Tapa
A small plate of food, usually eaten standing at the bar with a drink. The foundational social-eating format of Spain.
A tapa is a small plate of food, two or three bites, ordered alongside a drink and meant to be eaten in stages with friends standing at the bar. It can be anything: a slice of tortilla, a handful of olives, a saucer of chorizo, a single grilled prawn. The format is the thing, not the dish. Traditional Andalusian bars still bring a free tapa with every drink; most of the rest of Spain charges for them. A typical night out involves crawling from bar to bar, ordering one or two tapas at each, then moving on. This is tapeo, the act of going for tapas, and it's a distinct meal format from sitting down for dinner.
How it's served
On a small plate or saucer at the bar, eaten standing. One round usually covers two or three tapas per person plus a drink. A full tapas meal is built from several rounds at one or several bars over an evening.
Regional variation
Andalusia is the historic heartland; many bars in Granada, Almería and Jaén still bring a free tapa with every drink. Madrid charges for tapas but has thousands of bars. The Basque Country has its own version called the pintxo, which is structurally different. Catalonia leans more on ración-sized plates than tiny tapas.
- Origin
- Andalusia (traditional attribution)
- Etymology
- Spanish for 'lid' or 'cover.' Folk etymology says the original tapas were saucers used to cover a wine glass against flies, with a snack added on top.
Where to try it in Barcelona
151 restaurants on Guidavera mention tapa in their kitchen description. Showing the top 24.
- Mont BarEixample
- AdonisGràcia
- Alba GranadosEixample
- AlNorteGràcia
- Assalto Bar de VinsEl Raval
- BambarolSarrià-Sant Gervasi
- Bar AlegríaSant Antoni
- Bar Bodega ChiquiSant Antoni
- Bar Bodega Costa BravaGràcia
- Bar CaldersSant Antoni
- Bar CanyíSant Antoni
- Bar CórdobaPubilla Cases
- Bar CostaEl Raval
- Bar del PlaEl Born
- Bar El Tomás de SarriàSarrià-Sant Gervasi
- Bar ElectricitatBarceloneta
- Bar FàbulaSarrià-Sant Gervasi
- Bar GalánEl Born
- Bar GañánSarrià-Sant Gervasi
- Bar La PlataGothic Quarter
- Bar LoboEl Raval
- Bar LorenzoSarrià-Sant Gervasi
- Bar MichiganSarrià-Sant Gervasi
- Bar MundialEl Born
Frequently asked
What is a tapa?
A small plate of food, usually two or three bites, ordered with a drink and eaten standing at the bar. Anything from olives to a slice of tortilla. The format is what makes it a tapa: small, shareable, drink-paired, often part of a multi-bar crawl.
What's the difference between a tapa and a pintxo?
A tapa is a small plate served at the bar, ordered when you want it. A pintxo (Basque tradition) is usually a single bite skewered with a toothpick, laid out on the bar for self-service, and counted at the end by the toothpicks left on your plate. Different format, similar idea.
Are tapas free in Spain?
In some places, yes. Many bars in Granada, parts of Andalusia, León and a few northern cities bring a free tapa with every drink. In Madrid, Barcelona and most tourist-heavy areas, tapas are paid items on the menu. The tradition is not universal.
Related terms
- RaciónA full plate of food meant to be shared, halfway between a tapa and a main course. The default order size when sitting at a table.
- PintxoBasque equivalent of a tapa: a single bite, often skewered with a toothpick onto a slice of bread, displayed on the bar for self-service.
- TapeoThe social act of going for tapas: walking from bar to bar, eating a few small plates at each, with no plan and no rush.
- VermutAromatized fortified wine. In Barcelona it doubles as a midday social ritual: a glass of vermouth on tap, an olive, a snack, around noon.
- BoqueronesFresh anchovies in two classic Spanish preparations: white in vinegar (boquerones en vinagre) or whole and deep-fried (boquerones fritos). Different fish from cured anchoas.
- CroquetasBreaded, deep-fried bites of thick béchamel mixed with chopped meat, fish or vegetables. The most-ordered tapa in Spain.
- Ensaladilla rusa'Russian salad': diced potato, carrot, peas, tuna and hard-boiled egg, bound with a generous slick of mayonnaise. The default Spanish tapas-bar salad.
- FuetLong, thin Catalan dry-cured pork sausage with a powdery white mould on the outside. Eaten in slices as a snack or tapa.
- GastrobarSpanish restaurant format combining a tapas bar's casual feel with restaurant-quality cooking. Mid-price, short menu, often chef-driven.
- GildaBasque pintxo skewered with a cured anchovy, a green guindilla pepper and a Manzanilla olive. The original San Sebastián pintxo, named after the Rita Hayworth film.
- Patatas bravasFried potato cubes with a spicy paprika-based red sauce, sometimes with allioli too. The default tapa across Spain.
- TabernaTraditional Spanish tavern: small, casual, wine-and-food, often centuries old and family-run. The everyday neighbourhood restaurant of working Spain.
- TascaA small, casual Spanish tapas bar. Standing-room mostly, a few stools, cheap wine, classic tapas, no fuss.
- Tortilla españolaThick Spanish omelette of slow-cooked potato bound in egg, served by the slice. Debate over whether to include onion is a national pastime.
- VerdejoSpanish white grape with a slightly bitter, herbaceous finish. The defining grape of DO Rueda in inland Castile and León.