When it comes to eating in Spain, the first thing that comes to mind is the tapas. This style of food is congruous with the easy going and sociable nature of the Spanish people. With a drink and a tapa in hand, they can mingle in a bar with friends and have a great time.

There’s a charming legend about how the tapas came about.
Going centuries back to medieval times when Spain was still ruled by a monarch and famine threatened the everyday lives of the ordinary people.
Farmers and other labourers with their humble paycheck, could only afford either food or an alcoholic drink during their meal breaks.
To dull the drudgery of their everyday lives, it’s not surprising which they would choose.
As such, the workers would frequently return to their jobs drunk and weak.
As a solution, the King decreed that whenever a drink is ordered at a bar, it must be accompanied with a small complimentary portion of something to eat.

I guess this is one of the more unlikely explanations of how the tapa originated; but being an idealist, I really like the notion of how a great tradition is born out of such noble motivations, so this is the version I want to believe.

Till date, this tradition of the free tapa is still alive in some parts of Spain – from our experience, mainly in Granada.

Here’s a look at the common types of tapas we encountered while travelling in Spain:

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Market Tapas

Mercado de San Miguel – Madrid

This Mercado is set in a classy glass and steel structure, so it’s hard to imagine that it is one of the oldest markets in Madrid.
In the evenings, the young and fashionable crowd is seen to be ‘bar-hopping’ within the Mercado, moving from store to store, pampered by the mind-boggling variety of tapas, drinks and desserts.

By now we’re sensing the trend of the table jostle everywhere we go. The Spanish love their tapas and they’re not afraid to fight for it.
Be prepared to embrace this trend – there is always space for one more glass at the bar.

At this mercado, an especially noteworthy tapa is the smoked buffalo mozzarella from the stall ‘Mozheart Mozzarella Bar’.
The smooth creamy texture of the cheese and sweetness of the dish is set off by the tinge of bitterness from rocket leaves. It is then topped with a delicate sliver of jamon and strips of delightfully caramelised peppers.

If you can’t get enough of the cured Iberian pork, there are stalls offering paper cones filled with thinly sliced jamon you can stroll around and snack on while deciding on what tapas to sample next.

Also delicious were the crab cake lookalikes. This fancy tapa is built on a foundation of fresh crisp seaweed followed by a dense layer of crab meat and topped with a sprinkling of black caviar.

Mercado de La Boqueria – Barcelona

The Mercado de La Boqueria is different from the other markets we had seen in Spain so far – Mercado de San Miguel (Madrid), Mercado Victoria (Cordoba), Mercado Lonja del Barranco (Seville), to name a few.
It seems to be an actual working market where you would expect to bump into local housewives and restaurateurs procuring ingredients.

We came here for one purpose – to verify the claims by the myriad of bloggers and YouTubers about the one dish in Barcelona that cannot be missed, the baby squids with fried eggs from El Quim de la Boquería.

And consider us well and truly convinced. There is only one way to describe this dish.
Heavenly.
It is a seemingly simple idea but the silky yolks from the fried eggs coat the squids and complement their flavour perfectly.

I wouldn’t say you’re paying market prices for this dish but it is worth the splurge as we didn’t find anything similar elsewhere.
On our last day in Barcelona we had to return for more of this absolutely divine taste.

Their version of the croquetas is made with spinach and nuts. There were also small bits of mashed dried fruit which were a very nice touch – adding a mild sweetness to the mix.
The finished product is extremely creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

The best time to go is early in the morning. They’re open at 8 am.
By lunchtime this stall is very crowded and you will have to wait your turn. Being still not used to this Spanish casually-crowding-around-the-bar-counter culture, the food doesn’t taste as good when there’re people standing behind you looking forward to a seat.

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Michelin Tapas

Barcelona has a renowned gastronomic scene, fuelled by a combination of world class chefs and fresh ingredients harvested from the Mediterranean Sea.

Ten’s Tapas – Barcelona

Ten’s Tapas is guided by a chef with 2 Michelin stars under his belt.
The restaurant offers a modern twist to traditional tapas, appealing to more sophisticated palates. This place is overall a good setting for a casual business dinner.

Beechwood smoked octopus served with paprika, potato and olive oil – the slices of octopus on a bed of mashed potatoes are still smoking when it arrives at our table. The waitress lifts the cover and the waft of smoke dissipates, leaving our senses fully intrigued. I really like the smoky flavour that lingers in the throat. The soft texture of the octopus is quite different from the others we’ve had, and we’re still rather undecided on whether we’d consider it an improvement.

Esqueixada-style cod dressed tomato concasse, romesco textures and potato chips – the must try cod salad consists of hand-shredded salt cod, which is not cooked, but cured and dried. This method of preparation gives the fish a bouncy texture. Contributing to the refreshing flavour is the tomato salsa with spicy sauce, olive oil and hazelnut. Even the square-cut potato chips which didn’t seem to have any particular seasoning tasted rather special.

Low-temperature egg with carbonara foam – equally appealing was this dish with pine nut, truffle oil and parmesan cheese.
It’s a carbonara-lover’s dream come true. A chance to fully savour a decadent carbonara sauce without being judged.

Roasted scallop, squid sauce and lumpo roe – the large scallop was cooked to just the right doneness, with a sauce that is not overpowering; just enhancing the natural taste of the scallop.

Yakiniku chicken wings with prawns and fresh salad with spices – the chicken midwings are thoughtfully prepared boneless so that the diner can be fully immersed in the experience without having to fuss over the food.
The chicken skin is nicely crispened and the aroma is heightened by a sprinkling of toasted black sesame. But it’s the plain-looking crunchy carrot and cucumber salad side dish which steals the spotlight with its delightfully complex flavours.

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Seafood Tapas

La Trastienda – Seville 

La Trastienda tapas bar in Seville has one main focus – to showcase a variety of seafood, seasoned only to highlight the freshness of the ingredients.

Gambas al Pil Pil – the prawns are served in a clay dish and swimming in copious amounts of olive oil, together with garlic and a pinch of chilli powder. The seasoned olive oil, having been infused with the juices of the fresh prawns, begs to be mopped up with some crusty bread.

Octopus Gallegos – the large octopus tentacles are thinly sliced and cooked to perfection to achieve a pleasantly tender texture.

Razor clams steamed – even without any detectable seasoning, the clams are extremely sweet. Also, the juicy flesh of the shellfish is firm but not rubbery.

Los Diamantes – Granada

Outside this shop specializing in fried fish, there’s a plaque describing the history of the establishment.

“This is a special place. Not only the name shines in this legendary place opened in 1942…The current owner and husband of this great innkeeper symbolizes the third generation of Los Diamantes since José Ortega Sánchez inaugurated it. Only he knew the true origin of the name of his business, a secret that went with him and that is still the subject of legend.Only he knew what gave name to this ‘brilliant’ corner frequented by locals and tourists, the first rough diamond of which five other jewels of local gastronomy have been sculpted…”

They made sure we knew about their specialty by giving us a complimentary plate of fried fish tapas (Spanish anchovies) with our drinks. 

We also tried the grilled Navajas, baby squid and prawns.

The large crowd here seems to be mostly Spanish. We were there at noon on a Friday and the place was packed to brim and seemed extremely chaotic. However, the other patrons seem to seamlessly adapt to their system of announcements, hand motions and eye contact – since the restaurant staff almost never leave their posts behind the bar counter – knowing how to order and when to collect their food at the bar.
Sensing that we are foreigners and not familiar with this local tapas bar culture, the crew made special effort beckoning to us across the crowd when our food was ready to be collected.

Bar Jai-Ca – Barcelona

Much of the seafood here is served very simply with minimal seasoning and no fancy plating, just boiled or grilled and sprinkled with a bit of salt and olive oil.
By doing this, they successfully bring out the natural flavours of the fresh seafood.

We had the grilled almejas, navajas and cuttlefish.

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Basque-style Tapas

If you’d rather not have to decipher the sometimes extensive tapas menus, why not give the Basque-style tapas a try.

La Tasqueta de Blai – Barcelona

At La Tasqueta de Blai (Barcelona), the tapas are laid out on the bar counters and you can simply pick out the ones that tickle your fancy.

At the end of your meal you’ll be charged according to the number of toothpicks you’ve amassed.

We didn’t go with high expectations because we thought the food, which are prepared in advance, would be cold and possibly a bit flat. Still we wanted to give this place a try because we frequently saw Basque-style tapas bars in Barcelona and they were always crowded.

Our verdict?
The food was cold but definitely not dull.

First up, squid croquetas served with a superb carrot,lettuce and chives salad. These croquetas are unlike the others we have tasted so far, instead of a creamy texture it had a bite to it, almost bouncy.

Tempura prawns are still crispy, exceeding our expectation of a deep fried tapas presented in this manner.

Bacon wrapped sausage with mayonnaise and juicy peppers didn’t disappoint. But honestly, this is a combination that couldn’t possibly go wrong.

Besides savoury tapas, there is also a variety of desserts to round off your meal. 
The chocolate mousse, with a whipped cream topping and a sprinkling of biscuit crumbs, is rich and velvety smooth.

Also on offer was a traditional Catalan dessert – the Crema Catalana, a luscious thick custard with a caramelized sugar shell, which is similar in texture and flavour to crème brûlée. This must be a crowd favourite as there was only one left when we got there.

Gourmet Experience (El Corte Ingles) – Madrid

The vibrant street scenes of Madrid start at dusk.
This energy extends into the dining establishments, including the Gourmet Experience, situated on the top floor of the El Corte Ingles along Calle Gran Via.
If you can brave the mad dinnertime table jostle there and emerge victorious, you will be rewarded with magnificent views of the sunset as you dine.

At La Maquina the tapas are strictly speaking, not really Basque-style. But there’s a wide selection of tapas lined up along the bar which you can point at to order. 
And more on the menu for you to choose from.

The baby squid was grilled to tender perfection throughout with a slight crunch on the outermost layer. It is then doused with a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The surf and turf tapas dish of mushroom, jamon and shrimp was overall very juicy and flavourful.

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Fusion Tapas

It’s no wonder that Seville has been crowned home of the trendiest tapas. Simply take a walk around the city and you’ll stumble across many beautifully decorated restaurants serving unique dishes pushing the boundaries of what is commonly classified as tapas.

Bartolomea – Seville

At Bartolomea, a queue started to form even before opening time and the place was completely packed 15 minutes after they lifted their shutters.
Here, tapas is combined with a variety of elements from other cuisines and presented in French-style luxury.

With a South American influence is the ceviche of sea bass with cassava chips. It has the usual lime and red onion dressing and doesn’t look like much; until you taste it that is.

For the prawns burger, the prawn is pounded into a patty which resembles a Japanese fishcake. It is then topped with a garlic and avocado puree and sun-dried tomatoes.
As if it weren’t surprising enough that a snack (tapa) comes with its own side dish; the onion in the ‘onion tempura’ side dish still manages to remain crisp and fresh, with a light battering of flour on the outside.

The grilled duck breast with sweet potato and confit shitakes mash is of course strongly reminiscent of a French dish.
Call it a tapa if you dare, but with such profound flavours, it will not be out of place in a fancy restaurant.
The skin of the duck is seared until perfectly crispy, while the meat remains moist.

Lastly, the grilled Iberian pork shoulder is accompanied by an Apple puree and a distinctly Italian pistachio pesto which is simply outstanding.
They’ve even added a twist to the classic patatas bravas. The potato skin remains attached, lightly sugared and roasted to a nice char.

Maquila Bar – Seville

We were on our way to the Iglesia San Luis De los Franceses,when we passed by this unassuming little bar which later turned out to be our favourite eatery in Seville.

The guacamole for the nachos is spiked with different sauces that were both sour and spicy and so appetizing.
The guacamole was also presented in a nice neat shape with a sprinkling of cilantro; unlike the usual goop you get. Not that it matters because it’s gone in a matter of seconds.

Who would’ve imagined the Sevillanos could produce such a fantastic rendition of the Tandoori chicken?
The deep fried chicken has a strong aroma of Indian spices mixed into the batter and attains a whole new level of crispness. You have to try it to believe it.

The paella made with basmati rice is also fantastic. The mussels practically melt in your mouth. There are also carrots and celery in the dish, which are not the usual suspects but go really well with the basmati rice.

Ziryab Fusion Tapas Bar – Barcelona

This place has a predominantly Mediterranean vibe to its food.
The staff was friendly and took the time to explain the menu in detail.
Besides the à la carte tapas, there are also two tasting menus which you can opt for.

The Catalan butifarra pork sausage is the best pork sausage we’ve ever had.
It comes with a sweet beet and apple compote. The sausage is made mainly of finely ground lean meat, perfectly blended with small quantities of pork fat that melt in your mouth.
Given that it was likely prepared using the traditional method of stuffing meat into pig intestine, there was remarkably no detectable chewiness in the outer casing.

We asked the waitress for the secret behind the incredible sausage and she revealed that it is no secret – it is a locally crafted sausage purchased from a charcuterie in the neighbourhood.

The halloumi cheese sticks were well grilled and not too salty.
When paired with the red pesto sauce, its taste is elevated to a whole new level.

The asparagus wrapped with chicken breast accompanied with something similar to a hollandaise sauce was also good.
But if we could recommend one dish from here, it’d definitely be the pork sausage.