The Costa Blanca region in Spain is all about having bags of fun in the sun. Known as the 'White Coast,' the popular holiday hotspot is well known for its wonderful weather, lively party atmosphere and picturesque scenery spread across many resorts, such as Benidorm, Alicante, Elche and Denia.
Food can make or break a holiday and if you choose well, Costa Blanca's cuisine won't disappoint. With hundreds of restaurants across the various resorts, Costa Blanca offers a veritable feast of fantastic eateries. Bon appetit!
Local cuisine
The best Spanish restaurants can be found in Alicante. For those on a budget, visiting Cerveceria Sento in Alicante is a good idea. This is a lovely, lively restaurant serving top quality dishes all made from fresh ingredients. There's a good selection of reasonably prices wines, and the staff are warm and attentive. Buen apetito!
La Sort in Alicante is a classy restaurant with a glowing reputation. The staff here very work hard to make the experience of eating at La Sort a top notch, memorable experience. Consequently, the food is first-class but note - it is rather on the pricey side.
Another good choice if you want to sample delicious, well priced, authentic Spanish fare is Aitona in Benidorm. It's famous for its wonderful paella and is a bustling, popular place throughout the year and a favourite with locals and tourists alike.
International
Costa Blanca caters for all types of dining experiences and culinary tastes. Central and North American food is increasingly popular, and no, we don't mean KFC and McDonalds. For an authentic taste of America, Mexico and Argentina head to...
In Elche, La Musa de Velvarde offers a relaxed dining experience. The price of meals here is varied, as are the prices depending on whether you opt for a standard main or the specialised Tapas selection. American food is the main cuisine of choice but the owners are happy to cater for European tastes, too. Some delectable dishes include local meals such as cod fillet with tomato sauce and pumpkin pie covered with cream cheese drooling yet? With good service, and a fine selection of wine and sparkling fizzy options like Cava and Champagne, La Musa offers a delightful dining experience.
If in Santa Pola be sure to beeline for La Lomoteca, where Argentinean cuisine rules, and, as you'd expect the steak is to die for. All meals are complimented with a choice of chips and chargrilled vegetables, and the meat is marinated in delicious homemade chimmichurr (chopped fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes). Vibrant, friendly and relaxed, La Lomoteca is the place to go if you fancy a meat feast and some genuinely generous portions better loosen that belt buckle
Over in Torrevieja, you can enjoy the full Mexican experience by filling up at Restaurante Mexico before heading out to experience Torrevieja's nightlife. 'Filling up' being the operative phrase - the portions here are large, so have a light lunch! Fajitas are the most popular dish washed down with tequila. Well priced, lively and fun, this restaurant will spice up an evening.
The Club House situated on the first floor of the hugely popular Villamartin Plaza is a great option if you want a wide menu to choose from, good value and good quality fare. The Clubhouse fillet steak and the seafood are highly rated.
Vegetarians visiting Torrevieja should earmark Restaurante Vegetariano. Offering nine scrummy salads, many types of tasty wraps, sandwiches and pizzas, even the fussiest of veggies won't feel hard done by.
British
A taste of home while away can be comforting for some - and a must for others. If you fancy some British grub while you're on holiday in Costa Blanca fret not - you'll be catered for.
The Captains Table in Orihuela is a family run restaurant, and, is said to serve the best fish and chips in Costa Blanca. A tasty, cheap and cheerful option, you can also order up a full English breakfast and a decent cup of builders.
If you fancy a Sunday roast, Cap Blanca in Moraira is the place to go. With a choice of lamb, beef, gammon or pork, you can get a three-course slap up meal and receive a very reasonable looking bill at the end of it. Cap Blanca also offers other freshly cooked homemade food throughout the day - and al fresco dining. Best book to avoid disappointment.
European
The European economy might be seriously unstable, but restaurant owners up and down Costa Blanca are still serving up plenty of fab food, at equally fab prices.
With a unique approach to Italian cuisine, Taberna Restaurante Carbon based in La Nucia is the number one place to go if you love Italian food and la bella vita. The restaurant is set over two floors, with a magnificent backdrop of local villages and mountains adding to the sense of occasion. This restaurant is one of the most recent additions to Costa Blanca and is very popular, so it's worth pre-booking. The menu choice is vast, the service is friendly and the wine is good, too. Buon appetito!
Over in Benidorm, one of the top choices if your taste buds are calling for food with a distinct Gallic flavour is The Vagabond. Situated in the old town of Benidorm, the food is great quality from a restaurant that only opened in Costa Blanca six years ago. The prices are very reasonable and main courses include tasty dishes such as Greek salad, garlic prawns with fresh tomato sauce and lamb chops with mint sauce. There is also an excellent choice of starters and desserts, plus some of Spain's finest wines from the Vagabond cellar to complete a great evening meal. Booking in advance is recommended to guarantee a table in this top-quality restaurant.
For a true taste of Bavaria, head to Orihuela and visit De Bassus, the Bavarian Cerveceria and Restaurant. You could well be in Munich this restaurant is so authentic. The menu features 12 selections of sausage dishes, one of which is a spicy sausage measuring one metre in length in a baguette. Other popular dishes include an excellent selection of grilled meats and steaks, as well as Bavarian meatloaf and quality German beer. With a play area and highchairs, this restaurant is ideal for families.
Asian
If you're missing your Indian or Chinese takeaways and want to spice things up with some Asian flavour, Costa Blanca offers some good Asian restaurants. Chinese restaurants are a bit thin on the ground, but if you fancy Indian, Japanese, Thai and even Indonesian food, your spicy cravings can be satisfied.
For tasty Indian fare head to Shakira I in Orihuela. The Shakira group comprises three restaurants in the Orihuela area, all with a genuine Bollywood feel. With great food, friendly staff, melodic Indian music and a decent range of facilities, plus a good children's menu, Shakira restaurant is a firm family favourite.
Me Too Sushi Restaurant based in Torrevieja offers an all you can eat style buffet. Knowledgeable waiters are on hand to go through various dishes with sushi first-timers, so don't be put off if you've never eaten raw fish before. Excellent food, a friendly atmosphere and attentive staff, this restaurant is a top pick.
Indonesian restaurants are relatively hard to find in the UK. However, a taste of Bali can be found at Restaurante Indonesia in El Albir. Open for breakfast and dinner, the owner of this restaurant cooks all the meals herself from fresh. This restaurant benefits from wonderfully authentic Indonesian influences and very reasonable prices.
Thai food is not as easy to track down in Costa Blanca as Indian or even Japanese is, so snap up a table at the Papaya Tree in Playa Flamenca if you've got the chance. Since they opened in 2004, the Papaya Tree has built up a fine reputation; it was shortlisted last year for the best Asian restaurant in the Coast Rider culinary awards. They do an extremely well-priced four-course menu, and a good range of extremely tasty dishes.
Ice cream parlour
Finally, the perfect end to any meal is surely a scoop (or few) of ice cream. Alicante has its own special gelatia, Livanti Gelato di Sicilia, which offers such a bewildering range of divine ice cream that you'll truly be spoilt for choice.