Eating and drinking

This is a list of suggestions for places to eat and/or drink in Alcalá.  It isn't comprehensive and it isn't particularly objective.   Please leave a comment if you have any updated information or if I've got something wrong.

But first, a note on meal times for first-time visitors to Southern Spain: 

Breakfast is served pretty well everywhere until about 11.30.  It consists of of tostada (toasted rolls or thick slices of bread) with mermelada (jam, not orange marmalade), pâté (sometimes called fouagra, the phonetic version of foie gras), manteca colorao (lard spiced with paprika - tastes better than it sounds) or tomate y aceite (grated tomato flesh drizzled with olive oil).  Most places offer fresh orange juice too, sometimes straight from the tree.

Lunch is the main meal of the day in Spain, and most Spanish don't eat lunch till after 2 pm. Many places do a three-course menú del día, including a drink, for around €10 on weekdays. It is unlikely to be written down - the waiter will reel it off at great speed.   If you want to see a printed menu, ask for la carta.

Merienda is a drink and a cake or snack taken around 6 pm (later in summer) to tide you over till dinner.   

Tapassmall hot or cold snacks, are available at any time and usually come with a hunk of bread and  picos (small dry breadsticks).  

Dinner is eaten late, and is a lighter meal than lunch. Some restaurants don't open the kitchen till 9 p.m.  It's often a better option to order tapas or a plate of something to share (racíon or media ración) when you're hungry.

Beverages: Coffee is ordered according to the proportion of coffee and hot milk:  solo (black), cortado (black with a dash of milk), con leche (half coffee, half milk) or manchado (hot milk with a dash of coffee).  It will normally come in a small glass; ask for en tasa if you want a cup with a handle.  If you want a slug of brandy in it, ask for a caraajillo de coñac.  For decaff, ask for descafeinado de maquina.

Tea comprises a sachet on a thread dunked in hot water, served in a glass without milk. Té verde (green tea) is popular, as is poleo menta (mint tea).   Hot chocolate (ColaCao) is universally available.

Beer (ice cold lager) is available everywhere, on draft or in a bottle.  The standard serving for draft beer is a small glass (caña), around 20 cl. In Alcalá a caña currently costs €1.20.  If you want more, ask for una cerveza grande.  Bottles come in various sizes:  20 or 25 cl (botellín), 33 cl (tercio), or 1 litre (litrona). Tercios of craft beers from local micro-breweries are increasing in popularity - look out for Levante, a hoppy IPA.

If you want a glass of red wine, ask for un Rioja rather than vino tinto.  It might not come from the La Rioja region but it is a generic term for the good stuff, rather than the plonk they mix with lemonade to make tinto de verano.  If you don't want it chilled, ask for natural.   Barbadillo is a pleasant dry white wine made locally; ask for it by name, rather than vino blanco, or you might be given dry sherry (fino).   Expect to pay around €12-€15 for a bottle, €2.50 for a glass.

Gin tónic is extremely popular and very refreshing, as is ron cola (rum and Coke).  You'll pay around €4.50 for an enormous measure, including the mixer.  

Where to go in Alcalá

The distinction between bars and restaurants is blurred so I haven't attempted to separate them.  All places will serve drinks without food, and most places serve breakfast and tapas.  Those with an asterisk also do full meals.  

Paseo de la Playa and nearby

*Bar El Jamón: good value home-cooked menú del día at lunchtime and tapas any time.  Spacious air-conditioned bar inside.



Bar Los Morenos:  Busy local bar serving snacks and meals, with outdoor seating area under canvas.

Los Morenos

5Mentario: Tiny bar with tables outside on the Paseo, serving breakfast, drinks and snacks. The name (say it cinco-mentario)  is a pun on "Sin Comentario" - no comment.

5mentario


*Restaurante PizarroOpen every day of the year except the evenings of Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.  Outdoor seating under canvas (heated in winter), plus a comedor (dining room) inside for more formal meals. 

Pizarro bar and restaurant


Siroco Bar y Copas: Alcalá's newest bar (opened September 2023), in the park next to Pizarro's. No food.

Siroco Bar y Copas


Bar Los Pollos: Friendly little bar at the end of the Paseo, at the bottom of Calle Rio Verde. As well as tasty meaty snacks, at weekends it sells delicious spit-roasted chickens and pork loins to take away.

The "Chicken Bar"

*La CabañaPopular bar with a glass-walled cabin at the front.  Extensive dinner menu from 8.30 or 9 pm, excellent tapas.  Good value 3-course menu del día on weekday lunchtimes.

La Cabaña

Pizzería Palermo: pizzas, snacks and burgers, fully licensed, open from 8 pm Wednesdays to Sundays.  Located next to Burguer Donald.



Burguer Donald: Not only burgers, but kebabs, pulled pork, fried chicken KFC style ... Open in the evenings, in a side street next to the park.

Burguer Donald


*Los PonisComfortable and friendly bar near the Hotel San Jorge. Famous for its home-made croquettes, good quality seafood and charcoal-grilled Iberian pork.

Bar Los Ponis


Cafetería la Bahia: Small, friendly bar known locally as Las polacas because it's run by a Polish woman. Just round the corner from the Playa towards the waterfall.  Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Cafetería la Bahia, a.k.a. the Polish bar

Calle Juan Amador

Peña Madridista: the official Real Madrid supporters club bar is tucked away behind the rocks known as Las Peñas. A good place to watch football, or sit outside in summer and enjoy some tapas (it is famous for its caracoles, tiny snails served in broth).

Peña Madridista

Calle de San Antonio

*Restaurante El Campanero Covered terrace at the front for drinks, large comfortable restaurant inside. Specialises in quality beef and other meats.  Accepts credit cards (rare in Alcalá!)  Home-made pizzas from their wood-burning oven available Thursday through Sunday from 8 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Tel. (+34) 956 42 06 40

Restaurante El Campanero

Plaza Alameda de la Cruz

Taberna el Garito: Tiny but picturesque bar inside the church wall.  Unofficial HQ of the local football team. Tables outside on the Alameda in summer, excellent tapas.


El Garito

La Reinventá: Beautifully restored old local with antique ebony fittings inside. Reopened under new management July 2023 and has already acquired a reputation for excellent food.

La Reinventá


Plaza Alta (Plaza San Jorge)


*Mesón Territorio FlamencoThe owner, Jorge, is an excellent flamenco guitarist and if you are lucky you can sometimes hear him practising.  Good food (weekend lunchtimes only) and range of local wines.


Flamenco Bar


La Coracha (near the castle)

*Suber restauranteAlcalá's newest gastronomic experience, opened December 2023, located at the highest part of the town with stunning views over the countryside. For opening hours and reservations contact 621 68 05 70, email suber.restaurante@gmail.com.

Poligono La Palmosa (service area by the A381, 3 km from town centre)

*Venta El Gamo: Restaurant and tapas bar with creatively-prepared local produce.  Excellent value menú del día (three course lunch including drink for less than €10) on weekdays.   Open daily from 6 am to 6 pm, tel. 695 83 45 65.



*Los Corzos: large, popular restaurant attached to La Palmosa Hotel. Huge dining room, glazed terrace and new outdoor seating area. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.


Los Corzos


*Venta Restaurante la Parada: another popular eating spot on the polígono, specialising in local produce. Open 6 a.m. to 10.45 p.m (closed Tuesdays).  Huge dining room, outside area and shop attached.

La Parada


Patriste (5 km from town centre along the CA4291, signposted to the campsite)

*Camping los Gazules - campsite bar and restaurant, very good value, open to the public. Open-air swimming pool in summer.


Campsite bar and restaurant

*Venta Patrite - Next to the campsite.  Good range of local specialities including gazpacho caliente. .Lunchtimes only, very popular with locals on Sundays and public holidays.

Venta Patrite

El Prado

*Terraza El Jardín, a bar/restaurant serving the outdoor swimming pool, open during school summer holidays (late June till mid-September).  Hot food served every afternoon except Mondays, when the pool is closed..

Terraza el Jardín la Piscina

Centro de Visitantes (just off the A381, on A-2228 Benalup road)

*Restaurante el Alibe: located inside the Alcornocales visitor centre. Take a stroll round the botanical gardens first, to work up an appetite for lunch.  CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT (Nov 2023)

Restaurante el Aljibe

Caracena (take the Paterna road (CA-3052) and turn right as signposted after a couple of km)

*Venta Caracena: traditional Andalucian produce, very popular with the locals especially for family celebrations, so reservation essential at the weekend.  Open September to April, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closed Wednesdays).


Venta Caracena

*Venta Cruce de los Santos; On the road to the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de los Santos. Excellent reputation for good food, large dining room and a pleasant terrace at the back.  Closes around 4.30 pm.




Comments

Alcalabirder said…
A great guide, Claire. As you may recall, we've been overcharged in Restaurante La Parada & have never been back, but Pizarro's have always been OK. I'd also add that, as well as serving excellent reasonably priced food, Casa Jimenez has very pleasant & helpful staff, John & Liz
antiguafonda said…
I have made a A4 map of the village with the locations of Bars/Restaurants/Shops/Accommodation etc, if anyone wants a digital copy of it email me antiguafonda@yahoo.com and I will send you one. Last update is June 2015. Well done Claire, good job!
Tony
Anonymous said…
Here's a rough and ready guide to some basic Spanish words and phrases you would need to get by amongst Spanish speaking people
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