Restaurant in Alacant, Spain
Michelin-noted tapas, single-€ prices, no ceremony.
La Taberna del Gourmet is Alacant's clearest value case for quality eating: a Michelin Plate-recognised gastrobar run by chef María José San Román, ranked in Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list, with a tapas counter built around high-quality regional seafood. At a single-€ price point, it delivers more than the price suggests. Book 1–3 days ahead on weekends; walk-ins work midweek.
La Taberna del Gourmet earns a confident recommendation for first-timers and returning visitors alike. At a single-€ price point, it delivers a tapas experience that Michelin has acknowledged with a Plate distinction for two consecutive years and that Opinionated About Dining has ranked progressively higher across 2023, 2024, and 2025 in its Casual Europe list, reaching #410 in 2024 and climbing to #456 in 2025 — a signal of sustained quality, not a one-season spike. If you are visiting Alacant and want to eat well without committing to a formal dining room, this is the most credible low-barrier option in the city.
The physical setup at La Taberna del Gourmet is worth understanding before you arrive. The room is organised around a display counter where tapas are laid out in full view — you see what you are getting before you order, which removes the guesswork that can make first visits to unfamiliar tapas bars feel uncertain. The layout is approachable rather than cavernous: it is the kind of space where you settle at the counter or a table, scan what is on offer, and eat at your own pace. For a first-timer, that visibility is genuinely useful. You are not navigating a dense menu cold; the food is in front of you.
The address on Avenida de Federico Soto puts it in a well-connected part of central Alacant, open every day from 1pm to midnight. That all-day window is one of the more practical things about it: you can arrive at an off-peak hour to avoid the crowd, or stay late without feeling rushed out. The kitchen runs from early afternoon through the evening, which means it works equally well as a long lunch, a pre-dinner stop for a few plates, or a late-evening meal after other plans.
Chef María José San Román is attached to this address, and her name carries weight in Spanish gastronomy. The venue sits within her broader Monastrell group, and the culinary orientation here is Gastrobar-Seafood with a regional focus , meaning the cooking draws on Alicantine ingredients and traditions, with seafood as a clear throughline. What you are buying at this price tier is access to that level of thinking and sourcing without the formality or expense of a tasting menu. The Michelin description frames it directly: high-quality ingredients across a large tapas selection, with an extensive wine list alongside. That is the value proposition, stated plainly.
The Google rating of 4.6 across 1,111 reviews is a useful corroborating signal. At that volume, a 4.6 average is harder to dismiss as a cluster of enthusiastic early visitors. It suggests consistency across a wide range of guest experiences, which matters when you are deciding whether to trust a venue on a short trip where a bad meal is a real cost.
La Taberna del Gourmet works leading for diners who want quality without ceremony. If you are two people who want to eat well, drink well, and spend modestly by Spanish dining standards, this is the clearest recommendation in Alacant at this price tier. It also works for groups , the counter format and broad tapas selection make it easier to accommodate varying preferences than a set-menu restaurant. It is a poor fit if you are specifically looking for a long, structured tasting experience with table service and a sommelier guiding each course; for that, Alacant has other options.
Occasions-wise, it sits in that useful middle ground between casual and considered. It is not a white-tablecloth anniversary dinner, but it is far above a neighbourhood bar snack. A relaxed birthday, a first date where you want to eat something interesting without the weight of a formal room, or a celebratory lunch with friends , all of these fit the format well.
Reservations: Easy to book; walk-ins are realistic given the all-day format, though booking ahead is sensible on weekends and during summer when Alacant draws more visitors. Hours: Daily, 1pm to midnight. Budget: Single € price range , among the most accessible price tiers in the city for this calibre of cooking. Dress: No formal dress code expected at this style of venue. Cuisine: Gastrobar-Seafood with regional Alicantine focus.
For the full comparison with other Alacant restaurants, see the section below. If you are deciding between venues in the city, also consider browsing our full Alacant restaurants guide, and if you need broader planning help, our Alacant hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest of the city.
For context on what the Michelin Plate recognition means in the broader Spanish dining conversation, consider how it positions La Taberna del Gourmet relative to Spain's most decorated rooms: multi-starred destinations like Arzak in San Sebastián, Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, DiverXO in Madrid, and Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona occupy different categories entirely. La Taberna del Gourmet's distinction is that it delivers recognisable quality at a fraction of that cost and with none of that formality. For international reference points on what serious seafood-forward cooking looks like at the highest level, Le Bernardin in New York City and Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María are the benchmarks , La Taberna del Gourmet is not competing with them, but it shares the orientation toward ingredient quality and seafood as a primary focus.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| La Taberna del Gourmet | € | — |
| Baeza & Rufete | €€€€ | — |
| El Portal Taberna & Wines | €€ | — |
| Nou Manolín | €€€ | — |
| Piripi | €€€ | — |
| Alba | € | — |
Comparing your options in Alacant for this tier.
It works for a relaxed celebration, not a formal one. The single-€ price point and tapas-counter format mean the vibe is convivial rather than ceremonial. If you want a milestone dinner with white-tablecloth service, look elsewhere in Alicante. If your idea of a good occasion is eating very well without fuss, a Michelin Plate recognition and OAD ranking in the top 500 casual venues in Europe give it real credibility.
Both are viable: the kitchen runs from 1pm to midnight every day of the week, which is a genuine advantage for flexible scheduling. Lunch tends to be quieter, making it easier to work through the tapas counter at your own pace. Weekend evenings draw the most foot traffic, so if you want a livelier room, book Friday or Saturday dinner; if you want space to think, come mid-week at lunch.
The format is counter-style: tapas are displayed and you select from what's on show, with high-quality ingredients as the organising principle according to Michelin's own notes. Chef María José San Román is the name behind the operation, which carries weight in Alicante's food scene. Go hungry, go with someone who eats broadly, and treat it as a grazing meal rather than a structured three-course dinner.
No specific tasting menu is documented for this venue. La Taberna del Gourmet is a gastrobar built around tapas selection, not a fixed tasting format. The value case here is the freedom to order widely at a single-€ price point, which in practice lets you eat a wide range of dishes without the commitment or cost of a set menu.
Walk-ins are realistic on weekdays given the all-day, seven-day schedule, but book at least a few days ahead for weekend visits and further in advance during Alicante's summer peak when the city fills with visitors. The venue's OAD ranking and Michelin Plate status mean it attracts diners who plan ahead, so don't assume a Saturday evening slot will be available on the day.
The cuisine type is gastrobar-seafood and regional cuisine, so the strongest play is to follow the seafood and locally rooted dishes on the counter display. Michelin's own citation flags the extensive wine selection as a draw alongside the tapas, so factor that in. Beyond those parameters, specific dish recommendations aren't documented here, and the counter format means availability changes daily.
Yes, straightforwardly. A single-€ price range combined with a Michelin Plate (2024 and 2025) and consecutive OAD rankings in Europe's top casual restaurants makes this one of the clearest value cases in Alicante. You are not paying a premium for the setting or the service format; you are paying for the quality of ingredients and the kitchen's regional knowledge.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
