"Alicante's Michelin-starred case for saffron and rice over coastline cliché — book the Expresión menu for a long Mediterranean lunch worth lingering over."
María José San Román built Monastrell around two ingredients most Alicante kitchens treat as an afterthought: saffron and rice. The dining room sits on Avenida del Almirante Julio Guillén Tato, minutes from the marina, and the menu reads as a contemporary argument for Mediterranean cooking rather than a postcard of it. It has held a Michelin star since 2013 and carries two Repsol Suns. For the wider picture, see our guide to Spain's best Spanish restaurants.
San Román is recognised across Spain as an authority on saffron and on olive oil, and her cooking leans on both. The kitchen runs three tasting routes — the Alicante menu at €66, the Monastrell at €82, and the chef's own Expresión menu at €115, with wine pairings from €35 to €65. Rice is the centrepiece: her cuttlefish rice and seafood arroces are the dishes regulars return for, alongside a hake loin with rainbow chard, apricots and a Picual olive oil emulsion. Much of the produce comes from the restaurant's own garden. San Román was awarded Spain's Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts in 2022, and the room at Avenida del Almirante Julio Guillén Tato 1 has held its Michelin star since 2013. Diners weighing the city's other tables can compare it with Nou Manolin.
Monastrell occupies a restored building near the port, with a calm, light dining room quiet enough for conversation across the table. Tables are generously spaced, the lighting is soft rather than dark, and a glassed wine area is visible from the floor. Service is formal without stiffness — a sommelier works the room and the pacing across a tasting menu is unhurried. Dress is smart; most diners arrive in the jacket-or-equivalent range without it being demanded. Ask for the terrace seats with Mediterranean views when you book.
Book this room for an anniversary because it does three things well at once: the tasting format gives the evening a clear arc, the pacing leaves room to talk, and the terrace looks out over the harbour. A pairing flight turns it into a full evening rather than a meal. Couples marking a milestone tend to take the Expresión menu and a terrace table; see more anniversary restaurants worth the booking, or browse the full Alicante dining guide. For what separates a great room from a merely good one, read our seven signs of a great restaurant.
Skip it if you came to Alicante for a beachfront seafood shack — this is a multi-course tasting format, not a quick paella by the marina.
Yes, if you want serious Mediterranean cooking rather than a seafront tourist meal. The kitchen has held a Michelin star since 2013, and the tasting menus run €66 to €115, fair for the technique and the garden-grown produce. Go for the rice dishes and the saffron-led courses, and treat it as a long lunch or a full evening rather than a quick stop.
Book a week or two ahead for weekends, and earlier around the Hogueras festival in June and the summer high season. Reservations go through the restaurant's own website and by phone. The terrace tables with harbour views are the first to go, so ask for them specifically when you book; midweek lunch is the easiest slot to land at short notice.
Smart is the expectation. Most diners arrive in the jacket-or-equivalent range, though a jacket is not formally required. This is a restored historic building near the port, not a beach club, so leave swimwear and flip-flops for the marina. Smart-casual will not feel out of place at lunch, and the room rewards making a little effort in the evening.
Tasting menus run €66 for the Alicante, €82 for the Monastrell, and €115 for the chef's Expresión menu, with wine pairings from €35 to €65 per person. À la carte rice and seafood dishes are also available. With a pairing and a couple of extras, expect a full evening to land toward the upper end of that range, drinks included.
Booking through the restaurant's own reservation system.
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Monastrell sits among the saffron-and-rice standard-bearers in our running survey of Spanish cooking, from Alicante's rice country to the Basque coast.
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