A visit to Madrid would not be complete without several tapas outings. Though tapas are becoming increasingly trendy in the U.S., for the real deal, it’s imperative to go barhopping in Spain for an afternoon or evening. Or for an afternoon AND an evening. Or all day, every day. Tapas is the quintessential Spanish experience.
As mentioned in the article “Bar crazy”, a Spanish bar is so much more than just a place to get a drink; it’s also a place to enjoy some Spanish delicacies, like jamón ibérico (cured Iberian ham), queso manchego (cured cheese), and tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelet). Of course, these delicious treats must all be washed down with a number of cañas (mini beers) or vinos (wines). And unlike in an American restaurant, you don’t order you own dish; everyone shares. Food is a communal concept in Spain, and it is not uncommon for a salad ordered at a large table to be served with ten forks (and no mini side plates), so that everyone can dig in all at once. This novel concept of sharing your food allows tapa-goers to try more foods at the same time, all the while saving money. This goes without saying: the bill is split evenly, without quibbling, when it’s time to move on to the next tapas stop.
Though there is much speculation as to the origin of tapas, many believe that they came about back when beers were served alone, without food. In order to keep the flies out of the beer, the bar tenders would cover the glass with a small plate. Eventually, that plate was topped with a little bite of something tasty. The word tapas comes from the Spanish verb tapar, which means “to cover,” so this seems like a likely birthplace for tapas. Since then (whenever that was...), tapas have evolved into an entire style of dining. Though a tapa is technically a small plate, like a mini appetizer, it can now also refer to larger portions, such as a whole plate of calamares a la romana (fried calamari). In Andalucía, the more traditional South, a complimentary tapa is still served with every drink, but unfortunately, this is hard to come by in Madrid. Luckily, tapas aren't terribly expensive on their own.
Madrid is full of bars (one for every 6 people, actually), so the options for tapas are infinite. However, not all tapas are created equal. For the best experience, you need to visit the bars in the La Latina area. The Cava Baja street is devoted exclusively to bares de tapas (tapas bars), the best of which are the Basque bar Txakolí (where, like in the Basque Country, all the tapas are lain out in a display case for all the see), the typically madrileño Casa Lucio, and Almendro (just around the corner, on Calle Almendro, this bar is famous for its huevos rotos, fried eggs and potato plates).
Another great area for tapas, albeit a bit more touristic, is the city center, La Puerta del Sol. On the streets that lead down to the southern side of the Plaza, there are a number of well-known bars serving up the best in Spanish cuisine. Try the cecina (cured beef) from the Northern province of León at El Buscón (Calle Reina Victoria), the patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy sauce) at Las Bravas (there are at least three branches in this small area), or the cured cheese at Malaspina (Calle Cádiz).
These are only a few of the great places to try tapas. You can also go from bar to bar on Sunday afternoons in the area where the Sunday market, el Rastro is held (For more information on the Rastro, please see the following article: http://www.examiner.com/x-28352-Madrid-Travel-Examiner~y2009m11d6-El-Rastro). Or in Lavapiés, the oldest neighborhood of Madrid and currently the most international/hippy. Or in the Malasaña area, near the Tribunal metro stop. There are so many good options that this list could go on for ages. The only way to find out which bares de tapas you like best is to go out one day and visit a half dozen of them. In Madrid, you will never run out of places to try new versions of standard Spanish fare!
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