ashwinb

Since I don't drink, is it possible to order tapas in tapas bars all over Spain, I would be going to Seville, Cordoba, Ronda, Granada and Madrid. Or am I only restricted to sit down restaurants where I order tapas separately?

kja

I can't imagine that you would face a problem!

tuscanlifeedit

I might have a problem similar to the problem I have in cicchetti bars in Venice. People will of course serve me what I want, but I often feel a little odd surrounded by all the drink and chatter, as I don't drink nor does my husband. We may be much more self-conscious in such situations than you, so take that in to account.

In Venice, cicchetti is served in bars where everyone has a glass of wine. I can't speak for Spain and tapas bars, as I've not been there.

Robert2016

Order whatever you want, including water, or simply nothing at all. It doesn't matter. No one will pay attention.

ribeirasacra

I agree do not worry. For example; due to drink-drive laws a lot will not take acholic drinks these days.

Alec

If you are talking about tapas you pay for, yes, you should face no problems if you just order mineral water or soft drinks. But if you are hoping to get a tapa that customarily comes free with a drink, such as in Granada, the experience will vary. In some places free tapa is only served with alcoholic drink, but with others you get one with any drink order. I have even seen people getting a free tapa with a cup of coffee, though this is more unusual.

traveller1959

The tapas culture has changed a lot during the last years. Originally, it was just a couple of olives or a slice of ham or a slice of sausage. Nowadays, tapas are quite sophisticated dishes and often you can even order a larger portion of a tapa, then called "racion".

Often, you find the tapas in a glass case in the counter and you simply point to those which you would like to have and they will put in on a plate.

Other bars have regular menus with tapas. Or you tell the waiter "a plate of mixed tapas, please" and you can specify if you want cold tapas, warm tapas, tapas with meat, fish or vegetables or everything mixed. Don't worry about the price - in most cases you will be surprised how small the check turns out.

However it is organized, you order tapas and beverages separately. And it is perfectly fine to have a soft drink or just water together with tapas. Many natives won't have alcohol with their tapas because they have to drive or they don't drink or they are not in the mood to drink alcohol. And the Spanish can be quite lively without alcohol.

kimhe

As Robert says, nobody will pay attention, and many of them will drink non-alcoholic beverages themselves. In Granada you'll get a free tapa with every glass of whatever in most tapas bars and in the bar-area in restaurans. http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/06/26/...35_939336.html

Revulgo

You can order "mosto" (non-alcoholic juice of grapes). It is available in every bar.
https://www.ulabox.com/media/7803_l1.jpg

nytraveler

Well I assume you will have something to drink - even if just bottled water or some sort of soft drink. That shouldn't be a problem.

StCirq

I don't know if there's a significant difference between the tapas scene in most of Spain and the pinxtos scene in the Basque Country, but it the latter no one cared a whit when we ordered on our recent trip there. There were many non-alcoholic options for libations.

ekscrunchy

As Robert said, no one cares at all what you order, and no one will notice.

We are in the Basque region now and have found that most bars have cold pintxos on the counter and a blackboard menu of hot pintxos that will be prepared to order in the kitchen. (I almost always prefer the latter).

We order the drinks from the same counter person that takes the food order.

He or she would not bat an eye if no drink is ordered.

progol

Nobody cares whether you drink alcohol or not. We rarely drink alcohol, although we often ordered beer without alcohol because we found it a good combination with tapas. But even when we didn't, it's no big deal to have non-alcohol drinks.

ashwinb

Thanks a lot! So I just order the tapas I want and have them.
With Granada, where I've heard you get tapas free with drinks, I could just order the tapas directly, right?

ekscrunchy

No, Ashwinb.

You receive a free tapa (in some Granada bars but by no means all) when you order, and pay for, a drink. You cannot make the choice of tapa; you will receive whatever the bar is offering that particular night. So that might be a bit of a rice dish, or a sausage slice on bread, not grilled seafood. At least that was my own experience.

So you need to be prepared to pay for something to drink, even if you leave it untouched. So you might be better off financially if you just choose your own tapa and pay for that, foregoing a drink if you really are shunning liquids. Both tapas and drinks in bars are very reasonable by the standards of many other western countries.

Example: I just came from a bar in San Sebastian, a city that might be more pricey than Granada.

Two of us consumed: One pintxo (tapa) of sausage in pastry (second person was not hungry, did not eat, and did not draw the slightest bit of attention from anyone); one small beer; and one glass of white wine. Total for those three items was 5.60 euro.

Robert2016

Here's a small sampling of some of the best free tapas we had in Granada during our last visit in January: http://www.pinterest.com/sanfermines...as-in-granada/

maitaitom

In Barcelona, I was unable to drink alcohol because of a med I was taking. No problem...nobody cares. I lived on iced tea there (but happy to switch to GinTonics later in the trip).

ekscrunchy

Those free tapas look much better than the ones I remember from Bodegas Castaneda.

Robert2016

We stopped by Castañeda one afternoon, after being up at on the Hill, but wasn't all that impressed. Tabernas Salinas was a little better, but the best stuff is found away from the cathedral.

mikelg

There´s a difference amont tapas, pintxos and raciones. Tapas come usually free with your drink, whatever you have (but YES, you have to order something to drink, you´re in a bar, not in a restaurant...even if no alcoholic). As someone said above, now you can also order some tapas menu (that´s something for tourists, though, hardly any local will do that) and pay for them. Pintxos are always paid, they are normally more elaborated than tapas and some are made on order. You may or may not have a drink with them. And raciones is something bigger and presented on a plate or clay dish, normally to share with your companions (everybody ates from the same plate).