What to Eat in Alicante
What to Eat in Alicante
- Arròs a banda. A rice dish with seafood, typical of the coastal area of Alicante.
- Fideuà. A noodle dish similar to paella, popular in the seaside resorts of the Alicante province.
- Coca amb tonyina. A savory pastry filled with tuna, a popular local delicacy.
- Turrón de Jijona. A traditional almond sweet from the town of Jijona in the Alicante province.
- Arròs amb fesols i naps. A traditional dish made of rice, beans, and turnips, rooted in the region.
- Borreta. A thick soup made with potatoes, spinach, and cod, favored in Alicante especially during the winter months.
- Pebrereta. A spicy sauce made from peppers and garlic, an integral part of Alicante's cuisine.
- Gamba roja de Denia. Red prawns from the nearby town of Denia, a renowned local specialty.
- Olleta alicantina. A stew of beans, pork, and vegetables, a traditional dish in Alicante.
- Mistela. A sweet fortified wine, popular as a digestif after meals in Alicante and its surroundings.
- Herbero. A liqueur made from local herbs, typical of the Alicante region.
- Pastissets. Small pastries filled with dates or figs, a beloved sweet treat in Alicante.
- Nisperos de Callosa. Medlars grown in the area of Callosa d'en Sarrià, a renowned local fruit.
- … and 20 more Spanish dishes from the list: What to Eat in Spain.
Where to Eat in Alicante
- Aitana's Corner Bar. A pleasant tapas bar in the central market (lower floor). A wide selection of tapas; in the morning, you can also get a typical Spanish breakfast here.
- Pipirrana Vermut. An excellent vermutería and also a tapas bar practically in the center of Alicante.
- Probar el Buen Bar. A modern tapas bar. It's lively inside, the atmosphere is pleasant, and there's outdoor seating available. The tapas are prepared in a more modern style, and they were willing to prepare slightly unconventional dishes as well.
- Tabula Rasa. A Michelin guide restaurant, awarded with the Michelin Bib (extraordinary value for money). And this is absolutely true here. For 42 Euros (April 2024), you get a fantastic six-course tasting menu, where fresh local fish and Spanish specialties take center stage. Traditional rice dishes are regularly prepared for lunch. Reservation is essential.
- Restaurant Casa Mary. A Spanish restaurant offering rice dishes and a menú del día for 15 Euros (April 2024). They are open even on Mondays when other restaurants are closed (which was the reason for my visit). Directly opposite is a large Mercadona supermarket.
- La Guapa Vermuteria Mercado. A vermutería with an incredibly wide selection of vermut. You'll find it again on the lower floor of the central market, near Aitana's Corner Bar.
- Horchatería Azul. A famous spot for the traditional drink horchata. Highly recommended, located near Restaurant Casa Mary.
- Bombon Boss. A pleasant café where you can order a typical Spanish breakfast (toasted baguette with tomatoes, freshly squeezed orange juice, and coffee) for the usual 5 Euros.
- La Masa de Tomasa II. A bakery with a tempting selection; I tried their coca filled with a vegetable mix and perfect buñuelos (fried dough pieces filled with vanilla cream).
- Mari Carmen Fenoll. A bakery in the central market (lower floor). Try their famous coca with tuna (which wins at competitions), or torrijas if you visit during their season.
- Panadería Dorita. A bakery with a tempting selection of local pastries, if you want to try a variation of coca that I didn't quite develop a taste for, try coca de mollitas 😇.
Enjoy your food in Alicante!
Paella: A Guide to Spanish Rice Dishes
Jamie Oliver put chorizo in it and Spain has never let him forget it. Paella is the most famous of Spain's rice dishes - and strictly speaking it isn't even Spanish, but Valencian. This tour of the arroces family explains why the dish is named after a pan, what socarrat is and why the best rice comes at lunchtime.
Alicante Wines: Monastrell from Vinalopó, Fondillón and Moscatel
Three quarters of the wine from Alicante comes from a single grape, monastrell, which the province shares with the whole Spanish southeast - and then there is one wine nobody else has: fondillón, made from overripe grapes and aged at least ten years without a drop of added spirit. The DO Alicante appellation has two subzones: the inland Vinalopó with its reds and the coastal Marina with its sweet moscatel.
Níspero de Callosa: The Loquat from the Province of Alicante
Níspero de Callosa is the loquat grown on the terraces around the small town of Callosa d'en Sarrià in the province of Alicante, with a protected designation of origin since 1992. The orange fruit, the size of an apricot, is eaten fresh and peeled, and it has juicy sweet flesh and a few big seeds. The tree comes from China, the name from the European medlar, and its season is short - from April to the end of May.
Coca: The Flatbread of Valencia, Catalonia, and the Balearics
Coca is the flatbread of Catalan-speaking Spain: dough with the topping spread over it or tucked between two sheets, savory or sweet, baked on a tray. One word covers Catalan coca de recapte, Balearic coca de trempó, and the Alicante specialties with tuna and streusel. Where the name came from, what to make of the claim that coca is the mother of pizza, and how three bakeries in Alicante measured up.
Herbero: An Herbal Liqueur from the Sierra de Mariola
Herbero is an herbal liqueur from the Sierra de Mariola, on the border between the provinces of Alicante and Valencia. At least four mountain herbs macerate in an anise base, and they often stay right there in the bottle. Seven villages around the range make it, each in its own way - dry in Alcoy, sweeter in Bocairent. After a meal, bars and restaurants in Alicante pour a round on the house along with the bill.
Mercat Central d'Alacant: The Market Where Alicante Shops and Has Breakfast
Alicante's central market is a covered hall from 1922 with 292 stalls on two floors: fish downstairs, fruit, vegetables, cheese and cured meats upstairs, and in between them bars where the late morning brings a second breakfast - with vermouth. The province of Alicante sends turrón, Fondillón, prawns from Denia and coca amb tonyina; jamón only passes through. The clock in the display case has read 11:19 since May 1938.