Tapas bars

A tapas bar in Alicante can be a very serious thing, even if it does not always look like it. Informality should not be confused with carelessness. A good counter is measured by product, timing, service rhythm and that difficult ability to make several small orders feel like a coherent meal rather than a string of concessions.

This selection brings together tapas bars, places for shared plates and informal addresses where the visit is built around sharing. Some look towards the classic counter, others towards a more contemporary tapa, while others simply sustain a very recognisable way of eating in Alicante: ordering, tasting, talking and letting the table find its own order.

Not every bar with small plates belongs here. We are interested in places with more than a long menu and a busy terrace: craft, product, regularity or an honest way of understanding informal food.