• Alicante Tourism organizes a meeting at Alabaster restaurant with national media journalists, business owners, and industry representatives, featuring a menu crafted by Alicante-born chefs.
• Poquet points out that "far from slowing down, we are reinforcing our momentum in positioning Alicante as a leading destination for fine dining, thanks to premium quality products and a rich, diverse recipe book, through various initiatives."

Alicante, May 19, 2026. This Tuesday, Alicante reinforced its position as a gastronomic destination in Madrid following its successful year as the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy. The city held a gathering with national media journalists, event management agencies, business owners, and sector representatives, featuring a menu co-created by Alicante chefs and the team at Alabaster restaurant.

The Councilor for Tourism, Ana Poquet, stated that "Alicante is a benchmark for fine dining, offering top-quality products and a rich, varied culinary tradition, with rice as our flagship dish—a true symbol of our identity, culture, and a first-rate tourist attraction." In this regard, she explained that "as we anticipated last year when we held the title of Spanish Capital of Gastronomy, far from slowing down, this momentum was going to be reinforced with different actions, which is why we wanted to host this event in Spain's capital."

Around 70 people attended the presentation of the gastro-destination, where they sampled a menu showcasing products from Alicante. The appetizers were prepared by Antonio Hernando, head chef at Alabaster, who also crafted the dessert: a hazelnut coulant served with nougat (turrón) ice cream. The participating Alicante chefs included Ernesto Frutos, chef at Alma Cocina Viajera, who prepared a white prawn gazpachuelo; Juanlu Parra, chef at Koiné, who made a dish of perretxiko mushrooms, nuts, game consommé, and Fondillón wine; and Óscar Cerdá, chef at Gastrobar Jorge, who served a dry rice with monkfish, cuttlefish, and prawns. Hernando completed the menu with asparagus and hake.

Poquet highlighted the "full involvement of the sector to continue developing actions that maintain our status as a gastronomic benchmark throughout the rest of Spain and abroad." She also recalled that the aggregate economic impact of Alicante’s year as the "capital" amounted to over 42 million euros in the hospitality and accommodation sectors, alongside 25 million euros generated in promotion and media coverage.