Hello,

We're going to be in NE Spain (Barcelona to Bilbao) in a few weeks, and I have never (never ever) had tapas, yet I understand it's a great way to get a meal. Can someone please tell me how to "do" tapas? Will the restaurant/bar say tapas outside? Do you walk in and say "tapas, please?" or will there be a salad bar-type thing, or is it like dim sum where they bring around the options, or do you order from a menu?

I am quite eager to try tapas but I don't want to make any grave tourist faux pas. Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions.

I only have tapas experience here in the US but it's my understanding that some type of menu is presented with some options for small appetizer like dishes. My personal favorite here is Queso de Cabra(baked goat cheese in a tomato sauce)Patatas bravas (spicy potatos) and Gabas al olio (shrimp in olive oil and spices. I apologize for any misspelling...my mouth is watering!

Hi Kellygirl. We went to a couple different tapas places when we were in Barcelona a few years ago. (Actually they were "pinxto" places, what I believe is the Basque name for tapas.) In one of them, there were plates on the counter and you just chose and picked whatever you wanted from the plates and paid -- according to the number of toothpicks you had (honor system, how refreshing) -- when finished.

In the other, somewhat-fancier place, while you could sit at the counter and choose, I think the people behind the counter actually picked them for you. And you could also sit down at a table and order from their extensive menu, which is what we did since all the seats at the counter were full.

We really enjoyed both places. I believe the name of the first place was Sagardi, in the Gothic Quarter, and the other place is on the east side of Passeig de Gracia, only a block or so north of Placa de Catalunya, and is marked out front by a sign of a Basque guy in a beret.

The two tapas places we tried in Barcelona were order off the menu places, neither was very expensive. you could also sit at the bar and order there.

The place Capo described (east side of Passeig de Gracia, only a block or so north of Placa de Catalunya) sounds like one of the ones we tried called Tapa Tapa which was quite good.

They did have an English menu and it was very easy to order.

I think swalter518 goes to the same tapas place in Chicago that I do, in addition to the goat cheese I always have to have the croquettas and the patatas ali oli (cold potato salad with garlic mayo) and will order calamari wherever I find it.

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

My wife and I are tapas freaks. When in spain, I bet 80% of all our meals are done as tapas! It's such a satisfying and cheap way to enjoy the food.

Overall, tapas are better in the south of spain, but we've had good (and bad) experiences in Barcelona

Here are a few hints:

some restaurants will advertise tapas, but you may want to avoid these. they most likely target tourists. the locals will certainly know where tapas are, so there would be no need to advertise. Nearly all casual bar-restaurants have them. You'll instantly be able to tell by looking at the bar, where they will be positioned behind a glass window, deli style. It's not self-serve, you order them.

try to avoid tapas bars on the main drag. Here are our two favorites in Baracelona, when are excellent.

"Cerveseria Catalana" on Carrer de Mallorca. More of a business crowd for lunchtime, but reasonably priced. The place gets packed, so you can tell it's good.

"Bar Celta" near the bottom of Barric Gotic, east of the Rambla Carrer de la Merce 16. We had excellent white wine from the Ribeiro region.

Ok, back to basics: there are two main sizes of tapas . Raciones and media-raciones. the latter is the size of a fairly small plate and the former is about double in size.

Most tapas bars display their assortment through a glass window, so I think it's easiest to go up to the windows and tell the camarero what you'd like, as well as the size of portion.

Our favorites:

gamba pil-pil (Andalucia specialty- spicy hot shrimps served bubbling in a cazuelita)

ensaladilla rusa (our all-time favorite - a creamy tuna-potato salad)

queso manchego - salty-sharp spanish cheese

any kind of olives

mejillones (mussels)

calamari - always excellent


we usually go crazy and order 7 for sharing and then stumple outside fuller than we ever wish we were!

I highly recommend getting the Lonely Planet Word food Spain mini guide book you will be glad you got it . amazon .com has them or your local book store

kellygirl-- Maribel (an outstanding poster on everything Spain) has posted great specific info on Tapas; where to go, etc... It would be a good idea to check her past posts.

I agree that Tapas in Andalucia tend to be more varied, but Madrid has some great Tapas Bars as well. Some of my favorites are in the neighborhood of Teatro Lope de Vega, where, by mid-afternoon every day, one bar after the other offers a very lively quarter with a great mix of tourists and locals. I also enjoyed La Torre de Oro (Bar Andalu = Andalucian Bar) on a corner of Plaza Mayor. This place has a bullfighting theme (some of the pictures on the walls are not for the faint of heart!) and the Gambas al Ajillo are the best I ever had; paired any Tapas they offer with a Mahou Beer and you'll never want to leave!

On the recommendation of several Fodorites, last summer I brought several travel companions to Tapa Tapa on our visit to Barcelona. Turned out to be one of the best meals of our trip.

I'm surprised, however, to learn that they have an English menu. The best we could do was a picture menu, making the experience something like ordering sushi. The only real problem was a dish of something that looked like linguine which turned out to be baby eels.

I'd heard someplace that you could always tell a good tapas place by the layer of napkins thrown to the floor. Sort of the way some bars in the States encourage patrons to throw down peanut shells. Anyway, I was on a side street in San Sebastian at lunchtime, saw a bar where a bunch of workers and other and apparent locals were hanging out. And the floor was covered with used napkins! So I joined the group, ordered a glass of wine - "vino tinto" being about the only Spanish I know, scarfed down two or three of the best, albeit unidentifiable combinations I've ever had in my life.
The bill? Around 15 euro. Amazing.

Hi

I'm a tapas (and Dim Sum) junkie.

The best I've had was in San Sebastion.
A close second was in Madrid, but a little pricey.

The best I've had was Carne Calliente ............. slivers of bull fillet served with an earthenware plate from the oven brushed with olive oil and served with sliced garlic. Cook your own fillet and enjoy.

Peter
http://tlp.netfirms.com

I was in Barcelona in May and found a terrific tapas place in the Gothic quarter just off Las Ramblas - Mikel Etxea on C/ Ferran 15. Excellent variety of tapas, various prices, cheap but tasty house wine. At the bar, the tapas are displayed and quite inviting. My Mother and I enjoyed the food there, we returned the next night! The place gets crowded, so get there early to secure a stool at the bar and watch the people arrive and fill the place. The waiters and bar tenders were very friendly.

Enjoy!