Just like any other good Mediterranean city, Benidorm has a surprising variety of gastronomy that is based on the typical products from the Mediterranean diet.

However there are major contrasts to be found. Its most typical and traditional cooking is now combined with dishes coming from tourism bringing us tastes from far away places like Russia, Thailand, Italy and China, etc

If you feel like good rice with lobster, soupy rice, rice stew, a mouth-watering seafood or mixed paella you are in the perfect place. There’s a huge selection of restaurants to choose from where you can try these magnificent dishes, many of them are located right by the sea, looking onto the beach which if it is at all possible, will make your time spent sampling these delicacies even more enjoyable.

RESTAURANTE BARRANCO PLAYA: Avenida Vicente Llorca Alós, 14-Cala Benidorm. The menu has around 20 starters, almost all of which are made with products from the sea, there’s more than ten types of delicious rice, the meat is prepared in five different ways, there’s as many or even more fish dishes and plenty of desserts.

RESTAURANTE ULIA: Avenida Vicente Llorca Alós, 15- cala Benidorm. Cooks at Ulia specialise in fresh fish and seafood. Red porgy, sea bass, sea bream, sole. The seafood rice and the rice stews with angler fish, lobsters, Dublin Bay prawns and squid are served in typical cooking pots.

LA CUINA DE PONENT: C/ Santander, 18 – La Cala de Benidorm. It serves “signature cuisine”. It’s updated traditional cooking with natural flavours, seasonal products, textures, there’s no tricks or cartons here! The rice is based on simple, natural recipes.

CASA TONI: Av, Cuenca Gemelos IV local 27. The homemade Russian salad, cheese and ham croquettes or the baby broad beans with baby squid are highly recommendable. If you choose meat cooked on hot stones as your main course you’ll be stuck for words and there’s baked sea bass if you prefer. Even though there’s a set menu, you can always ask Toni if he has any specials of the day made with ingredients he bought in the morning at the market.

TAITA: Primavera 8- Benidorm. It’s known for its all-time cooking with a touch of modernity. There’s a huge variety of dishes made with local quality ingredients. We recommend the sirloin steak or any of the fish. The desserts are the highlight of the meal, they’re scrumptious. There’s a wide selection of good wines too.

HOTEL LEVANTE CLUB: All the food on the menu of the day is served at the buffet. Clients can order special dishes or food for diets too. Ask for our menu, it’s full of the best of Mediterranean cooking, fish, meat and rice for you to sample and wash down with the best wines. The best quality value with an excellent service. Rincon de Loix Av. Severo Ochoa 3-B

If you looking for something a bit more casual come and have tapas which are small portions of food just like appetizers. The flavours to savour in Benidorm range from nibbles from the Basque country to the delights of the Mediterranean shores. The hustle and bustle and the delicacies of the bars will remind you of the old quarters of Donostia. Incidentally the area is known as tapas bar alley or the Basque alleyway-

You should start at Aurrera (Santo Domingo). Apart from its star tapa (cod with egg plant), try the grated cheese courgette, wild mushrooms and ham with fig sauce or the roast peppers, anchovies or eggy prawn fried bread.

Then go on to La Cava Aragonesa (Pza. de la Constitución, 2), it’s the most famous tapa bar in Benidorm. You can choose from the three date brochette, codfish balls, blue cheese and pork medlars, baby brochette of pork sausage and peppered date or scallops au gratin.

At El TAMBORIL (Santo Domingo, 10) the most popular appetizer here is the three cheese tapa: brie, blue and Burgos cheese with Iberian cured ham.

LA TABERNA DEL NORTE (Rosario, 9) is full of photos from the Basque Country, the tapas, especially the Spanish omelette, are delicious.

At the TABERNA TXAPELA (Martínez Oriola, 19), the typical tapas are the wild asparagus with brie or ham and egg plant.

CARPE DIEM The new tapa trend has created nibbles such as this goat’s cheese and prawn wrap.

To sum it all up gastronomically speaking it’s a highly recommendable city for anyone who wants to enjoy flavours from the sea and have the best products on their table.