Tapas is at the heart of Spanish culture and is now loved around the world – who doesn’t love a tasty nibble with a cold beer or glass of sangria? It encourages conversation and makes drinks out a much more social experience. In most bars across Spain when you order a drink you’ll be presented with a hot or cold snack called a tapa, and there are now restaurants that specialise in offering a wide range of tapas instead of a traditional style menu.
The word "tapas" comes from the Spanish verb tapar, "to cover" as the original tapas are thought to have been slices of bread or meat drinkers used to cover their glasses between sips to stop flies and insects getting into the drink. One bar owner in Granada told me that tapas originated from a king who when visiting the city covered his drink with a slice of ham – not sure how true this is but it’s quite a nice idea.
Spaniards generally eat dinner late between 9 and 11pm. Given the long break between the end of working hours and dinner it is customary to go from bar to bar having social drinks and tapas. In Granada nearly every restaurant and bar offers some form of tapas, be it free with a drink or off of a priced menu. The best place to head to is Calle Navas (Navas Road) as the street is lined with tapas bars suitable for every budget. And don’t worry about getting the same tapas twice if you stay in the same bar for more than one drink. Bars typically have a small selection of tapas to offer so you shouldn’t receive the same one straight after.
About Emily Young
Emily is a keen traveller whose adventures include studying abroad in Canada and travelling North America and Spain. She enjoys language learning and always tries to learn some basic phrases when she visits new places. The destinations at the top of her wish-list are New Zealand, Dubrovnik, New Orleans and Japan. She has plans to continue on her journey to discover new and exciting parts of the world that she is yet to explore.
