Definitely a place you can visit, but not a must – and on the expensive side: Restaurant El Portal – Krug Ambassade (14. April 2024)

The El Portal is a bit of a different experience since it is a bit more ‘fashionable’ than the regular Spanish taberna – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is definitely something you need to get used to at first. As it is actually not as pretentious as it looks like. Once you’re seated and your order has been taken, they will bring you a little “amuse bouche soup with bacon”, which is actually quite nice.

Then, I went for the “red shrimp” (EUR 35.00/100gr), which they show to you first and tell you the weight of it (176gr) before they prepare it. And while it is looking absolutely tasty already before being prepared …

… it’s much, much tastier, once it has been prepared. Frankly, I absolutely liked the red prawns. They were rich and aromatic, and definitely something you will absolutely enjoy. Sure, it’s messy, and there is not that much actual prawn to it, but it was definitely amazing.

The “boletus & Iberian ham croquette” (EUR 3.50) was nice, mushy, and had a strong flavour. Personally, a bit too much of the mushroom and not enough of the ham, but still a great dish all in all.

The “home cleaned anchovies, butterfly cut” (EUR 7.00) are probably some of the saltiest food I have ever eaten. I love salty food, don’t get me wrong. But if only tasted a tiny bit more of salt, I would probably not have eaten it. So, let me tell you, this was at the brink of too salty, for someone who has a very high tolerance level when it comes to salt.

The “kobe beef mini-hamburger” (EUR 12.00 per slider) looked absolutely nice, but frankly, they were far from the best sliders I’ve had in my life. Firstly, they were medium as requested, but somehow I was missing the juiciness of the meat and the burger. Other than that, the buns were somewhat too dry for my personal gusto. It worked together as a bite, but it was definitely far from amazing.

The “red tuna in two colours, between sashimi and tataki” (EUR 29.00) on the other hand was actually exquisite. So, as non-amazing the sliders were, as great the tuna was.

The “candied piquillo peppers” (EUR 12.00) were nice as well, and frankly, they were about equally good as the ones I’ve tried the previous night, but looking at the price, which was almost double today, I found it a bit of a rip-off, but I suppose that is what you get when you go to a place like this.

Last but not least, the “padron peppers & fries” (EUR 12.00) was, well, a bit of an unequal distribution. There were literally five padron peppers and quite some fries. Now, while I do like fries, and they were actually quite good, I must say I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t offer more padron peppers.

Last but not least, the “creamy chocolate and ice cream” (EUR 12.00) had another amazing ice cream. The chocolate was good, but definitely too chocolatey for me. In any case, I absolutely loved the ice cream.

Funnily enough, the drinks were also quite nice. The “Passion for Pisco (Pisco Quebranta, lime juice, passion fruit purée, wine and tropical notes make this cocktail a different experience from the classic Pisco Sour)” (EUR 13.00) was a lovely drink. Great in taste, and rather light.

What I loved about the place was the interior. Sure, it’s a bit flashy, but it actually works all together. So, if you are looking for a fancy place in terms of interior design, then the El Portal is definitely a place you can visit.

All in all, the food is decent, the interior is lovely, the staff is professional and friendly, but the prices are definitely at the very upper end for Alicante standards. So, it’s more a “can” than a “must”.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant El Portal – Krug Ambassade

C. Bilbao 2

03001 Alicante (E)

Tel.: +34 96 51 43 269

E-Mail: info@elportaltaberna.es

Homepage: http://elportalalicante.es

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.