Costa y Campo
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Benidorm has hundreds of bars, and these are the 14 we keep going back to: cabaret at White Star, a proper British pub in Oliver’s, free tapas with every drink at El Rincón del Ribera, and a drink by the sea on Poniente. We’ve sorted them area by area, from the Old Town to Levante and Poniente.
Some you’ll already know. Others might be on your list for next time you’re in town.
All of them have one thing in common: we’d meet our friends there.
Updated November 2026
| Cabaret and tribute acts White Star, Levante |
| A proper British pub Oliver’s, Old Town |
| The Irish craic The Bodhrán Irish Bar, Levante |
| Free tapas with every drink El Rincón del Ribera, Old Town |
| Tapas at the bar La Casona, Old Town |
| Beer and a bite Mia Social Club, Old Town |
| The best view in town Cafetería Heladería El Castell, Old Town |
| Breakfast by the sea Cafetería Nabab, Levante |
| Views you’d happily pay for Stag & Pheasant, Levante |
| Beach Bar Heaven Wild Duck, Levante |
| Sport and live music Bar Hotel California, Levante |
| A slice of Benidorm history Marrs Bar, Old Town |
| Sangria and apple pie Los Lobos, Poniente |
| Tapas and ice cream Baden Baden, Poniente |
The Old Town is where Benidorm drinks the way the Spanish do: tapas bars shoulder to shoulder, British pubs that have been here for decades, and terraces made for people-watching.
Calle Alameda
Everything about Mia Social Club is pretty cool. The building and bespoke interior have an urban, hipster feel, while the parasol-laden terrace buzzes with chatter alongside a string of bars and restaurants on Calle Alameda.
It’s more of a bistro than a pub, with pizza, burgers, ribs and a tidy selection of salads. But it’s about the beer, too: there’s a San Miguel Tap Station on site, with an international range of premium ales to taste and compare.
Mia Social Club
Plaza de la Constitución
Many visitors rate Oliver’s as one of the best British bars in the Old Town. For some, it’s their favourite place full stop.
It’s in an excellent spot opposite Tapas Alley, next to Hotel Queens, and its raised terrace is perfect for people-watching. Add friendly owners and staff, homemade jugs of sangria and that singularly British pub feel, and it’s easy to see why Oliver’s has stood the test of time and built such a loyal following.
Oliver’s
Calle Alameda
One of the many tapas bars that crowd the Old Town streets, La Casona has tables outside on busy Calle Alameda and a sharp, modern interior with a great spread of tapas on display.
Do as the Spanish do: take a stool at the bar and order your drink. Or grab a table outside, which is always a good thing. Try the gambas al ajillo, always a fine plate of prawns in garlic here.
La Casona
Plaza Castelar
The Balcón del Mediterráneo, Benidorm’s balcony over the sea, is the resort’s signature landmark. A steep but short climb from the Old Town brings you to this incredible viewpoint, with Levante on one side and Poniente on the other.
It’s also where you’ll find a welcome resting point: Cafetería Heladería El Castell. It’s one of those typical Spanish bars that does beer, wine, food, ice cream and cocktails all at once, and you could easily sit here for hours, gazing out to the horizon on a warm, sunny day. It’s that sort of place.
Cafetería Heladería El Castell
Plaza de la Constitución
With more than 30 tapas to choose from, free with every drink, El Rincón del Ribera understands what tapas is all about: a place to meet, chat and soak up the atmosphere of a real Spanish tapas bar.
There’s a great list of reds from Ribera del Duero and Rioja, refreshing whites from Rueda, jugs of sangria, tinto de verano and sparkling cava.
El Rincón del Ribera
Calle Los Gatos
Back in 1968, a Scouser arrived in Spain. With Franco still in power and the package holiday in its early days, Ronnie Marr opened his bar in May 1969, and a Benidorm legend was born. In the 1970s, players from the mighty Liverpool team, Kevin Keegan among them, popped in for a drink.
Rumour has it that Benidorm’s mayor, Toni Pérez, was a regular in his younger days. ¡Salud, Señor Pérez!
If you’ve never been, put it on your Benidorm to-do list, if only to say you’ve had a drink in Marrs Bar, one of the original pioneers of the Brits in Benidorm story.
Marrs Bar
Want more? See our 10 Favourite British Bars in the Old Town, or follow our route around Tapas Alley.
From British to Irish, beach bars to sports bars, and cabaret bars to gay bars, Benidorm is No 1
Levante’s promenade is lined with bars all the way from the Old Town end to Rincón de Loix, and the streets behind it lead up to The Strip. These are the ones where we pull up a chair, on the seafront or just a few steps back from it.
Avenida de Martínez Alejos
Nabab has been a Benidorm fixture for decades. Its refurb brought it into the 21st century, but we still have a soft spot for its old-school 1980s look.
It sits right on Levante Beach, where the promenade begins to merge into the Old Town and the hum of people enjoying life rolls on all day. You get the Med and the curve of Playa de Levante in front of you, and a menu long enough for breakfast, a light lunch or something more substantial as the sun goes down.
Cafetería Nabab
Avenida de Cuenca
The pub with the Beatles statue outside is part of the Marina Hotel complex. It opened in 2014 and has been a hit ever since, with a superb range of drinks and cocktails, a long food menu, big screens for sport and a knockout terrace for the sun.
But the music and cabaret are the real stars. Former soap stars make appearances, Britain’s Got Talent acts show up, and there’s a full line-up of tribute acts.
The Fab 4 @ White Star
Avenida de Madrid, 34
A favourite bar with the Brits, perfect location at the far end of Levante promenade with views you’d happily pay for.
But all you need to pay for is a pint and maybe treat yourself to lunch.
Surely, this is where the saying Heaven on Earth came from!
Stag & Pheasant
Avenida de Madrid
There are two Wild Ducks in town, one on The Strip and the other right here on the beach.
We go to the one on Calle Gerona at night and the ‘Beach Bar’ one when we spend the day on Levante.
Best of both worlds!
Wild Duck Beach Bar
Avenida del Doctor Orts Llorca
The best Irish bar in Benidorm? Maybe, but to be fair, they’re all good. The Bodhrán is just off the Levante seafront, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town.
Walk through the door of this family-run pub and you get more than the craic: there’s live music every night, and sometimes during the day too. Screens line the walls for the big games and the racing, and food is served all day, from snacks and salads to burgers and pub classics.
Pop in on a Sunday for the roast. And lest we forget, a pint of the black stuff is as good as it gets this far from the Emerald Isle.
The Bodhrán Irish Bar
Calle Gerona
One of our favourite bars on The Strip, designed with a West Coast feel in mind: sun, sea and… sangria.
Day and night, the atmosphere comes from big-screen sport and live music, and it’s one of those bars you really don’t want to leave. You’ll find couples of all ages, groups of lads and groups of girls, all having a fabulous time. Holiday time. Hotel California time.
Bar Hotel California
For more bars around The Strip, see our Benidorm New Town Bars: Top 25.
Poniente is the quieter, more Spanish side of Benidorm, and its bars suit a long, slow drink looking out over the bay.
Avenida de la Armada Española
Plenty of people tell us Los Lobos is their favourite bar in Benidorm. Thousands more have never heard of it, and it’s easy to walk straight past as you stroll along the Poniente promenade.
Set a little back from the front, this Dutch-run bolthole pours a juicy jug of sangria and serves the most scrumptious apple pie.
Los Lobos Drinks & More
Avenida Vicente Llorca Alós
When we spend a day on the beach, we nearly always head for the La Cala end of Poniente. It’s quieter and more Spanish, which we like, and it’s seconds from Baden Baden, one of Benidorm’s best-kept secrets and a tapas bar from a time gone by.
When the August sun is at its fiercest, it’s the perfect escape: ice-cold drinks, tapas for lunch, and a glorious choice of ice cream for later in the afternoon.
Baden Baden Tapas Bar
Thirsty for more? Our 10 Favourite British Bars in the Old Town picks out the best British pubs on the old streets.
For a night of tapas, follow our route around Tapas Alley, then head for The Strip with our New Town Bars: Top 25.
And to browse every bar we list, area by area, head to our Drink guide.
