The seventh Alicante Gastronomic Fair wrapped up on Monday, 7 October.
The event enjoyed four delicious days filled with cooking shows, tastings, masterclasses, and culinary experiences. The fair confirmed its place among the finest international food events.
This year’s fair was extra special, as Alicante holds the title of Spanish Capital of Gastronomy. The Council’s stand broke all previous records with full attendance each day and more than 5,500 visitors through its doors.
Alicante Gastronomic Fair: Extraordinary response
Councillor for Hospitality Lidia López expressed her delight at the fair’s success, saying, “The public response has been extraordinary. This year’s turnout sets a new record and firmly places Alicante among the leading gastronomic destinations.”
Across the four-day event, visitors enjoyed 4,800 tastings. These featured everything from local rice dishes, meats, cheeses, wines, and vermouths, to traditional delights such as coca amb tonyina and coca de mollitas, plus a few international flavours courtesy of Japan and Venezuela.
Among the highlights were two crowd favourites. The best croquette in Alicante, courtesy of Cheos (the local competition winner) and the best tapa, served up by the team at Insensato restaurant. Both dishes earned their titles through popular vote and quickly became the talk of the fair.
Spain’s largest experiential food fair
Councillor López praised the event, calling it “Spain’s largest experiential food fair.” She added, “We’ve brought together top professionals in the culinary world, making haute cuisine accessible to everyone and showcasing the excellence of our local produce. Alicante’s gastronomy is thriving, and being recognised as Spain’s Capital of Gastronomy underlines our standing as a high-quality international food destination.”
Each year, the Alicante City Council takes part in these fairs to shine a spotlight on the city’s restaurants, local products, and culinary identity.
Under the brand ‘Alicante, City of Rice’, the goal is clear: To promote the region as a benchmark of quality, creativity, and flavour, and to remind the world why Alicante’s cuisine is something truly worth celebrating.
