Ricardo Hostal Apartamento

A restaurant that exudes a passion for cooking, plenty of experience and the unmistakeable talent of staff trained by Martín Berasategui. The first thing that chef Joaquín Baeza will casually tell you is that, in keeping with his mentor, he is here to bring joy to his guests! This small, unpretentious restaurant is run with great dedication by the chef alongside Esther Castillo, who works as front-of-house manager and sommelier. The modern Mediterranean cooking here, whose leitmotifs are the diversity and seasonality of Alicante’s produce, gives pride of place to aromatic herbs picked personal

Located in the city’s historic Benalúa district, Tábula Rasa boasts a well-maintained façade plus an interior with a tranquil and traditional ambience. Head Chef Rafael Molina is keen to offer honest cuisine that showcases Alicante’s culinary traditions, bringing a modern technical approach and a continual focus on fresh seasonal ingredients (they do not use freezers or vacuum packs). The menu, which changes almost daily, focuses on a single, tempting seasonal menu where rice dishes or 'fideuás', such as their tasty rice with pork ribs and vegetables, tend to take centre stage.

A striking modern property on the ascent up to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, hence its superb views of the city. Here, Alicante-born chef Dani Frías offers two Mediterranean-based, contemporary menus (Ereta and Degus) that focus on seafood. This is demonstrated by one dish we particularly enjoyed: his delicious version of red shrimp stew (“caldereta de gamba roja”).

Open boasts an eclectic look in keeping with its name. This similar liberal philosophy is also evident in its open-view kitchen and on the à la carte, with the option of creating your own half portion-style menu. The chefs here explain and serve their own contemporary dishes centred around market-fresh ingredients. One speciality that is definitely worth ordering is the Gilda Open, their interesting red tuna ‘catalana’ or the cuttlefish, guanciale and burrata gnocchi.

A gastronomic restaurant offering innovative international- and French-inspired cuisine which is always based around seasonal market ingredients. Tasting menus are the only option here, one of which is inspired by the period the chef spent working in the kitchen of the Hotel Ritz in Paris. Booking essential.

A life full of travel characterises Fernando and Olivia, a charming couple who have made their different culinary cultures (he is Mexican; she is Greek) the cornerstone of their joint gastronomic project. The name (Steki translates as a “meeting place”) of their simple restaurant, located in a pedestrian street in the city’s old quarter, also highlights this philosophy. Their cuisine is based around the cooking of the Mediterranean with understandable influences from Mexico and Greece. Although available à la carte, there is a minimum order of 5 dishes for two sharing.

If you’re looking for something truly out of the ordinary, this restaurant in Alicante is definitely the place to go.The dining experience is akin to a game that moves from one space to the next (Hi Line, Cocoon Lab and Geoda Verde), each of which features highly personalised decor and provides a backdrop of different visual effects and even specific aromas for your fine-dining experience. Chef Pablo Montoro’s fun and entertaining cuisine, including creative, travel-inspired dishes that showcase the Mediterranean (we loved the trompe l'oeil vegetable sausages and the onion royale, fermented on