diane_c

Okay, this seems a silly question, but here goes. I've never been to Spain, but am travelling there with my two teens (13/15) later this year. Is it appropriate to take kids to a tapas bar (underscoring the word "bar&quot. Are there tapas restaurants where Spanish families eat tapas with their children?

hanl

It's totally normal to see children (even very young kids) with their parents in bars in Spain, particularly before dinner when it is common for everybody to go out for a stroll ("el paseo&quot.
So if your kids are teens, it's unlikely that anyone will consider their presence "inappropriate". I've been out for tapas with Spanish friends and their children on a few occasions.

Note that Spanish bars can get quite smoky though, and many of the best tapas bars are stand-up at the counter places, with few tables. If you can be more specific about the areas you are visiting, perhaps people here would be able to give you some recommendations

Robert2533

A "Tapas Bar" is not a place where people go to hang out and drink for several hours. It's where you go to have tapas, small plates of food, before heading to lunch or dinner, sometimes in the same place where you're having the tapas, since a number of tapas bars have restaurants in the back, or upstairs. The "Tapas Bars" are also an essential part of the social life in Spain and a place where families, including children of all ages, go. Depending on which region of Spain you are planning on visiting, the tapas (or pintxos) will be quite different and always interesting.

Christina

I've only been to Spain once and loved it -- mainly Seville and Madrid. I'm not sure what Robert means by saying a tapas bar isn't a place people go to drink, only for tapas. I saw lots of bars in Seville that were very wellknown for serving tapas and did that a lot in early evening, but they were also regular bars where people did go just to drink for several hours and later on. There were several places with wellknown tapas bars that also had restaurants (usually the restaurant was the main endeavor, the tapas bar meant the restaurant bar also served good tapas). Modesto in Seville was like that.

There were actually some tapas restaurants, or cafes really, that I noticed in Seville. I ate at one near my hotel a couple times on plaza Santa Maria la Blanca. These were not regular bars but served tapas and you could make an entire meal of them, if you wanted. Of course, they would serve wine or beer with meals, also, but they were not at all a bar.

lincasanova

the word "bar" in spain has another coonotation.
it is a café with a counterin it (barra) and they do serve al ltypes of beverages, alcohol included.

however, it is only the "clubs" that would be inappropriate for children.
a bar is just a neighborhood place to eat and whet your thirst.

you will see many "bar/cafeterias" around.
these are not "self service", but cafés serving hot food.
self service is called just that quot;autoservicio".

enjoy the tapas and whatever else.

try "patatas bravas"..fried potato chunks with garlic mayonaisse and /or hot sauce. changes from bar to bar.
calamares a la romana . fried squid rings.
tortilla de patata.. potato omelette
verduras a la plancha.. grilled vegetables.

by the way.. everything "a la plancha" is usually great.. fish.. meat.. mushrooms.. good thing to learn to say. and very healthy.
even if it is not on the menu they will make anything a la plancha if the plancha is turned on!

also.. croissants in the morning or afternoon for "merienda" a la plancha.. are to die for.
keep eyes open for special breakfast, almuerzo or merienda combinations at reduced price..

desayuno popular.. includes a few things at fixed price. same for the others. and the menu of the day at the 2 o'clock lunch is always a good deal, usually including glass of wine, and dessert and/or coffee.

breakfast fun food in madrid.. "porras, churros, ". fried doughnut type sticks.

p.s. if you want a moe american style coffee you can ask for café americano.. and they will put more water and less coffee in the espresso.

enjoy your stay.

DOCK

Hi, we did Spain with our 2 boys(9, 14) July 2004. I had the same concern, but found there was no problem at all. We chose to eat a little earlier than the Spanish do. The tapas bars get busy later and we would venture for supper at arond 7.30.My boys enjoyed the variety and we even did more than one stop in an evening trying out different food and they loved it.There were a few occasions when we ate out later and there were no issues with having kids , most places have outdoor tables and we chose those so we did not feel as if we were in a bar. Also the tapas bars are laid out like casual restaurants so many do not have the typical bar look you would see in North America. For us the best tapas bars we found were in Seville, in the Barrio Santa Cruz area(around the Cathedral in the side streets) Yummy garlic potatoes, spicy shrimp.I can recommend Cerveceria Giralda, tapas here were not of the run of the mill variety you would get in many places but more like gourmet tapas.We wrote the name down of this place and passed it on to friends who have since been and they all loved it.

diane_c

Thanks for the helpful replies! Can't wait to try your suggestions!