Top location for best tapas in Spain? Granada!!!

A British couple on first arriving in Spain bought a beer apiece in a quaint sunny bar in Granada city centre. Soon after the beer arrived the waitress plonked a delicious plate of prawns on the table. “Take them away. We can’t afford those,” said the thrifty Brits indignantly shaking their heads.

The waitress who understood no English took the prawns away. It was then that the couple noticed all the other customers were happily wading their way through a big plate of sweet and delicious prawns. They started to get the message soon afterwards and in time learnt where all the best bars were that served free tapas in the province of Granada.

When it comes to dishing out free food to accompany your beverage, Granada is without doubt the most generous province in Spain. The tapas are usually very good and sometimes it is outstanding. Best tapas in Spain? We think so!

It is true that other parts of Spain provide free tapas with drinks. They serve tapas as far away as Barcelona and in certain coastal resorts on the Costa Brava. But bar for bar, village for village, nowhere in Spain gives out tapas like they do in this southerly province of Andalucia.

You may ask for a varied selection of tapas but usually you will receive the same reply; “Improvisation!” This means that the barman, bar owner or chef has rustled up whatever they feel like making as the mood hits them.

Besides ‘beggers can’t be choosers’ and when someone is giving you something for free, it would be rude to start making demands! In some bars you get different tapas with every round of drinks so it is not really necessary to order a meal. In the really good tapas bars a newly inspired tapas is made every half hour or so.

Granada province stretches down to the Mediterranean and the city of Motril with Almunjecar and Caluhonda close by. The diverse, mountainous and exceptionally sunny region was made famous by Chris Stewart in his book ‘Driving Over Lemons’.

To the north of Granada are the traditional inland market towns of Baza and Benemaurel.  Travel to the west and you may come across the beautiful mountain town of Castril, which is resonant of an Alpine village in the Swiss mountains, if not for the fact generous portions of food are served with every drink!

All of the towns and villages, no matter how big and bustling or small and inconspicuous contain tapas bars where food is free with purchased drink. In fact the Spanish don’t even call them  tapas bars. They are simply referred to as bars where free tapas is an expected ritual.

So if you are feeling a little peckish and you happen to be in Granada province don’t bother to book that restaurant table, simply slide into the nearest bar, order a drink and see what comes forth! (as it’s free, quite possibly the best tapas in Spain!)

You might also want to check out Vintage Travel’s collection of luxury villas in Andalucia.