Nou Manolín

Nou Manolín is the Alicante bar counter everyone talks about, and if you only do one classic tapas stop in the city centre, make it this one. It's been running since 1971 and still feels like an institution. The downstairs bar is the main event. You can't book it, so turn up, wait your turn, then watch the carvers slicing Iberian ham while you work through shellfish, salted fish, seasonal veg and Mediterranean fish. In 2026 it was named Spain's best bar counter in GastroActitud's list of the 100 best restaurants for under 100 euros, and picked up a Top Tradition Restaurants award the same summer. Upstairs is a calmer dining room serving the full menu, and that's the only part you can reserve, online for up to eight people. It isn't cheap for tapas, and a few diners feel portions are small for the price, but the buzz along that bar is hard to beat.