It’s Saturday 21st October and in the glorious sunshine today we did the Ruta De La Tapa Catral 2023, or what we could squeeze in.
Clear blue skies, the sun was out and it was nice to bump into friends along the trail between the different bars. A lovely mix of Spanish families out with Germans, French and British all enjoying the sun and the tapas. We started at 11am and struggled through until just after 4pm, visiting several bars along the way.
We were advised that the Parque Bar was not opening, so we didn’t visit there. To be honest we ran out of time as this event ends each day at 4pm. This is unlike the Benijofar event which runs 11am till 4pm, but then starts again at 7pm until 11pm. Keep in mind too that theirs is a 3 days so Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday.
Today we didn’t catch the train, which was running. This was a small train with just a couple of carriages.
In order of the locations we visited.
Dog and Firkin
We started here at 11 am and were probably their first tapa route order of the day. Service was friendly, and the fishcake was a good-sized portion cooked to order.
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 8/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 32
Los Candiles
Here was busy early doors; almost all the table outside were in use, but there were plenty of staff to provide a quick and friendly service. What we really liked was the choice of tapas to choose from
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 7/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 31
Bombay
Fresh, hot, and tasty chicken puri dish. Prompt service. with the food coming out steaming hot.
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 8/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 31
Costello’s
A filling freshly prepared chicken mini burger with a 33cl can of beer rather than a small bottle! Costello’s is the new kid on the block and wow, what a weekend to open! I’m sure they will be a huge success in Catral, and we wish them every success.
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 9/10
Tapas: 8/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 33
El Burladero
The same as last year, where you need to pay at one counter and then get your order at the other counter. Yes, a little bit of a faff if you haven’t been before, as we saw when a group of 7 Germans turned up and were blocking the doorway trying to order. A couple of signs explaining the process would be great.
A choice of 3 tapas were available but we both had the solmillo with an egg on the top. This was restaurant-quality food and our favourite of the day.
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 9.5/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 33.5
Bar Susi
What originally looked like good tapas was spoiled by Sophs being raw in the middle. Apart from that, the service was fine.
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 5/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 29
Bar Cristina
Friendly service, plenty of outdoor seating, and a nice, relaxed feel to the place. The tapa was very small though, we get that it’s just a taster, but it was an expensive taster compared to other locations.
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 6.5/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 30.5
Teide
Busy but not too busy, and the service was very good. Efficient staff meant there were no delays, and both drinks and the food were coming out quickly. It was nice to have something a little different for the tapa too, which has encouraged us to come back and try Teide one lunchtime.
Service: 8.5/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 8.5/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 33
Venecia
Busy bar staff here who were slightly overwhelmed, but this just shows the popularity of this restaurant. Friends had joined us here, and we got a plate with four different tapas brought to us. This is a great place to come for pizza, and the tapas was pretty decent. The local band turned up mid visit, which really made for a great environment.
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 8.5/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 8/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 31.5
Kebab Manolo
Probably the most filling of all the dishes today. Fast service, despite being busy. Their cornetto was a small wrap kebab with plenty of filling. We’ll have to try this place for a meal at some point.
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 8/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 32
Casa Anita
Very busy, with lots of Spanish families visiting, which made for a lively atmosphere, especially when combined with the arrival of the local band. Another location that required you to buy a ticket before heading to the bar, but this worked really well here and provided a quick and easy service.
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 9/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 7.5/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 32.5
El Sanchez
Fast service, choice of tapas, and was help yourself to whatever you wanted from the choice of mini bocadillos with a range of toppings
Service: 8.5/10
Ambience: 8/10
Drinks: 8/10
Tapas: 8.5/10
Overall score out of 40 possible points: 33
Final Thoughts On The Ruta De La Tapa Catral 2023
We love these events; they provide us a chance to visit bars and restaurants we have not tried before or in some cases, never even heard of. The Catral event has a different atmosphere to that in Benijofar, as there were many more Spanish taking part both as couples and families with the children, but this is not a downside at all; it gave a really local feeling to the day and an event we’re looking forward to in 2024!
A slight downside is Saturday in Catral is market day, so there are several bars in the town hall square next to the church, which you will need to walk to, as parking is at a premium. There is a train provided, but it had just two carriages and lots of children enjoying a trip around town again and again and again 🙂
If you have both days available, you can do the 24 bars on this trail. Sadly, we only had Saturday, so we did the best we could.
Our Ruta De La Tapa Catral 2023 Winners
Our winner was El Burladero, which was down to the quality of the food that we had. We had a 3-way tie for runners-up place, with El Sanchez, Teide, and Costellos all coming very close.
We will have to wait and see what the official town hall result from the votes is this year.
Hopefully we’ll see you all next year for the Ruta De La Tapa Catral 2024.
