Alicante Faces Christmas Dining Shortage

Anyone who has not yet booked a table for Christmas is already late. The city has unprecedentedly advanced the campaign, and the hospitality sector has put up the 'fully booked' sign for the most important days —December 25th, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day— even before November has ended. Restaurateurs agree that this year's anticipation has been exceptional, with lunchtime reservations becoming the highlight of the festivities.

"People have changed their habits," summarises Irene Más from the Sorell restaurant. Her dining room has been fully booked for Christmas and New Year's Eve for weeks, driven by company lunches that "started very early" and an afternoon scene that has clearly overtaken dinners. This shift, which began after the pandemic, has solidified to the point where those who wait until the last minute "find nothing," as confirmed by Mar Valera, president of APEHA: "This year everything is going extremely well; many places have no availability on weekends or special days."

However, not everyone is experiencing this rush with the same calm. At Casa Riquelme, Moncho Riquelme has seen how an endless construction project in front of the venue has jeopardised a crucial campaign. "We are having a very hard time. We are not visible, and we've been like this since June, complicating everything," he laments, fearing that Christmas "will be ruined" if the work does not conclude "once and for all." In a December that should save the year, uncertainty has seeped into his team.

The rest of the sector, albeit with nuances, has approached December with positive feelings. At Templo, Ángel García acknowledges that November's cold has slightly slowed outings, but festive forecasts have surged: "Fridays and Saturdays have filled up well in advance, and large groups know it: it's hard to find a table." Nevertheless, the restaurant has maintained its reconciliation model and will close from the 21st to the 24th to ensure rest for its 16 workers. On December 25th, they will open without set menus, staying true to their usual offering, and also on New Year's Day, when demand has been very high.

At Fetén, Mario Amat has confirmed a similar pattern: a slow November during the week, but a December that has started strong with more joy in weekend gatherings. "The only thing we have fully booked for a month and a half is Christmas," he says. On that day, they work à la carte because "people want the essence of Fetén," and although they do not open on the big nights —Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve—, the offer of Christmas dishes to enjoy at home has gained popularity among customers who can order them to take away.

The Alba restaurant is also starting to fill up. Chef Alba Esteve acknowledges that there are reservations almost every day, many from large groups. They still have some availability but not for the most important days, as they close on the 24th, 25th, 5th, and 6th to enjoy family time.

This preference for daytime celebrations has also shaped the strategy at Tábula Rasa. Its manager, Rafa Molina, recalls how the general disappointment with expensive New Year's Eve menus has led many to increasingly choose daytime celebrations. "We've put together a great menu for the 31st at lunchtime, and we're about to fill up. People come ready, the after-lunch extends, and then they go to have grapes wherever they want." They are also fully booked for Christmas Day, for which they have prepared a longer and more special menu.

El Pinxo Kalea also acknowledges that they reduce capacity for Christmas, but customers started booking in the summer. Therefore, the dining room is already full. Diego López explains that they have a loyal clientele for whom they have become a classic. In contrast, Gato Blanco, due to the small size of the venue, does not usually have many company reservations for these days, but they do have many for the big Christmas days, which they hope to fill by the first week of December.

The hospitality sector confirms that the Covid-19 pandemic marked a before and after in how these holidays are celebrated. Thus, once again, the trend of booking well in advance and preferring extended lunches over dinners for gatherings with friends or traditional company dinners is solidified.

Booking for the 25th, New Year's Day, or New Year's Eve at the end of November has become an almost impossible mission this year. And those who still do not have a table will have to celebrate Christmas at home.