Bars and Tapas in Onda: Vermut, Esmorzaret and Local Life

Bar sandwiches and tapas at Bar Manzaneda, Onda

01 — The 10 o'clock bar

The esmorzaret, a local institution

At half past ten, Onda's bars fill up all at once. It is not a break: it is the esmorzaret, the mid-morning meal that in the Plana region is taken seriously and eaten standing at the bar.

The esmorzaret is not a brunch with a fancy name. It is a substantial sandwich (with llonganissa sausage, figatells, black pudding or potato omelette) served with a side of "gasto": olives, pickles, peanuts. The bars with the most history in the village each have their signature sandwich and a loyal clientele that never misses a day.

During festivals, the ximo appears: a small roll filled with tomato sofrito, pepper, tuna, hard-boiled egg and pine nuts, soaked in milk, dipped in egg and fried. A warm bar snack typical of the province. The classic finish to the esmorzaret is, almost always, the cremaet.

Cremaet valenciano, the flamed spirit typical of the mid-morning meal

Masetru, CC BY-SA 4.0

02 — The finish

The cremaet, the local take on a coffee chaser

Flamed rum with sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon and coffee beans. Served in a short glass, hot, with caramelised sugar at the rim. Finishing the esmorzaret without a cremaet means leaving the job half done.

The cremaet arrived from Cuba with Valencian emigrants returning home and has been a fixture in the bars of the Plana ever since. The preparation is a small ritual: the rum is flamed, the aromatics are added, the flame is put out, and it is served steaming. Every bar has its own formula, with slight variations in the ratio of sugar or the type of rum.

Do not confuse it with an ordinary coffee shot: the cremaet has more body, more ritual and more presence. It is the buckle of the mid-morning meal, but it can also appear after the lunchtime coffee or at the end of a Sunday meal. Order one at any bar in the centre and watch how they prepare it: the process is part of the pleasure.

03 — Midday

Vermut at Plaza del Almudín

Saturday vermut in Onda has one specific address: Plaza del Almudín. Having a drink with views of the 15th-century Gothic exchange building is one of those simple pleasures that are hard to put into words.

Vermut is enjoyed from midday onwards, with olives, anchovies in vinegar, crisps and whatever the bar brings out. It is the aperitif before Sunday lunch or the Saturday morning outing. In Onda there is no single way to drink it: red, white, with soda water, with orange, at room temperature or on ice, depending on the bar.

Plaza del Almudín (also known as Font de Dins) is the natural setting for vermut in the historic quarter. The medieval exchange and cobbled ground make even an ordinary glass of vermut feel like something special. It is the place to settle into when there is no hurry and the weather allows.

04 — The night

Cocktails, terraces and live music

Onda is not a city known for a wild nightlife, but it has its spots. At weekends there is a lively atmosphere in the centre until late, with terraces, craft cocktails and the occasional live concert.

The night centres on the town centre. Terraces come alive from 20:00 onwards and stay open late on Fridays and Saturdays. There are venues geared towards the night with a proper cocktail menu and a young crowd, as well as quieter bars for a drink without the noise.

Druida Bar & Drinks is the go-to spot for craft cocktails and live music. Weekends usually bring live performances and the atmosphere keeps going well into the early hours. Iracema Terraza is the more summery alternative: a wide terrace, good beer and weekend energy.