Spain is tapas, and haute cuisine
2025-10-29
A star-lit weekend from Dénia to Valencia, with Calpe at the heart
You arrive to the sound of plates and laughter. At the bar, a slice of tortilla leans against a green pepper; somewhere behind you a pan of arroz murmurs like the sea. Spain is playful, generous, wonderfully informal. But follow the coast a little, past coves the colour of bottled glass and towns perfumed with orange blossom, and another Spain steps forward, one that measures time in tasting menus and turns local produce into quiet miracles.
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Local wisdom
In the Comunidad Valenciana, people rarely talk about “paella” as a catch-all. They speak of “arroces”, many rice dishes, from seaside arroz a banda to oven-baked arroz al horno. Call it “arroces” and you’ll sound like a local in seconds.
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This is where the MICHELIN stars gather, scattered like lights along the Costa Blanca and up to Valencia.
Spain at a glance (Oct 2025)
Spain’s fine-dining scene is one of Europe’s powerhouses: 292 MICHELIN-starred restaurants nationwide. In the 2025 edition, that breaks down to 16 with 3★, 33 with 2★, and 242 with 1★; a constellation that stretches from Atlantic fishing towns to Mediterranean terraces, and sets the stage for our coastal route.
As of October 2025, the Province of Alicante shines with 13 MICHELIN-starred restaurants (17 stars in total), anchored by the three-star icon Quique Dacosta in Dénia, two brilliant two-stars: BonAmb (Xàbia) and L’Escaleta (Cocentaina), and ten distinctive one-stars strung along the shore and inland.
The Province of Valencia adds 9 starred restaurants (11 stars), from the twostar flagships Ricard Camarena and El Poblet in the city to inventive one-stars across its historic quarters and out to Sagunto.
But our compass points to Calpe, a small Mediterranean stage backed by the dramatic silhouette of the Peñón de Ifach, where three one-star kitchens sit within minutes of one another, each with its own voice, each calling you in.
Calpe, three ways
First evening. The sun slides behind the rock and the air cools to a polished blue. You cross the lobby and step into Audrey’s (1★), all calm light and fine lines. Chef Rafa Soler cooks like a love letter to the Valencian pantry: rice, garden, sea. The tasting menu moves with clarity, roots, origin, garden, the kind of precision and balance that Nordic diners recognise instantly. There’s no rush here; the cadence is gentle, the flavours confident rather than loud. By the time you lift your glass to the final course, you understand why the locals speak of “terroir” as if it were a friend.
The next day, lunch in white. Beat (1★) feels like stepping into a page turned perfectly flat: white on white, a hush that invites focus. José Manuel Miguel brings the rigour of French technique to Mediterranean produce; sauces are drawn with a steady hand, vegetables get a lead role rather than a cameo, and there’s a dedicated vegetarian path for those who prefer it. Courses arrive like well-timed notes, Étoile, La Nature, Grand Plaisir, and somewhere in the symmetry you notice you’ve been smiling for a while.
Evening on the terrace. At Orobianco (1★), the view steals your sentence mid-word. The terrace opens towards the sea and the Peñón; the room is soft with that celebratory murmur which means people are exactly where they want to be. The cooking leans Italian, dressed in Mediterranean light, elegant, generous, made for long conversations. It’s the place you book when you wish to linger; a last toast under a sky that refuses to darken quickly.
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Practical note: Spanish dinner services commonly run 20:00–22:00; if you prefer daylight dining, choose lunch and walk it off along the marina.
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A long-weekend “MICHELIN Route”
Day 1 - Dénia & Xàbia (Jávea)
Land on the coast and tune your palate at Peix & Brases (1★) in Dénia: intelligent, sea-breezed cooking a short stroll from the water. For the evening, book the region’s summit, Quique Dacosta (3★), or slip fifteen minutes along the road to BonAmb (2★) in Xàbia, a dining room where the garden seems to whisper inside the plates.
Day 2 - Calpe
Make it a double: Audrey’s for lunch, a swim and a siesta, then Beat or Orobianco for dinner. There’s pleasure in the contrast, Valencian terroir at midday; French-Mediterranean finesse or Italian-leaning elegance by night. Finish with a slow walk, the harbour lights trembling on the water.
Day 3 - Inland & city finale
Turn your wheels towards the hills for L’Escaleta (2★) in Cocentaina, forest light and a kitchen that speaks mountain and memory. Close your journey in Valencia with either of the city’s towers: El Poblet (2★) or Ricard Camarena (2★), both modern, both deeply rooted in the region’s larder.
Why Northern guests fall for this corner of Spain
Because the hospitality is instinctive, the technique exacting, and the produce lead-role fresh. Because you can start the day with coffee by the sea, climb to a hill town for lunch, and be back on a terrace for dessert, without ever feeling hurried. Because here, fine dining isn’t theatre for its own sake; it’s a conversation between sea, huerta and cook, and you’re invited to sit a little closer.
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Index for planning (by province)
Alicante — 13 restaurants, 17 stars
3★: Quique Dacosta (Dénia)
2★: BonAmb (Xàbia); L’Escaleta (Cocentaina)
1★: Audrey’s (Calpe); Beat (Calpe); Orobianco (Calpe); Peix & Brases (Dénia); Casa Pepa
(Ondara); La Finca (Elche); El Xato (La Nucía); Baeza & Rufete (Alicante); Casa Bernardi
(Benissa); Tula (Xàbia)
Valencia — 9 restaurants, 11 stars
2★: Ricard Camarena (Valencia); El Poblet (Valencia)
1★: La Salita (Valencia); Riff (Valencia); Lienzo (Valencia); Fierro (Valencia); Kaido Sushi Bar
(Valencia); Fraula (Valencia); Arrels (Sagunto)
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Mäklarringen Calpe: your local, Swedish-speaking partner
If this journey has you dreaming of a place by the sea, Mäklarringen Calpe can turn that idea into an address.
Our team speaks Swedish, English, German and Spanish, and we guide you through every step, shortlisting the right neighbourhoods (from beach-side apartments to hillside villas), arranging viewings around your travel plans, and coordinating trusted local partners for NIE numbers, financing and legal checks right up to the notary.
We’ll talk you through schools, healthcare, year-round services and the practicalities of owning a second home in Spain, so the process feels clear and comfortable from the first call to the handover of keys.
Settle in minutes from Audrey’s, Beat and Orobianco, with Dénia and Valencia an easy coastal drive away, then let the weekends write themselves.
Buy your home in Calpe and make Valencia & Alicante your gourmet backyard.
