Yes we did it, we managed to get to Formentera last night to take part in their XV Ruta De La Tapa Y El Coctel 2025.
Now I will prewarn you about this tapas trail, that size is not everything, as the old saying goes. This has nothing to do with the portion sizes of the tapa dishes at this event, but the number of establishments taking part.
So unlike the Los Montesinos event we are doing today, where there are over 20 bars and restaurants involved, here there were just 5. Weirdly 4 of the 5 we have been to before, at some point or another. Plus we also discovered where the new Indian is in the village, so another bonus.
Tapas and a drink ( be it water, soft drink or beer ) was 3.50€, while you could have just the tapas at 2.00€ each.
Saturday and Sunday there’s also cocktails available, these are 4.50€.
Kiosko “El Tio Pere”
This is the small bar on the square where the town hall is. We went here first, Soph dropped me off then went to find somewhere to park. About 10 minutes later she appeared from the other side of the village.
Keep in mind this event on Friday was due to run 8pm until 11pm, we got to the bar together around quarter past 8. There were 3 guys sat at a table furiously stamping a pile of the cards for voting. One woman behind the bar, who when Soph went up to order at the bar, shooed her to our table.
She came and took the order, a beer for me, a Coke Zero for Soph and she said 5 minutes for the tapas, and gave us the good ole Spanish signal of pointing to her eye then to us, to say she’d not forget and would come out to us. She then went to the bar and proceeded to first of all, polish some glasses then start serving people at the bar.
Needless to say after 10 minutes of watching people ordering at the bar, walking past with their drinks and tapas, I asked Soph to go get our tapas. The tapas themselves were fine, nice and fresh.
Bar Florencio
This is the only bar on this trail we have never been to before. It’s a stones throw from the first, at the top end of the square and it’s a proper locals bar. Friendly service, very welcoming. I had a beer, Soph a Coke Zero and the tapas were laid out so you could select which you fancied. We grabbed a table outside, watching the young kids playing football on the square and enjoyed the tapas.
Fresh, tasty tapas and cool, refreshing drinks. What more do you want in life?
Bar Los Carlotas
We got back to the car to make the drive to Nightclub Alley, as we have heard it referred to, which is on the outskirts of Rojales itself. This bar we have been to a few times, mainly for a tostada for breakfast but also tried a menu del dia here too. Tonight, they were busy both on the terrace and indoors. We managed to get a table inside and were quickly served by one of 6 staff who were serving. We ordered drinks, the guy asked which tapas, I nonchalantly replied’ you choose, but different ones ‘.
The tapas dishes were very nicely presented. The small pot was a type of casserole, along the lines of a shepherds pie, I would suggest. The other dish was tempura veg and fish.
Both these were very tasty.
Cerveceria Taperia El Barrio
Another place we have been to for a coffee and tostada in the past, we even did the tale of the tape tostada testing with these two bars, the other year. Now I know I said Bar Los Carlotas was busy, but this place was heaving. We were directed by one of the staff to the only free table on the terrace.
This was chaotic at times, the majority of the people there were Spanish, they were dining not involved in the tapas trail. Again 5 staff were dashing about, but twice we had meals brought to our table that we said no to. The correct tables were served, but it highlighted just how busy this place was.
Again I had a beer, Soph had a Coke Zero and this time it was a large 350ml bottle. We are not sure if this was meant to be the drink with the tapas, or there had been a breakdown in understanding or what, however they charged us the 7.00€ for us both, so a good result. The first dish was lomo on bread which was tasty, Soph selected for me a tortilla, which was huge, like a sandwich.
This is the type of dish you often see the Spanish workers having for breakfast in the bars, fresh, tasty and very filling. I loved this one!
Restaurante Nuevo Cocodrilo
This is the bar I always refer to as Crocodilo, so I apologise in advance for this. It’s situated between the Steakhouse and Cerveceria El Pantanico, on the same side of the road. Yet again, this is a bar we’d called in before, I think just for a coffee or a drink and maybe either a tostada or tapas.
This evening they were quiet, there looked to be a small family party going on inside with 10 or 12 guests, including kids and they were having photos. On the terrace we got a table next to 5 Spanish women who were nursing their beer and putting the world to rights.
This was another establishment where you ordered at the bar your drinks, selected the tapas from the ones on display and paid. Job done.
Here we had like a mince meat roll, reminded me of the Hotel Rural Los Chaparros, where we used to have tapas in down in Andalusia. This was one of the more popular hotels near Freila and their tapas was very good.
The second tapa here was croquette with a mayo dressing and iberico ham. This was nice, the sauce was not too thick and heavy.
Winners & Losers
To be honest there were no losers this evening, in fact I’d say each establishment was a winner. It’s rare Soph and I go out in the evening, so it was nice to visit these bars at a different time of the day.
Kiosko “El Tio Pere” has a decent menu and some great prices on tapas and food. We will go here again during the day and try the tapas there.
Bar Florencio is a traditional locals bar, so if you’re wanting to escape British voices, this might be a good option.
Bar Los Carlotas always have hardworking staff, good service and it’s popular with Spanish.
Cerveceria Taperia El Barrio we are going to go back to for sure, they have an extensive menu and on there they have montaditos at 2€ each, so my plan is to go and sample 3 or 4 of those one lunchtime or evening.
Restaurante Nuevo Cocodrilo, we will have to call back to at some point, as it’s been a while since we were last in there.
Final Thoughts On The XV Ruta De La Tapa Y El Coctel 2025
We didn’t manage to attend last year, but the fact that this year clashes with the Los Montesinos event, means for those of us who like to venture out further afield, it limits options.
It’s a shame there were only 5 bars taking part this year, especially as you need to drive past 3 all next door to each other ( Bar Timanfaya, Flatleys and Rumours ) to get to Cerveceria Taperia El Barrio and Los Carlotas. On our way back all 3 looked very quiet with no-one sat outside. Last year there were 7 participating establishments.
What I will say though is that it was nice to venture out at night and see how busy some of these bars were. Next stop the Ruta De La Tapa Los Montesinos 2025 visit for Soph and myself.
