bar, the fluorescent lighting provides just as much light inside as outside. It does not detract from the entertainment value of this sometimes somewhat touristy tapas bar. More than worth a visit.
DINER
Terre –Explanada de España 11 (€€€)
A complete night out. The restaurant, bodega, cocktail bar and nightclub are all in one in a modern Art Deco interior with a high ceiling. The modest stage is used on Fridays by a nice jazz band or DJ, while the white brigade delivers the beautiful dishes in a friendly and efficient way. Classy restaurant.
Samoa (€€-€€€)
Loungebar SOHO Mar
Van de talrijke terrassen heeft Grupo SOHO voor elk wat wils. Aan het begin van de grote promenade-pier ligt het SOHO Mar loungeterras dat een prachtige plek biedt om ‘s middags de laatste zonne-uren van de dag mee te pikken. Zeker niet de goedkoopste en het meest persoonlijke terras van Alicante, maar het is er heerlijk zitten!
Op Plaza Portal de Elche – waar in het verleden de galgen zorgden voor het levenseinde van vele criminelen – staat nu een lieflijk prieeltje dat dienstdoet als SOHO Parc, omringd door een comfortabel terras.
SOHO Parc
Zeker in de zomer zeer geliefd vanwege de schaduw die wordt geboden door de markante Ficusbomen.
Op het plein van Ayuntamiento bevindt zich het SOHO Plaza terras, dat vooral in de ochtendzon populair is bij krant lezende koffiedrinkers.
El Pont Restaurante & Tapas Bar, Plaza del Puente 7 (€€)
Aan de voet van de berg richting zee ligt een onontdekte tapasparel van Alicante. Authentieke gerechten, gemaakt van verse ingrediënten op een pretentieloos terras. De prijskwaliteit-verhouding is er zeer goed. El Pont is ook een B&B en beschikt over een dakterras.
Taberna del Gourmet, Calle San Fernando 10 (€€€)
Je loop er zo voorbij, maar Taberna del Gourmet is een mooie tapasbar met achterin een restaurant, gelegen in de straat achter Casa Carbonell. Het bargedeelte is sfeervoller dan het restaurant, maar alle gerechten worden vers geprepareerd en geserveerd door bijzonder behulpzaam en vriendelijk personeel. Hogere prijsklasse zonder overpriced te worden. Op de Spaanse tapasuren is reserveren zeker aan te raden. Onze topfavoriet! De pui is inmiddels veranderd en is strak zwart.
Sento Barrio, Calle San Pascual 7 (€)
Uiterst sympathieke Ceveceria/Taperia, met heerlijke specialiteiten en voral de award-winning Montadito ‘Ivan’. Zelfs als alle terrasjes ernaast leeg zijn zit dit nog vol met Spanjaarden.
Op de kaart van de Montaditos (kleine broodjes) hebben ze voor iedereen wat wils met een eenheidsprijs van € 2,70 (2022).
Dagelijks worden de verse ingrediënten aangevoerd, onder toeziend oog van de Mama en haar twee zoons.
Als ze niet aan het serveren zijn, houden ze zich bezig met poetsen, schrobben, roken en schoonmaken. Absolute aanrader! Sento heeft om de hoek nog een jeugdige bierzaal en in Carrer Girona een Cerveceria.
Boca de Vin Gastrobar, Calle San Nicolas 18 (€€)
De keuze tussen bar en restaurant is hier nog niet gemaakt, maar wat ons betreft is dat ook totaal niet nodig. Prettige en persoonlijke bediening. Het eten is zonder meer goed, tegen een alleszins redelijke prijs. Als je er met een groep bent, laat de tafel dan vol zetten met lekkere tapa-gerechtjes en heerlijke huiswijnen; je zult niet enorm schrikken van de prijs. Zeker een aanrader.
Noray Puerto Café Bar, Av. Conde de Valellano (€€)
Wandel over de boulevard langs de jachthaven in westelijke richting en plotseling sta je voor Noray Café. Heerlijk terras voor ontbijt, lunch of een ‘penultima’ (voorlaatste) vino blanco, caña of gin tonic. Prima kaart met mosselen, oesters en de gebruikelijke traditionele gerechten. Vooral als de zon vol op het terras schijnt is dit een heerlijk plekje, met je voeten bungelend boven het water. Net zoals veel horecagelegenheden en gebouwen is men ook hier gaan upgraden: van aluminium wegwaai-stoeltjes naar comfortabele lounge-zitjes.
Madness Coffee, Calle San Nicolás 4 (€€)
Alles ademt hier koffie. Overal staan oude koffiebranders, koffiemachines, hangen buizen met koffiebonen uit exotische landen en ruik je dus koffie. Naar eigen zeggen is hun koffie “Uniek in de wereld, maar is Madness Coffee nog zoveel meer”. Maak een keuze tussen de hoogste kwaliteit bonen uit Colombia, Ethiopië, Kenia of Panama. Voor € 2,00 (2022) krijg je heerlijke pure koffie, zeer origineel geserveerd. Lust je geen koffie? Bestel dan bijvoorbeeld een flesje prima huisrosé.
Our search continues!