Top 10 cities where you can enjoy the best 'tapas' for free
24 August, 2022Tapas is an essential part of Spanish gastronomic culture and more and more international tourists are discovering what it's all about, enjoying tapas and ordering it during their stay in the country. But, although in one way or another you can find tapas in restaurants in every region, there are several cities where they take great care to offer the best quality tapas, often free of charge, along with a drink.
In Spain, it has been a few years since it was first suggested "going out for tapas" should become an Intangible Cultural Heritage, and this typically Spanish gastronomic tradition now has its own World Tapas Day and is the subject of numerous studies. As a result, we now know which cities with more than 3,000 inhabitants offer the best tapas.
- Seville: 215 restaurants specialising in tapas. Local produce and Andalusian fried fish are the main dishes on offer. And, of course, the ensaladilla rusa.
- Granada: 153 restaurants. In addition to all of the above, because this city is also located in Andalusia, the meat dishes from the nearby Sierra Nevada stand out.
- Santiago de Compostela: 72 restaurants. The obvious influence here is the delicious Galician cuisine, with its seafood and other specialities. Don't miss the tortilla de patatas (potato omelette), which they make very soft and juicy here.
- Cadiz: 82 restaurants. The sea and seafood play an important role here as well. Don't miss the fried fish and prawn omelettes, a local delicacy.
- Malaga: 137 restaurants. In addition to all the typical Andalusian dishes, Malaga salad and local stews stand out.
- Salamanca: 76 restaurants. It has many choices, but what you should definitely not miss is the ham and chorizo made in this area. A real treat.
- Toledo: 55 restaurants. The cuisine of this central Spanish city is deeply rooted in tradition.
- Almeria: 114 restaurants. This area of Andalusia offers the best of the land and the mountains in the form of tasty tapas that visitors will fall in love with.
- A Coruña: 84 restaurants. Octopus, empanadas and all the other Galician specialities here are traditional.
- Pontevedra: 68 restaurants. What they offer here is similar to the previous city, but even more strongly focused on seafood, with shellfish as the star product of its tapas.