Whenever we visit my parent’s house in Spain the first stop is ALWAYS The Hen’s Teeth, located in Villamartin Plaza. Owners, Stevie & Veronica have just launched a new menu so we were really excited to try some of the new dishes this trip.
The Hen’s Teeth specialises in traditional Spanish tapas but also boasts a variety of main course dishes including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. If you just fancy a drink The Hen’s Teeth cocktails are to die for… All handcrafted with the greatest care and attention by the restaurant’s friendly staff.
This trip we were booked in for New Year’s eve to both enjoy the food and watch Austin Slack and The Streeters play who are always fantastic. However we knew NYE would be a set menu and we wanted to make sure we got some of our favourite tapas in too! We ended up visiting The Hen’s 3 times in a 5 day period…Trust me it’s good!
So what’s the food like?
I’m going to run through some of our favourite tapas dishes, surprisingly lots of these are vegetarian which is really rare for us! I guess that proved just how great the menu design and the chefs are.
Let’s start with the drinks… I’ve been trying to work my way through the menu but i’ll admit I always come back to my favourite – The Queen Bee. It’s a mix of J&B Urban Honey, mint, simple syrup, strawberry puree, topped off with sparkling cava over crushed ice. I’m so happy I took the risk trying this about 3 years ago because usually I would avoid whisky like the plague but trust me this Hen’s original cocktail is incredible!
They also make a REALLY good whiskey sour, complete with egg whites which is Mark’s favourite. I’m also partial to a Mojito (which can be flavoured – I love the passionfruit) and a frozen daiquiri when we visit in the hot summer months. The Hen’s Teeth have both inside and outside seating so it’s a great place to grab a quick drink when it’s nice and warm outside.
…. What about the food?
As i’ve mentioned, we usually order lots of tapas to share but The Hen’s Teeth also offer a great ‘Menu del dia’ (Menu of the day) which includes a starter, main and dessert. We have often taken advantage of this and have tried a variety of main courses over the years.
My favourite main course has to be the black squid ink seafood pasta, it is so light and fresh but full of flavour and PACKED with all kinds of seafood, plus it looks so pretty and is the perfect instagramable plate!
Here’s some examples of the food, I’ve captioned what each dish is, some of these photos are from past trips so may no longer be available – The menu changes often which is great as there is always something new to try (Although Stevie, Veronica if you are reading this you are never allowed to get rid of the Gambas (Prawns), Albondigas (meatballs), Berenjena (fried aubergine), or the Champinones (mushrooms) al brandy…)
There’s something for everyone at The Hen’s teeth!
As I mentioned on New year’s eve we had the pleasure of watching Austin Slack and The Streeters play live, The Hen’s Teeth often hosts live music acts – You can check their Facebook page for upcoming events or to view the menus. They also have an Instagram account.
Have you ever been to this area of Spain? If you are considering visiting make sure you pencil in a trip to The Hen’s Teeth – You won’t regret it!
Villamartin is located on the Costa Blanca in Eastern Spain. The area is pretty vibrant year round but has a high season between May – September.
