Question about Barcelona tapas bars
 

The "tapas bar" is totally foreign to me. I understand that they are much like our appetizers. My questions:

1. Do you order off a menu and if so are most of the menus translated into English or should we keep our menu dictionary close at hand. My husband is allergic to some seafoods so we have to be extremely cautious.

2. If you do not order tapas off a menu - what is the set up...are they served in a buffet style? And if so is it a one price all you can eat type situation.

I've so enjoyed all the Barcelona trip reports on this forum and every one of them speaks of the wonder of this particular food experience so we don't want to miss out...I just want to understand it before I go!

I watched a 'way out' eating at B tapa bars. It appears that you simply walk up and down the counter and point out the items you want. Each bar specializes in certain dishes and some items are common to all. Fish items were prominent. They even featured, bull testicles!

It depends. Sometimes you order at the bar from the bartender, sometimes there is a menu (in our experience). I think you'll be able to tell what most is without needing a menu translator. I also think it will be pretty easy to see what is seafood and what isn't.
I don't think there are any all-you-can eat or buffet situations.

You point to what you want. I have never seen a menu. I would be careful about the seafood. Tell the serving person of the severe allergy just to be careful. You pay by how many plates you eat.

All the tapas places we went had menus, either to hold in your hand like a regular restaurant, or to read from the blackboard--some/many with english translations. We've never encountered the ones (supposedly the most authentic and traditional) where you just point to what you want at the bar and they hand them over to you and then count the toothpicks when you're done to tally your bill. That said, it can't hurt to have a menu dictionary with you, or better yet one that lists typical tapas plates.

To be on the safe side, why don't you go to babelfish, print out the list of what your husband is allergic to with a heading such as:
He cannot eat any of the following because of allergies: and then use the program to translate that into Spanish/actually Cataluynian (but Spanish is probably all you will find) and have the slip ready to show in any situation where there is no translatedmenu.

Wonderful! Thanks all.

Tapas bars/taverns in Barcelona are a constantly evolving creature and somewhat different from what you will find in Madrid and in the Basque country, where tapas are called pintxos. And no, they are not like your "appetizers". Most are like haute cuisine.

Most will display a list of tapas, both hot and cold, on a wall-hung menu or on a list at your table. Others, like Irati Taberna Basca in the Gothic Quarter, will have their tapas displayed on the bar where you can point to what you want.

Maribel has a very good write up in her guide to Barcelona, which you may want to read for further reference.

This is complicated. Even in the same tasca (tapas bar) there may not be a menu at the bar but there may be a menu if there is area for sitting. Almost all places have some tapas sitting on the counter and you just take, other places you ask. Some tapas are ready and sitting on the counter, others must be prepared.

Red wine is tinto, white is blanco. You can get soda or water as well.

Learn a phrase or two reagrding allergies:

No puedo comer el camaron, el pulpo, el calamar, o la langosta. (I cannot eat shrimp, octopus, squid, or lobster).

Spanish speakers please correct me if that is worng.

By the way, look at the floor and if you see napkins, it is tradition to throw your used napkin on the floor.

And then there are other places, usually large, full of Spaniards and Catalans, not just tourists, that have picture menus of what you can get, with their names in Catalan. If all the X's get you down, just point.

The other thing you need to know is that things come in various sized portions, the largest of which is a racione, a portion. This would be enough for four people to try one each or two to get more than a bite.

Shrimps are "gambas". "Camaron" is a particular kind of shrimps which are not at all usual at tapas bars, their price has gone too high.

Are camarones prawns?

No, quite the contrary. Prawn is "langostino" which is bigger. Camaron is the smallest kind of shrimps that grew in the Mediterranean, but there are very few right now, it's dissappearing from the sea (too much fishing :( )and it's getting very expensive so you usually only find real camaron in the south and at high prices. Sometimes they say "camaron" and they are just baby shrimps ..too bad.