When we come into the Restaurant "La Viña de Calpe" our smell sense and our stomach feel good. The soft odour of the wood fire and the fresh flowers leads us by the romantic glazed terrace directly to the rustic bar of the living room with fire place. The tables, delicately decorated with Andalusian candlesticks, roses or carnations, wine glasses, and their comfortable chairs draw our attention immediately. After a first aperitif in a soft musical atmosphere, our five senses wake up.

The owners, Christian Ivars and Laura Van Eijle, paid great attention to the rustic decoration of the room: a singular fire place supported with screws coming from old grape presses, tools for horses, an aquarium full of fishes, lamps made with wooden wheels and paintings in accordance with the rustic framework and the changes of luminosity.

One realizes they are very meticulous when one reads the suggestions of the day with the cheese creams for aperitif or the sorbet to stimulate the palate. The spicy prawns with mango, honey and thyme, or the mushrooms salad with bacon and small onions are presented in an excellent way. We fell under the charm of the sweet and sour monkfish with Iberian ham and the balsamic vinegar, symbol of the freshness of the fish market of Calpe "Peix de Calpe".

Enormous wine glasses for extraordinary Bordeaux accompanying our sirloin tournedos with mushrooms and champagne sauce are culminating our meal. On the wine list, we find fantastic wines coming from all the areas of Spain which we can see in the cellar. Among the home made desserts, we clash with the problem of having to choose between the Tiramisu, the Parfait with caramel, the Cheese cake or the Chocolate cake... and perhaps we will have one of the many cocktails close to the fire place to end this romantic and unforgettable evening.

An attentive personnel covering 6 different languages serves a Mediterranean creative cuisine to you. All the number plates on the walls of the living room of the fire place indicate the origin of the faithful customers. The restaurant "Viña de Calpe" in La Merced owes its name to the old vineyards it was formerly surrounded. The inhabitants of Calpe know this splendid Spanish Dutch Restaurant since 1971: Annalies, as horse trainer and Jan, as a one of the founders of the Kábila Almogávares of the festival of the Moors and the Christians. And after 20 years, the second generation, their daughter Laura and the cook of Calpe, Christian, offer Gourmet meals to their customers.

Since nearly 40 years, this restaurant preserves its tradition to prepare Indonesian rice dishes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays evening. The restaurant "Viña de Calpe" also thought about the children and the vegetarians. Menus for children and vegetarian dishes combining from 9 to 12 fresh vegetables, all the wishes come true. During the summer months, one can have dinner under the stars on the outdoor terrace, or on the covered terrace whose windows are open to feel the tepid marine breeze.