So Soph and I managed to find time to squeeze a few establishments into our day at the Ruta De La tapa Los Montesinos 2025. Last year we’d said we’d do two days at this event, so we could visit more places, thus spending more money. Sundays are a no-no for us, so we were booking in the Friday and the Satruday.
Sadly for whatever reason, this year they dropped the Friday, meaning it’s now a two day event and with Sundays not being possible for us, we were limited to just one day, yet again. Combine this with the fact these dates clash with the Formentera Tapas Train, The Dolores Event and the Dutch Kings Day, it’s amazing how things clash out here. last night we attended the XV Ruta De La Tapa Y El Coctel 2025 in Formentera, but left enough space to visit here again.
Bar Tambalache
This was our first stop, the same as last year. This place opens at 6am, so we knew they’d be ready. I ordered a beer, asked for a soft drink for Soph, ut to be told it was beer, wine or water only, so Soph went for water. Tapas was Bola Loca, but we’d describe it as a Russian Salad ( but with very little trace of egg, topped off with an anchovy, an olive and a drizzle of mayo dressing.
This is just one of those places you can sit and people watch, it’s a no frills Spanish bar.
Eje Cafetero
This lovely little place is across the road and past the pet food store. The tapas was listed as Canasta Criolla, I’d describe it as a taco type basket shell with lovely pork in a tasty, rich sauce. Very enjoyable.
We both asked for a soft drink and were both served a 330ml can of Coke.
Bar Marcapáginas
Wow what a find this place is. We didn’t get to Bar Marcapáginas previously, but am so glad we ventured off the main streets to find this place. A lovely little bar, seating inside and out, they also have a kiddies entertainment room too, it seems.
Anyway, we gt a table outside, which meant we were overlooking a lovely park with fater feature. I had a beer, Galica while Soph had a bottle of water. The tapas here was a Pincho Terramar, which was a small bread pice with tomato, serrao pork and a lovely prawn on top. This was a really nice dish.
When we were leaving we checked their menu, they do a weekend menu del dia for 20 per person, but this includes a table sharing starter, then a choice of 2 starters, then a choice of mains, plus dessert and also 2 drinks per person.
Soph went inside to order and she told me they have a wonderful selection of different tapas here, so this is now on our list of places to try. Super friendly service, great tapas and Galicia.
Punjabi Paradise
So, just like with Bar Marcapáginas above, this is another place we never managed to get to previously, and this is such a shame. Very friendly and welcoming, we managed to get a table outside. In this establishment we both had soft drinks, these were bottles of coke. Here you got proper knife and fork, not the throw away type. The tapas on offer was Mixed pakora.
The food was really nicely presented and tasted as good as it looked. A nicely spiced and seasoned onion bhaji and the chicken pakora was tasty.
We do have our favourite Indian restaurant, but we will come here to try them for a menu del dia, just to compare.
Bar Dos Hermanos
This is a place we like, the service is always quick, friendly and welcoming. Food is always good here too. The tapas on the list was ‘ Sinfonia De Sabores En Mil Y Une Forma ‘ which was nicely presented. This was a kind of minced meat and potato wrapped around a meat bone. The other component was a shell which was delicate.
The rough translation of this dish is Symphony Of Flavors In A Thousand And One Ways.
Previously here they have had different tapas on display for people to choose from, ( like all the bars last night were offering) but this time it was just the one dish.
I had a beer here and ended up with the old style Spanish measure of 50% body, 50% head.
Bar Charly
We had a surprise as we walked around the corner into the square, as we realised this bar had doubled in size as they had taken over the building next door, so they now have a gastro restaurant too. The main Bar Charly was busy and we managed to get a table in the shade. I had a beer, Soph asked for water. Sadly this was the only establishment this year that didn’t give a bottle of water, instead it was just a small glass. Considering the price of these, it’s pretty poor not to get a bottle, like all the other places were doing.
Tapas was listed as being Delicia Iberica, but this was actually a croquette. I ate mine, it was okay, I had ham in amongst the cheese, but the bechemal sauce was a bit heavy I thought. Soph had a bite of hers and offered it to me, saying it was very ‘ claggy’ to taste. As I hate waste, I had hers and was surprised there was very little flavour of ham in that one.
Bar La Esquina
Found to the right of Bar Charly, Bar La Esquina is another place we have been to before, for a beer and tapas, while people watching in the square. It’s a really nice traditional Spanish bar, no fuss, no airs & graces, just a friendly welcome and service.
There were a couple of tables outside free, but all in the sun, so we went indoors here. Quickly served, the tapas was listed as being La Serranita. Now traditionally, a serranito is a warm sandwich prepared in Andalusia. The main ingredients are pork loin, serrano ham, green pepper and tomato. This was a Costa Blanca version, but it was nice, irrespective.
This used to be the type of free tapas we’d often get when we lived down in Andalusia, when we used to go out on our Tapas Friday adventures.
Seven Down Already
When the server came to authenticate our booklet while in Bar La Esquina, she realised we had the six we needed, so she went and got us both a new booklet. We decided here to call it a day, for a couple of reasons. The main one was we’d not been wowed as much as we had been in previous years, despite finding two new places to return to. We had plotted our route and managed to visit most of the ones on the list. Others that we considered trying out, didn’t open till later, so that ruled 3 places out.
Final Thoughts On Ruta De La Tapa Los Montesinos 2025
It’s always nice to try somewhere for the first time, be pleasantly surprised to the extent you want to return for either a meal, a menu del dia or just for drinks and tapas. Today we discovered, a couple of new to us establishments, that we will return to.
Soph asked me when we got home if I’d do this event next year. Usually I’d say immediately, that yes I would, but this time I replied that I’d think about it nearer the time. Due to other events all taking place on the same weekend, we can only really be in one place at a time, so it would also depend on which appeals the most.
What was good here was the drink and tapas was just 3€ per person, which is affordable. However, when you consider we’d had 7 each, that’s 42€ spent where as I pointed out, the weekend lunch menu at Bar Marcapáginas would be 4 courses each, 2 drinks each and come in under this spend and be more filling.
There are some wonderful cheap and cheerful menu del dias we have been to for 10€, 11€or 12€ including a drink. So potentially Soph and I could have gone out twice this week for a lunch and spent less.
Anyway, it was nice to get out, the sun was out, it was lovely and hot without being crazy hot.
