El Corte Inglés

El Corte Inglés is Spain's big department store, and the Alicante branch is where locals go for anything from a new suit to a decent bottle of wine. It's split across two buildings in the centre: one on Avenida Maisonnave and one on Avenida Federico Soto, which focuses on homeware. The Federico Soto ground floor is home to the Gourmet Experience, a food hall with three restaurant counters, a bakery and a wine and deli shop. It opened in 2011 and was refitted in 2024. There's also a cafeteria on the fifth floor and La Plaça food space on the seventh. There's a newly revamped supermarket on the Maisonnave side, plus a Club del Gourmet shop for imported treats. It's an easy rainy-day stop and handy for picking up gifts or a fancy food shop. Reviews of the cafeteria are mixed, so the Gourmet Experience is the better bet for lunch.