Open

Verdict: A Flexible, Market-Driven Table That Earns Its Michelin Plate

If you are choosing between Open and El Portal Taberna & Wines for a mid-range contemporary dinner in Alicante, Open has the edge in creative range. Its modular, media-ración format lets you build a tasting experience at a €€ price point without locking you into a set menu; which makes it the more practical choice for small groups who want to eat widely without committing to a full tasting progression. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) confirm that the kitchen is operating at a level above casual dining. Book here when you want something more considered than a tapas crawl but are not ready for the investment of Baeza & Rufete at €€€€.

About Open

Open sits on C. Manuel Antón in central Alicante, the room reflects the philosophy the name implies. The kitchen is fully visible, anchored by a Japanese-style counter where the chefs plate and explain dishes before they reach the table. The energy is active rather than hushed; the open kitchen setup generates low-level heat and movement that keeps the room feeling alive without tipping into noise. This is not a quiet room for a private conversation, but it is not a loud bar either. Arrive expecting controlled buzz: engaged service, an animated kitchen, tables that lean in to watch dishes come together.

The format is the thing that sets Open apart from most of Alicante's modern-cuisine options. Rather than a rigid set menu or a standard à la carte, the kitchen encourages diners to construct their own progression using media-ración portions, smaller plates than a full main, larger than a tapa. For food-focused visitors who want to cover ground across the menu without over-ordering, this is a genuinely practical structure. It also means Open works well for two people as well as for a table of four.

The contemporary dishes are centred on market-fresh ingredients, the kitchen rotates its focus accordingly. One dish confirmed in the venue record as worth ordering is the red tuna "catalana", a speciality that has drawn enough consistent attention to be singled out by Michelin's editorial team. Beyond that specific plate, the approach is produce-led and seasonal, which means the menu at any given visit will reflect what the market has to offer rather than a fixed repertoire. For the explorer-minded diner, that variability is an asset, not a risk.

The Drinks at Open

Venue record does not specify a dedicated bar program, but the liberal, open-format philosophy that defines the food side extends logically to how the kitchen presents its dishes, at a €€ price tier in a Michelin-recognised contemporary restaurant in Alicante, a competent Spanish wine list is the baseline expectation. The Valencia and Alicante DOs produce some of the most food-friendly Mediterranean reds and whites in Spain, a kitchen this produce-focused will typically pair well with the region's monastrell-based wines. If cocktails are your priority over wine, Open's format and price point make it better suited as a dinner stop than a drinks destination. For a dedicated bar experience in Alicante, consult our full Alicante bars guide.

How Open Fits the Wider Alicante Scene

Alicante punches above its size for serious eating. Within the city, the range runs from La Ereta and Monastrell at the more formal end, to Celeste y Don Carlos and El Portal Alicante - Krug Ambassade for different registers of the same contemporary ambition. Open positions itself in the accessible-creative tier: Michelin-recognised cooking at a price that does not require a special-occasion budget. Compared to the Spanish coast's headline destination, Quique Dacosta in Dénia, Open is the right call when you want contemporary cooking without the advance planning and three-star price. For deeper context on where it sits across the whole city, see our full Alicante restaurants guide.

Booking and Practical Details

Booking difficulty at Open is rated Easy. The address is C. Manuel Antón, 12, 03001 Alicante. Hours and online booking links are not confirmed in our current data; check directly with the restaurant. The €€ price range positions Open as a practical mid-week dinner or a low-stakes special occasion, not a budget meal. Expect to spend meaningfully more than a standard tapas bar but considerably less than Alicante's top-tier tasting-menu restaurants.

Pearl's Take

Open is the right booking if you want Michelin-level cooking in Alicante without the formality or price of the city's top-tier tables. The media-ración format is a genuine advantage for curious diners who want to eat across the menu, the open kitchen counter is worth requesting if you want to watch the dishes come together. The red tuna "catalana" is the confirmed standout, order it regardless of what else you build your meal around. If you are building a longer trip around Spanish gastronomy, pair a meal here with a journey to El Celler de Can Roca in Girona or Arzak in San Sebastián for the full range of what the country's contemporary kitchens are doing. For everything else happening in the city, start with our Alicante restaurants guide, our hotels guide, and our experiences guide.