There are few things as ours as a bar with good tapas. A neighborhood brewery is that place you go to without much ceremony, you order a beer and you try things. But with a long menu, it's not always clear what to order. If you are looking for tapas in Dénia and you want to get it right, here are the essential ones of a lifetime, how to combine them and which ones you have at El Mosset bar, a brewery on Sertorio street since 1997.
What makes a neighborhood brewery special
A neighborhood brewery is not a white-tablecloth restaurant nor a transient bar. It's halfway: you can eat well, but without protocol. These are the things that define it:
- A bar with products on display: pickles, salted products, cured meats and cold tapas that come out quickly.
- Tapas and portions: you can try in small portions or order to share.
- Traditional cuisine: fried dishes, grilled dishes and some stew/spoon dishes.
- Friendly atmosphere: you come to snack, to have almuerzo or to have dinner calmly.
The essential tapas and why
There are tapas that work in almost any bar in Spain. These are the ones you shouldn't skip, with what you'll find in the El Mosset menu:
1. The gilda
The gilda (piparra, anchovy and olive on a stick) is the perfect appetizer: it opens the appetite and goes well with any drink. At El Mosset it is on the menu as gildas, Basque piparra or pickled garlic, for €2.50.
2. The anchovies
A good salted anchovy is a small luxury. Here you have Santoña anchovies «00», two fillets, for €4.50. The «00» indicates the caliber: they are among the largest and meatiest fillets.
3. The Russian salad
There's no bar without Russian salad. On the menu it appears as Russian salad marinera with anchovy, for €3.50. The marinera, of Murcian origin, is a very popular way to eat Russian salad: on a crispy breadstick and with an anchovy on top.
4. The anchovies
Both in vinegar and fried, anchovies are a classic. At El Mosset you have house marinated anchovies and Dénia anchovies grilled or fried, both at €7.00 / €12.00 (tapa and portion).
5. The bar fried dishes
The breaded baby squid with mayonnaise (€8.00 / €12.00) are one of those dishes that disappear from the table in an instant. If you like fried food, there are also the breaded Tudela artichoke hearts, 2 units (€6.80).
6. The garlic prawns
In a casserole, with its oil, garlic and a touch of cayenne, for dipping bread. On the menu, garlic prawns, cayenne and olive oil, for €14.00.
7. The potatoes
'Patatas a lo pobre' are the perfect accompaniment to any tapas meal. Here you have them with Iberian ham or with prawns and tender garlic, for €12.00 each.
8. The montaditos and croquettes
To snack on with bread: sobrasada montadito with grilled lacón, 2 units (€5.50) or pork loin, camembert and tomato montaditos, 2 units (€6.00). And the house 'gluten-free' croquettes, 2 units (€4.50).
Quick board of tapas and portions
Many bar dishes have two prices: the first is the tapa and the second, the portion. This is a selection:
| Dish | Tapa / portion |
|---|---|
| House-style marinated anchovies | 7,00 / 12,00 € |
| Dénia anchovies, grilled or fried | 7,00 / 12,00 € |
| Battered baby squid with mayonnaise | €8.00 / €12.00 |
| Grilled cuttlefish roe with green sauce | 9,00 / 14,00 € |
| Padrón peppers with rosemary | 7.50 / 15.00 € |
| National cheese board | 9,00 / 17,00 € |
| Iberian recebo ham | 12,00 / 20,00 € |
| Galician-style pig's ear | 7.50 / 10.00 € |
Si quieres saber más sobre cómo interpretar estos precios dobles, las unidades y las raciones, te lo contamos en el artículo sobre cómo leer una carta de restaurante.
Tapas with the flavor of Dénia and La Marina
In addition to the classics of any bar, the menu features dishes that speak of the sea and the market garden of this area:
- Dénia anchovies, grilled or fried.
- Tomatoes from La Marina or Perelló, for example with flame-grilled 'capellanes' (€10.00 / €16.00). We explain it in our Marina tomato guide.
- Marina cured meats, Iberian ham and cheese, a sharing board for €24.00.
- Grilled cuttlefish with green sauce, for €14.00.
- Grilled sliced red tuna with onion, for €17.00.
Tapas for each moment of the day
Tapas mid-morning is not the same as at dinner time. These are some menu combinations that fit each moment:
Mid-morning
If you come for almuerzo and a sandwich seems like too much, some toasts with tomato and EVOO are the alternative. The toast with Santoña anchovy (€6.70) or the one with bonito in oil (€7.40) are eaten on their own.
At aperitif time
The ideal is something cold and salty that opens the appetite without filling you up: a gilda, a marinera or some pickled mussels and 'papas lolita' (€7.50).
For a tapas dinner
Here there's room for everything: something cold to start, a couple of hot dishes like cuttlefish roe or Padrón peppers, and a garden dish like the eggplant, cheese and Montgó honey millefeuille (€7.50) or the mushroom stuffed with camembert and lacón.
And if you prefer spoon dishes, the Galician-style pig's ear (€7.50 / €10.00) or the marinated pork belly with potatoes and Padrón peppers (€10.00) are very typical of a traditional brewery.
How to order tapas without overdoing it or falling short
- Start with something cold. Gildas, anchovies or a marinera come out quickly and give you time to decide the rest.
- Continue with a fried dish and a grilled dish. For example, baby squid and cuttlefish roe, or anchovies and Padrón peppers.
- Order a tapa if there are few of you. This way you try more things.
- Order a portion if there are many of you. It's more cost-effective and enough for everyone.
- Finish with something substantial if necessary. Some 'patatas a lo pobre' or a spoon dish finish off the dinner.
And if you don't want to think?
Then a menu is for you. The Tapas Menu (€13.00 per person) includes Russian salad marinera with anchovies, house croquettes, stuffed mushrooms, pork loin, camembert and tomato montaditos, and 'patatas a lo pobre' with green sauce. You have all the menus in the section of sharing menus y te ayudamos a elegir en nuestra guía de menús para 2, 4 o un grupo.
And to accompany: a sandwich
In a brewery like this, tapas and sandwiches coexist. If you come mid-morning or fancy something more substantial, take a look at the movie-named sandwiches. There are 31, and some, like the Sepiardo (cuttlefish, mayonnaise and green sauce, €8.90), are almost a bar tapa put into bread.
If you are looking for a brewery in Dénia for tapas in the center, here you have a bar, portions and sandwiches on Sertorio street.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tapa and ración?
A tapa is a small portion, for tasting; a ración is larger, for sharing. On El Mosset's menu, dishes with two prices indicate tapa and ración, for example 7.00 / 12.00 € for Dénia anchovies.
What is the cheapest tapa at the bar?
Mallorcan sobrasada with pickles and bread, for 2.20 €, followed by gildas, Basque piparra or pickled garlic, for 2.50 €.
Are there Dénia anchovies at El Mosset?
Yes, Dénia anchovies grilled or fried, for 7.00 / 12.00 € (tapa and portion). There are also house pickled anchovies at the same price.
How many tapas to order per person?
As a guide, two or three tapas per person are enough for a snack; for a tapas dinner, order a few to share and add more as you go.
Is there a tapas menu?
Yes, the Tapas Menu, for 13.00 € per person (minimum 2 people, one menu per table, drinks separate), with marinera, croquettes, stuffed mushrooms, montaditos and patatas a lo pobre.
We await you at the bar
To book a table, call 966 42 54 16. For orders of rice dishes, puchero or roasts, to the 649 526 234. You can also book from the website, consult how to get there or see all tapas in the full menu.
