Thirteen bars, restaurants and cafés in San Vicente del Raspeig are getting creative for the return of the Tapas Trail.
The town’s tapas trail begins on Friday 23 October and runs until 15 November, giving residents and visitors more than three weeks to work their way through the entries and vote for a favourite.
This is the third edition of the event, with each participating business creating a special tapa inspired in some way by San Vicente del Raspeig, its patron saint or the church that bears his name.
And with a public vote deciding one of the prizes, eating your way around town can technically be considered judging.
Thirteen places to try
This year’s Tapa Pare Vicent brings together a mixture of local bars, restaurants, cafés and other food businesses.
The 13 participating establishments are:
- Cafeson
- Casa Martina
- Chico Calla
- De Tintos
- Flamingo
- La Taberna del Taulell
- Vino y Más
- Moon
- Pantanet 8
- Mad Pilots San Vicente
- Mad Pilots Universidad
- Miss Cake
- Panadería Rafael Llopis
Each will give its creation its own name and description, with the common theme linking the dishes back to San Vicente.
That leaves plenty of room for the kitchens to play around with flavours and presentation rather than everyone producing variations on the same tapa.
Diners get a vote
There are four awards up for grabs, and one of them is entirely in the hands of the people doing the eating.
Customers can vote online for their favourite creation, with the winner receiving the title of Most Popular Tapa.
A judging panel will decide the remaining three awards: Best Tapa Pare Vicent, Best San Vicente Tapa and Best Creative Tapa.
So there are two perfectly respectable approaches to the route. You can carefully compare ingredients, presentation and originality, or simply decide which one you would happily order again.
Both involve tapas, so there are no terrible options here.
Three weeks to make your way around
One of the advantages of this particular food trail is that there is no need to attempt all 13 stops in a single weekend.
Running from 23 October until 15 November gives diners plenty of time to try several entries, return for favourites and explore places they might not normally visit.
The town hall is using the event to showcase San Vicente’s local hospitality and commercial businesses and encourage more people to eat and shop locally.
For the participating establishments, it is also a chance to produce something different from their usual menu and compete for a little local bragging rights.
For everyone else, it is an excuse to go out for tapas.
As excuses go, we have heard worse.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Tapa Pare Vicent runs from 23 October to 15 November.
- This is the third edition of the San Vicente del Raspeig food trail.
- Thirteen local establishments are taking part.
- Each will create a tapa connected with San Vicente, its patron saint or the church bearing his name.
- Customers can vote online for the Most Popular Tapa.
- A jury will choose three further winners, including Best Creative Tapa.
- The route gives diners more than three weeks to try the different entries.
Enjoy more Local Events on the Costa Blanca.
