El Portal

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4,684 reviews

#143 of 1,901 Restaurants in Alicante₱₱₱₱, Mediterranean, Healthy, Vegetarian friendly

+34 965 14 32 69+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

1:30 PM - 1:30 AM

Mon

1:30 PM - 1:30 AM

Tue

1:30 PM - 1:30 AM

Wed

1:30 PM - 1:30 AM

Thu

1:30 PM - 1:30 AM

Fri

1:30 PM - 2:30 AM

Sat

1:30 PM - 2:30 AM

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MICHELIN

What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

4,684 reviews

#143 of 1,901 Restaurants in Alicante

MICHELIN

View more on MICHELIN Guide

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Mediterranean, Healthy, Wine Bar, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

“Tapas the next level”

“It’s just a hyped up rubbish tapas bar as I ve had better tapas in a small ro...”

Special occasions, Bar scene, Business meetings

“Special occasion dinner”

“We visited with another couple to celebrate both our Ruby Wedding Anniversaries.”

Location and contact

Calle Bilbao, 2, 03001 Alicante Spain

Centro

+34 965 14 32 69

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MICHELIN Guide's Point of View

A super-cool gastro-bar with an attractive bar and a variety of tables serving tapas, Iberian hams, seafood, cheeses, rice dishes and a selection of gr...

Read more on MICHELIN Guide

Risotto de setas al parmesano, variedad arborio

€24

De gamba roja de denia

€30

Arroz de la casa, sepionet y boletus, por persona

€21

Details

Manage this business?

About

El Portal Taberna & Wines is a new generation Tavern, where combines tapas, gourmet dishes, wines and drinks in a casual, fun and elegant atmosphere.

PRICE RANGE

₱1,207.00 – ₱3,622.00

CUISINES

Mediterranean, Healthy, Wine Bar

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.0

4,684 reviews

Excellent

2,637

Very good

1,118

Average

446

Poor

231

Terrible

252

Where-to-go-next-DK

83 contributions

Ohhh what a fab restaurant.

Jan 2020 • couples

Ohhh what a fab restaurant. Trendy in terms of food. Exiting, innovative dishes, interesting combinations, well balanced flavours all served under myriad of red Chinese paper lamps by a truly professional team that know where the pulse is; that be in the kitchen, on the floor, at the bar or by the door. The idea of having a theme decoration - and go all in - is a reason alone to back! But food-wise you nailed it!

Written January 15, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gastroportal

Dear Where-to-go-next-DK, Thanks for your opinion and your visit. Very happy to know your good valoration. Hope to see you again. Kind Regards.

Written January 17, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Penelope Alderson

Relleu1 contribution

Birthday Treat?

May 2021 • none

My son and his wife and I went on Monday for a joint birthday lunch. It was probably not the best day of the week for Pescatarians as restaurants are usually not well stocked for fresh fish after the weekend. After selecting what was available we were presented with nice but not outstanding food, the champagne was good. Overall the service lacked finesse and I didn't feel as special as I was expecting to feel given the reviews I had heard from people we know. Maybe just a bad day but at over 100euros per person felt slightly let down. I won't be going for a second visit.

Written May 20, 2021

Juliezarkos

Stowmarket24 contributions

Lovely restaurant

Mar 2020 • couples

This was a lovely restaurant, bit cramped where we sat. Staff lovely and friendly. Food was delicious although be aware if the ask if you want bread make sure you eat it as you will be charged. Also if you order the burger and you don't like very raw meat ask for it to be cooked well done.

Written March 11, 2020

Gastroportal

Dear Juliezarkos, Thanks for your visit and your opinion. Hope to see you soon. Kind Regards.

Written March 14, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JD Guest

5 contributions

Not all that glitters is gold

Jan 2022 • none

The food we were served was unfortunately mediocre and very much overpriced for what it was. E.g. the beef tartare was dressed with smoked sardines and just disgusting. Our salads were clearly prepared earlier in the day and less than fresh. Also the Paella was very bland and tasted as if microwaved. The wine list was poorly categorized and getting advice from the waiter was next to impossible, probably also due to his poor English. Service was slow (ok it was packed, but still) and we even spent 20 minutes waiting for the bill. The in-house DJ must have been new or tipsy as he had no notion of his volume dial. We had to ask for the music to be turned down as you really couldn’t understand each other without raising ones voice. Overall very disappointing visit.

Written January 28, 2022

Gastroportal

Dear JD, Thanks for your visit. We are sorry to hear that your experience was not satisfactory. The beef tartar is one of the most popular dishes with our customers, we are sorry it was not to your liking. Regarding what you say about the salads, this is not true at all, all our dishes are freshly prepared to order, maintaining the highest quality and freshness. As for the rice, we do not make paella, this is not real either, because although it may seem strange, we do not have a microwave and our rice dishes are prepared on the spot, hence the waiting time. The wine list is categorised by type, so we don't really understand the problem. Regarding the comment about the service, we take note of it to try to improve the times and avoid waiting times. As for the music, we are sorry that it was not to your liking, it is one of our hallmarks and the volume is totally controlled, just because it was not to your liking does not mean that you can disrespect our DJ, whose professionalism is unquestionable. We hope we have been able to help you with your complaint and we would be delighted to welcome you back and make your experience a pleasant one. Best regards.

Written February 17, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rgggg555

Yarm11 contributions

Looks the part , but sadly lacking

Sep 2021 • none

This restaurant was just a few yards from our 5 star hotel, so we were duly booked and gave it a try. It does look very upmarket from the outside and we do like our beautiful restaurants and fine food. The lady on the front door was very well dressed and efficient, she took our booking and we asked if the restaurant had lobster on its menu, the answer was , well sometimes , we asked her if they could get the lobster in for us and she said she would ask. The manager called us and said he could get us a lobster and the price would be approximately 175 euros to feed 2 of us, we reluctantly agreed as we were on holiday in this seaport but there seemed to be no lobster in any other restaurants. We duly turned up for our reservation on the Sunday , the restaurant was busy and we were given 2 menus , they were of extremely low quality card and tatty. The items on it are not that great , starters and deserts are not what you would expect for this upmarket restaurant. We were having lobster , which was specially sourced for us , so no menu really needed but we were not offered the wine menu. The service was average , the lobster was good.but as for a 5 star restaurant, it was barely a 3 star. The toilets are smelly and cramped. The bill for the main course only with 2 glasses of wine came to 335 euros, total rip off , j sheekey in London is so much better than this restaurant. We would not go again

Written September 20, 2021

Gastroportal

Dear Rgggg555, Thank you for your visit and your opinion. We are sorry to receive your rating and can only point out some details of it. In our offer is not included the product you requested (lobster) but to try to satisfy you, we contacted you to inform you that we could get it, depending on the weather, etc.. This last point was the key to the call, since we contacted you to inform you of the price, since it was high and thus avoid your complaint, we informed you of the price per kilo, as well as the approximate weight that lobsters used to have, we informed you that they used to be of 1, 200Kg/1,500Kg approximately, moreover, you had requested two lobsters and we advised you to order only one due to its weight, to which you answered us affirmatively and so we proceeded, we ordered only one piece, which finally weighed 1,580Kg, perfectly adjusted to what we had previously informed you. We deeply regret that you qualify your experience as a scam when at all times you were informed of the cost of your order, we tried to satisfy your request, being a product that we do not work, we only intended to make you enjoy but we are disappointed because we did not get it. Best regards.

Written September 24, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

mooney33

147 contributions

Never fancied an Oyster....

Mar 2020 • none

Never fancied an Oyster.... until now. On a short business trip to Alicante I visited El Portal restaurant. With very smart decor and smartly dressed staff. I have never really fancied oysters but my colleague ordered Tempura Oysters and offered me one. Wow it will not be the last. Another first was razor clams. Chewy but good. For my main meal I had shoulder of lamb. If you have read my other reviews I like lamb shank, so was not disappointed with this. For desert another first Mascapone & Stilton cheese cake, awesome honest. The waiting staff were very attentive. Definite one to visit again.

Written March 3, 2020

Gastroportal

Dear mooney33, Thanks for your visit and your opinion. We were glad you tried the oysters and, razor clams and cheese cake and liked them. Hope to see you again. Kind Regards.

Written March 4, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gundamuck

Exeter292 contributions

Amazing experience

Jan 2020 • none

Visited with friends and was blown away with service ambience and food . Our server David couldn’t do enough and recommended the best food and wine to suit our palette and pocket . He even told us a very unfunny joke about a gorilla but you can’t have everything

Written January 10, 2020

Gastroportal

Dear Gundamuck, Thanks for your visit and your opinion. Hope to see you soon. Kind Regards.

Written January 11, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

UKTraveller272

Crawley6 contributions

Shame about the service

Feb 2022 • none

The restaurant has a great atmosphere with stunning decor that sets the expectation of high quality. As far as the food goes, that was spot on. The seafood that was ordered was flavorsome, the steak perfectly cooked. The disappointment was the attitude of the staff. The restaurant was far from busy, however there was a lack of attentiveness. It appeared the staff would rather be talking to each other than monitoring what was happening in the restaurant. When the final bill came, there was an issue with one of the items - one that was priced by weight (crab). At the time the order was taken we were not asked how much we wanted, and when it was delivered, there was no mention of how much we had received. The staff said we should have been told how much crab we were served, but this was not the case. Even after speaking with the manager, we were made to feel that the issue was with us and not an oversight/error they had made. This is a restaurant where you have to know exactly what you want, be clear to ask for it and check that is what you are served. There is no help from the staff. Far better and friendlier service is available at other restaurants in the local area.

Written March 2, 2022

Gastroportal

Dear UKTraveller272, Thanks for your visit and your opinion. Very happy to know your good valoration about the food. We are very sorry to receive your experience about the service, we have taken good note to work on avoiding this type of errors that as you say should not occur. They should have been informed and promptly attended to at all times as per our service protocol. We look forward to welcoming you back and we will try to make sure you see that we have worked to improve. Best regards.

Written March 3, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sabrina D

Pully2 contributions

Fake elegance but good food

Jul 2021 • friends

We weren't that pleased by our visit at the Portal. Overcharged (you have to pay for the napkins... which is absolutely stupid), long wait between the dishes and we never got everything we ordered (but it was charged). When you open a restaurant with standings, you need to know that customers will expect you to be up to these standards. We already complained and weren't heard. But the food was quite good.

Written July 31, 2021

Maarten

Enschede116 contributions

Very very good.

Feb 2020 • family

Restaurant was recommended by family who lives here. Staff was great and helpfully, the bar is a nice place to sit. We ordered all kinds of tapas and everything was amazing. More than good and deserves a star. Pricing is high for Spain but we had all sorts of food with four for 150 euro, including drinks. Would definitely go here again. You might need to make reservations.

Written February 17, 2020

Gastroportal

Dear Maarten, Thanks for your visit and your opinion. Very happy to know your good valoration. Hope to see you soon again. Kind Regards.

Written February 17, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

PaulineLeicester

75 contributions

Back on point at last

Jul 2021 • none

After having 3 bad experiences at El Portal this was going to be our last visit if things hadn’t changed with the attitude of the staff and the service. I felt we had given them enough chances but my husband talked me into another visit. I am very happy to say that on this occasion I was very pleasantly surprised, a lot of the rude and uninterested staff were not there, such as the receptionist who could barely glance at you or acknowledge your name, although we have been lots of times over the years she couldn’t fain a smile or a true welcome. Friendly reception this visit, cocktail waiter patient and happy to help my husband in his choice of Gin. Service was efficient but not rushed, all staff appeared happy to be there and happy to advise Unlike the miserable lot on previous visits who seemed to think they were doing you a favour by serving you. So glad we gave it another try as it is one of our favourite restaurants in Alicante especially for its wonderful eclectic decor and of course it’s delicious tapas, it does of course come at a price but now I feel that you get what you pay for. I hope the staff will remember that we are there to enjoy both the food and the ambiance, and it is a treat for many people to visit El Portal.

Written July 23, 2021

Kevin K

Leeds74 contributions

Disappointing and rushed

Oct 2022 • couples

We have visited this restaurant quite a few times as we have a holiday home in the beautiful el Campello it’s only a tram ride away to visit. We arrived very excited to be back and try the excellent food. We were told on arrival at 7.45 we had the table until 10pm. We were offered a delicious aperitivo by the barman but as soon as we sat down the waiter came to take our order, we’d only just arrived and the menu being online it’s not very user friendly and difficult to navigate which is frustrating for a restaurant of this supposed calibre. We placed our order of around 5 different plates but everything started to arrive far too fast and it felt rushed. We’d eaten mostly hot plates in about half an hour/ 45 mins which is certainly not how native Spaniards would like to eat. We ordered two glasses of wine which didn’t arrive after 15 minutes waiting and we had to ask another waiter. Paying around 120€ at the end it just felt like a rushed experience that left a bitter taste in the mouth after what was really lovely food served far too fast. I offered feedback on leaving asking that if we had the table until 10pm then we shouldn’t be leaving at 8:45 as we wanted to enjoy not just the food but the ambiance!!

Written October 27, 2022

Gastroportal

Dear lorca36, Thanks for your visit. We are sorry we did not live up to your expectations. Every day we try to offer our best version to our customers but we do not always succeed. After checking your dinner order, it is true that there were 3 small starters (salad, 2 croquettes and squid) plus two mains (hake in tempura and Kobe burger), it is an order that takes up little time but as my colleagues commented, you could have stayed and enjoyed the space, had a drink or whatever you wanted, at no time did we encourage you to leave the restaurant, on the contrary. We hope that you will visit us again and that we will be able to offer you a fully satisfactory experience. Best Regards.

Written October 28, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

David G

2 contributions

Wish we'd gone to McDonald's

Sep 2021 • couples

Rude staff, practically threw a tin of water at me when I declined the wine list, the aperitif was a tasteless blob in a bowl. The fork which had to be used was taken out of the bowl, dirty and plonked on the table for the main course (who does that?) The Hake in tempura batter was undercooked, the batter thick and messy. The only saving grace was a bowl of fries which had a semblance of taste. When the waiter on presenting the bill was told that the food was poor in response to his question... he just walked off. This place is all smoke, mirrors, garish decor and bad, bad food. Ignore any praising reviews and save your money.

Written September 27, 2021

Gastroportal

Dear H2121KIdavidg, Thanks for your visit. We are sorry that your rating is so negative, the details you mention are not at all typical of our establishment, neither with regard to the service nor our gastronomic proposal, so perhaps the problem was that our proposal was not what you were looking for. We would be delighted if you could give us another opportunity to give you a pleasant experience. Best regards.

Written November 8, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jan

1 contribution

First time experience

May 2021 • couples

Went there for the first time after hearing many good reviews. What a disappointment. While we had made a reservation the staff made it clear to us we only got limited time to eat. Next we were brought to our table but people who came in later already had their drinks before we could order. We ordered a few tapas to share. The food was really good! Except for the fact that everything came at once’s, so all the warm dishes got cold. Also the staff took our plates before finishing. Overall you can say the food is good, but service is terrible. If you want to feel welcome in a restaurant, find another one!

Written May 13, 2021

Gastroportal

Dear alteajuan, Thanks for your visit and your opinion. We are sorry to hear about your experience. Customer service and customer experience is a priority for us. We are sorry that your experience was not up to your expectations. We would be grateful if you could visit us again and see that we are working every day to improve. Best regards.

Written May 17, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JodF

Newquay15 contributions

Lovely restaurant, some miserable staff !

Oct 2021 • friends

I’ve visited this restaurant before Covid and was excited to bring friends after recommending how lovely it was, we treated ourself on our final night in Alicante. Food and ambience are lovely but we had an older waiter who was really miserable and he just seemed to not want to be there and couldn’t be bothered. We left feeling let down it was the most expensive meal we had on our holiday and we had far better experiences elsewhere with much nicer friendly staff for half the price. I’m not sure I would visit again or recommend after this current experience.

Written October 7, 2021

Gastroportal

Dear bbjods, Thanks for your visit and your experience. We are sorry for your experience, all our team must follow the established service protocols so what happened does not fall within our way of working, we can only apologise, we will continue to work hard to ensure that this type of circumstance does not occur. We hope you can give us another opportunity to show you that we are working on continuous improvement. Best regards.

Written November 9, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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El Portal, Alicante - Centro - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Name: El Portal
Uploaded: 2020-10-29T11:58:24.908Z
Duration: PT32.034S
Description: El Portal Taberna & Wines is a new generation Tavern, where combines tapas, gourmet dishes, wines and drinks in a casual, fun and elegant atmosphere.