So you got off the plane, you are at the peak of your excitement while watching the Spanish architecture from the taxi window, and you want to eat ‘tapas’. Every video, article, or TV show that got you to visit Spain mentioned that people eat ‘tapas’. And now you want to be the one trying ‘tapas’ – as soon as possible.
But what are tapas? Do you go to any restaurant and point at the menu to where it simply says ‘tapas’? In some highly touristy places, that could happen. But that is not what you want.
The simplest way of guiding you how to get tapas is by explaining that tapas are small portions of food meant to be shared. They can be cold, like Jamón ibérico, fried, like Croquetas, or hot, like Gambas al Ajillo. You can get them for free with your drink in places like Granada, or you’d pay for them in cities like Sevilla.
This way of eating is called “tapear” or “going for tapas”. It’s a way of informal eating with family and friends. It’s so popular that Spaniards are seeking to have it declared part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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How do you order Tapas?
The experience of getting tapas is different based on the city you are in. The biggest difference is that in some cities you will get a tapa for free with your drink, in others you will pay for it. That’s why we’ll explain things using cities as examples.
How do you get tapas in Granada?
Almost all bars and restaurants in Granada will give you a tapa for every drink you order. That means you only pay for the drink. It also means you get a second tapa once you order a second drink. And this continues as long as you order another drink.
Some restaurants give you the option of choosing your free tapa. You get a small menu listing all the free tapas they provide. Some places even have promotions like getting 8 free tapas for a bottle of wine.
Sounds like heaven, right? Well, this comes with an expectation of respect for the Spanish custom.
The rules of free tapas in Spain
Keep in mind that this a gift from the restaurant.
- Don’t get upset if somebody next to you gets a better or bigger tapa than you.
- Don’t ask for a specific tapa unless you are asked.
- Don’t demand a tapa if it’s not offered to you. Maybe they just finished their tapas and are waiting for the kitchen.
How do you get tapas in Valencia?
You shouldn’t expect free tapas in Valencia. Once you’ve decided on drinks, you should look at the menu for a section called “tapas” or “aperitivos.”
The rule we’ve followed when ordering is to order as many tapas as people there are at the table, plus one more. That means:
- for 2 people: order 3 tapas
- for 4 people: order 5 tapas
We never got the same tapa, like 2 portions of bravas at once. The point is to try as many different dishes at a time. If we were still hungry after finishing everything we ordered, we would ask for one or more tapas – this time maybe getting the same tapa, if we liked it a lot.
Besides the tapas, you’ll receive empty small plates, one for each person at the table. Those are for you to take a little from a tapa and put it in your plate. Once you finish, you a little for another tapa. This is not buffet: you don’t pile on and mix a bit of every tapa all at once in your plate, mixing the flavours. You are not in a hurry or in a competition. The point of getting tapas is to enjoy as many dishes in small bites as possible while sharing them with friends and having a conversation.
Once the bill comes, you could split it equally. Seems fair considering you shared the food. Or one person can pay the whole bill, and then another person covers the next bill, and so on. It really depends on your relationship with the people you go out with and how you prefer to handle the bill.
In Sevilla, the same applies: tapas are paid for and ordered from the menu or chalkboard. The culture is similar to Valencia, though the dishes and bar atmosphere differ significantly.
Can I order Tapas from the chalkboard?
Yes, you can order from the list of tapas on the chalkboard posted outside the restaurant or above the bar. These can be the same as on the menu or perhaps additional limited-time offered tapas.
In Basque Country bars, the equivalent is the pintxos displayed on the bar counter: you point to what you want rather than ordering from a menu or chalkboard.
What Tapas should I order?
All of them! Kidding aside, you should try as many different tapas as you can while you are in Spain. Fried food can be fun but sticking to just those will keep you from great flavors from ingredients like tuna, fresh vegetables or pickled chilies.
The most popular tapas are “gildas” (anchovy, chili, and olive on a stick), “torreznos” (pork rind), “tortilla de patata” (Spanish omelette), “calamares” (squid), croquettes, and “ensaladilla” (Russian salad). We’ve also created a Tapas Starter Pack – 9 Tapas Every First-Timer Should Try, to guide you during your trip.
For more ideas about what Tapas to order, download Tapas Spinner on iPhone or Android. This is an app we created to help you decide what tapas to get. There are +50 tapas available in most cities in Spain, presented in a fun way: tap once and you get 3 ideas in seconds. If you don’t like your options, just tap again, and you’ll get 3 other tapas. And if you like a specific tapa, you can make it at home, because the app includes recipes as well.
Why do they call it a Tapa?
In a non-food sense, ‘tapa’ in Spanish means ‘lid’ in English. So, something you use to cover a pot, a cup, or a glass. That’s what happened with the first form of the tapa: it was used to cover the wine glass, to protect it from flies and dust.
Why do they give out free Tapas?
Legend has it that in the 13th century, King Alfonso X “The Wise” dictated that drinks need to be accompanied by a small snack to prevent people from getting drunk too fast.
Later in the 18th century, since in Andalusia taverns, wine cellars and grocery stores were all next to each other, people would be able to buy wine by the glass at the grocery stores and receive food samples, before they could decide their shopping. The book “Seville Banquets, Tapas, and Menus, 1863–1995: An Anthropology of Food,” explains that by 1795, a place that sold wine by the glass could also have tables with chairs and serve cold and fried food.
Then in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, when King Alfonso XIII reigned, another tapas origin legend was born, placing him at the center of it. It is said that, while he was having a sherry at an inn in Andalucia, the waiter saw a speck of dust approaching the king’s glass, so he quickly placed a piece of sausage over it, to protect the drink. King Alfonso XIII didn’t let the sausage go to waste, so he ate it after he had the sherry.
Nowadays, there are only a few cities where bars and restaurants still give a free tapa with your drink: Granada, Jaén, Almería, and Leon. They do this because it’s so ingrained in their culture, they can’t stop.
The Evolution of Tapas
People have been sharing food while drinking wine for centuries but the ‘tapa’ as a word to reference a Spanish dish was born in Andalucia. One of the earliest references was at the end of June 1903 when Nicolás Rivero Muñiz wrote about his trip to Sevilla where he started his meal by preparing the stomach with wine and “tapaera”, meaning paper-thin slices of Vich sausage or mountain-cured ham.
Later in 1918, Manuel Rodríguez-Navas y Carrasco explained in his General and Technical Hispanic-American Dictionary that ‘tapa’ could mean olives, sausage, or another small cold bite served with glasses of beer or wine in grocery-taverns and bars. Then in 1938, café Granja Nacional was advertising itself as one of the best places in Granada to get the finest assortment of wines, spirits, and beers, and a select variety of hot tapas.
When did tapas spread beyond Andalucía
Tapas became so loved that they expanded out of Andalucia into all of Spain. There are records of restaurants opening and serving tapas for people to enjoy:
- in Oviedo at pescadería La Jerezana, in 1923
- in Catalonia at café restaurant Andalucía, in 1928
- In Murcia at Ideal Palace, in 1929
- In Tenerife at Los Caracoles, in 1932
- in Menorca at bar Sevilla, in 1934
- in Lugo at Bar Guillermo, in 1934
- in Madrid at El Generalife, in the 1930’s
The start of Elaborate Tapas
The phenomenon not only expanded in geography, but also in variety and creativity. In 1924 for example, Bar Jarque from Valencia was advertising it offers 59 different tapas, some of which were their own creation.
Later, around 1990-2000, fine dining pintxos arrived because of Basque creativity. And in Cordoba, there were centrally located restaurants were offering more elaborate tapas like Octopus and smoked ear, caramelized rib fajita with sugar cane honey, Oxtail ‘churro’ with chocolate, and Córdoba-style oxtail moussaka. These dishes were not free, marking the moment when tapas were split into two categories: those offered free with a drink – which were smaller; and those people paid for – which were larger and more elaborate.
Chef Ferrán Adriá considers 1992 the moment tapas became contemporary, using his book “elBulli, the Taste of the Mediterranean” as a pillar, and including tapas in his tasting menu of 10 to 40 dishes, at Restaurant elBulli.
Today, tapas culture continues to evolve: Michelin-starred restaurants reimagine traditional dishes while neighbourhood bars maintain centuries-old recipes. The thread connecting all of it is the same principle that started with a piece of jamón on a wine glass: food shared with others, without formality.
Sources:
- Real Academia de Gastronomía; The Art of Tapas
- Real Academia de Gastronomía; Revista Española de Cultura Gastronómica – La Tapa