You need to check out Bar Cristina Catral if you’re looking for a great value for money menu del dia. We have popped in here a couple of times for a quick drink and also on the Catral Tapas Route, but have never actually had a meal there.
After seeing their menu shared on social media yesterday, we decided to give this a try today, seeing as we were in town.
One thing to note, as we found out after the bill came, the drink with the meal is a soft drink, wine, or water. Beer is not included. Had I known this, I’d have gone for a Coke, too, especially as these are the larger bottles. But I should say it does say which drinks are included on the blackboard up near the main street so there is clarity on what’s included, we just hadn’t noticed it.
The last time we visited here was last year during the Catral Tapas Trail. Most of the people here today were Spanish; it’s a welcoming, friendly, and authentic bar/restaurant. There’s seating out in the sun, plus plenty of shaded areas to choose from, too.
What We Had At Bar Cristina Catral
A salad plate and a very generous basket of bread were brought out to share to kick off the meal.
For our starters, I decided on the meatballs. Soph went for the scrambled eggs with green beans, which also had prawns in the mix, making for a nice and tasty surprise. The meatballs were delicious, with plenty of rich tomato sauce, and they were a good-sized portion.
We both went for meat for the mains, secreto for Soph while I liked the sound of the lomo in a mushroom sauce. Both of these came with a side order of chips. My pork steak had a generous helping of sauce while the secreto was basted with garlic. The meat on both dishes was tender and cooked to perfection.
To finish off, I chose a cafe con leche; Soph tried the cheesecake, which was a very generous portion and a perfect end to the meal.
What We Liked
The price is a big tick in the box at just 9 euros each. The service was friendly and quick and we has a really nice, relaxed lunch.
What Could Be Improved
To be picky here, the clarification on the beer not being part of the meal, would be nice. We had originally said we wanted to order two menu del dias, but the server then asked for our drinks order. Soph chose the Coke, while I, being blissfully unaware, asked for the beer. I was offered a large or small, so opted for the small, thinking it was part of the menu.
How Much Did It Cost?
Lunch at Bar Cristina Catral was €19.50, this was in part due to my beer being chargeable.
For what you get at these prices this represents fantastic value for money, plus you don’t have to worry about doing the washing up!
Would We Return To Bar Cristina Catral
This is another local eatery that we would definitely return to; the food was lovely, plentiful, and very affordable.
How To Find Bar Cristina Catral
Coming down the Catral main street C. la Purísima, on the left, is the chemist ( Farmacia Catral ). Turn left down the side of the chemist on C. Juan XXIII, and you’ll see the bar on the right.
The full address is C. Jorge Juan, 10, 03158 Catral, Alicante, Spain.
Facebook page for Bar Cristina, Catral.
