Tapas In Spain

One of the advantages of eating in bars is that you are able to experiment. Many places have food laid out on the counter, so you can see what's available and order by pointing without necessarily knowing the names; others have blackboards or " lista de las tapas ". Tapas (often called pinchos or pintxos in northern Spain) are small portions, three or four small chunks of fish or meat, or a dollop of salad, which traditionally used to be served up free with a drink. These days you often have to pay for anything more than a few olives, but a single helping rarely costs more than €1.20-2.40 unless you're somewhere very flashy. Raciones (costing around €6.50-9) are simply bigger plates of the same intended for sharing among a couple of people, and can be enough in themselves for a light meal. The more people you're with, of course, the better; half a dozen tapas or pinchos and three raciones can make a varied and quite filling meal for three or four people.

Tascas, bodegas, cervecerías and tabernas are all types of bar where you'll find tapas and raciones . Most of them have different sets of prices depending on whether you stand at the bar to eat (the basic charge) or sit at tables (up to fifty percent more expensive - and even more if you sit out on a terrace).

Wherever you have tapas, it is important to find out what the local special is and order it. Spaniards will commonly move from bar to bar, having just the one dish that they consider each bar does well. A bar's "non-standard" dishes, these days, can all too often be microwaved - which is not a good way to cook squid.

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