The Best Bars in Alicante, Spain

At one end of the Esplanada d’Espanya promenade – overlooking the yachts bobbing in the port – is the laid-back Soho Mar. Thanks to the large, comfortable terrace space, this is one of the best places in the city to welcome the sunset with a cocktail. Margaritas, daiquiris, mojitos and mai tais – you name it, it’s available. But the real highlight here is the gin and tonic, with dozens of different gins to choose from to create your perfect G&T.

Further west along the coast from the historic districts of Alicante is San Juan Playa, where you’ll find the main concentration of tourist-facing bars and nightclubs. Texaco is very much the embodiment of this sector of the city, where naked bulb lighting, vines and comfy sofas adorn the garden space. Inside lies a spacious dancefloor, energised by live DJs. This is a great spot for groups especially – with plenty of drinks deals on buckets of beer, gin or champagne.

Whatever your thoughts are on molecular mixology, 26 Lounge Bar’s unique approach to making bizarre concoctions is undoubtedly entertaining. Your drink may turn up partially on fire – intentionally – perched on a small mirror, or indeed deconstructed, so that you have to put all the component parts together yourself. The smoked fashioned, in particular, where the bourbon arrives in a hip flask, is what makes the theatricality of 26 Lounge Bar so much fun.

Taking its stylistic cue from biker bars of the American Midwest, Rock Bar Frontera has plenty of character and brash charm: think Harley-Davidson paraphernalia, US road signs, music posters, pool tables and wall-mounted guitars. The atmosphere is always lively – enhanced by the music, which is occasionally provided by live bands and is always somewhere on the rock spectrum. Better yet, it’s a block away from San Juan Beach.

Alicante’s waterfront is dotted with excellent kiosk bars that serve drinks until late. The covered seating platform at Noray overhangs the water – you can’t get much closer to Alicante’s marina without being in it. Since opening over a decade ago, Noray has remained a popular spot for a jug of sangria and some tapas. Options range from the standard jamón Serrano and Russian salad to more elegant items, such as oysters from Normandy.

Wanna dance? Parabarap is – like the many bars in the streets surrounding it – a small bar with a lively, crowded dance floor and cheap drinks deals. As such, Parabarap can get really busy on weekends, especially during term times when the students are attracted by the bar’s legendary, albeit questionably large cocktails. Examples include the mojarrito – two litres of mojito – or the cubalitro, a litre of Cuba libre, as you might have guessed.

One of the great Alicante tapas bars, located on the edge of Barrio Santa Cruz, is the small but always busy Cervecería Sento. It’s easy to miss the small entrance on Calle Girona, but inside, the beer never stops flowing and the tapas production seems inexhaustible. This spot is well known for its montaditos, which are open-faced sandwiches containing various tapas-like fillings. Although often meat-based, there are vegetarian options available, too. Easily the best menu item, though, is the papas especiales: fried potatoes covered in melted cheese and bacon.

Back towards San Juan Playa, one of the newer bars is making a big impression with its bright cocktails – be sure to try the frozen passionfruit daiquiri – and impressive interior decoration. The bar area is clearly influenced by the airy, open-plan bars of Miami Beach which complements it brilliantly. Pelican Club’s atmosphere is enlivened by the centrally placed bar, high fairy light-strung ceilings and contemporary music. Pelican Club is also a venue of two halves – there is an additional club space within, which stays open till late from Friday to Sunday.