Pipirrana Vermut

Pipirrana is a vermouth bar on Rambla de Méndez Núñez in the middle of Alicante, and the idea is simple: come for a vermut, stay for the food. It's run by the same local group as the El Molí bakeries, and it does a proper job of the Spanish aperitivo hour. There are more than 20 vermouths, red and white, with plenty from Alicante producers, and the staff are happy to help you pick. Food is gourmet tapas cooked to order, plus premium Espinaler tins and individual rices cooked in a llanda, the flat tray Alicante uses, so you don't need two people to order one. Reviewers single out the torrezno, the bream, the sardine montadito, duck rice and a foie millefeuille. Portions are generous and prices for the vermouth are fair. Service is friendly but not quick, so don't come in a hurry. There's a weekday set lunch, afternoon tardeo sessions with music, and tastings. Sit at the bar, inside or on the Rambla terrace.