Restaurant Peix & Brases
In a town full of seafood restaurants competing for tourist euros, Peix & Brases on Avenida Juan Carlos I stands out for its commitment to the wood-fired grill and its insistence on buying directly from Calpe's own fishing cooperative (Cofradía de Pescadores). The name means 'Fish and Embers' and that is exactly what you get.
What to Order
The star of the menu is the grilled whole fish — sea bass (lubina) and gilt-head bream (dorada) sourced daily from the lonja (fish auction) just down the road. They arrive at the table with nothing but good olive oil, sea salt and a wedge of lemon, letting the quality of the fish speak entirely for itself.
Do not skip the arroz a banda, the defining rice dish of this stretch of coast — cooked in a concentrated fish stock until the grains are intensely flavoured and the bottom layer forms the prized socarrat crust. It requires a 20-minute wait and is worth every second.
Atmosphere and Booking
The dining room is simple and unfussy — white walls, terracotta tiles, a wood-burning grill visible from the tables — and the service is the kind of straight-talking warmth you find in family-run Spanish restaurants where the owner actually cares what ends up on your plate.
Reservations are strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday dinner and for any lunch during July and August. Walk-ins are possible on weekday lunchtimes and the fixed-price menú del día (typically €15–€18) is exceptional value.
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