Spain is a country known for its food. Sure, there are plenty of historical monuments to visit, beaches where to relax and cities to explore on food, but its tapas are worthy of a culinary visit to Spain.
Madrid: museums and plenty of potatoes
The largest city in Spain is ideal for history and culture lovers. Located in the center of the country, Madrid is a popular destination for a city break. The city’s main Gran Vía street is filled with shops, the centric Huertas district has many terraces and clubs and the Retiro park is a popular meeting spot where you can row a boat and enjoy a picnic. Do not miss the Prado, Reina Sofia or Thyssen Museums, three large art museums located in the very city center. After a tour around one of the main museums, take a stroll around the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol, two of Madrid’s most popular squares, before heading to the Royal Palace, a palace filled with antiques and paintings.
Near the historical city center you will find the neighbourhood of La Latina, the main tapas hub in the city. Join the locals for a late afternoon tapas crawl: order a drink, some fried calamari, homemade ham croquettes and some spicypadrón peppers. If you are looking for gourmet tapas, head to the nearby trendy Malasaña district, where you will find cafés and bars serving many local dishes, including huevos rotos eggs with potatoes and ham, ensaladilla rusa salad and tortilla Spanish omelet with potatoes. For an even more succulent meal, head for a day trip to one of the nearby historical cities: Segovia is known for its cochinillo suckling pig and Chinchón is ideal for those who want to gorge on anise pastries.
Granada: Alhambra and fried shrimp
Granada is most famous for two aspects: its ancient Alhambra fortress and its tapas. Alhambra is a must-see in this southern city. The green courtyards are decorated with fountains, and the halls of the Nazari palace are filled with latticed ceilings, colourful murals and gilded decorations. At the foot of the hill you will find two old neighbourhoods, the Albaycin and the Sacromonte. These two districts are known for their variety of authentic tapas at very reasonable prices- just order a beer or a tinto de verano summer wine and you will find a large ration of juicy olives in front of you. If you are on a budget, the always crowded university district is for you- there are plenty of bars and restaurants for all budgets. There are many type of tapas served in the local bars: try patatas alioli potatoes served with a type of mayonnaise sauce; order a platter of jamón serrano cured ham and queso curado matured cheese; and do not miss the famous gambas al pil-pil, a dish consisting of shrimps fried in olive oil with garlic.
San Sebastían: beaches, mountains and pintxos
The north of Spain is not the stereotype of what one might think is the real Spain. There are no crowded beaches, no high-rise hotels and no villages with white houses decorated with bougainvilleas. What you will find here are quaint stone towns overlooking the sea, golden beaches ideal for relaxing and old industrial cities that offer a variety of pintxobars. Tapas are similar to pintxos– their main characteristic is that most pintxos are small bites of bread, vegetables and anchovies held together on a skewer.
Visit the Old City of San Sebastián, at the foot of Mount Urgull, and wander along its streets until you find a pintxo bar that takes your fancy. Some of the most widespread pintxos are foie with apple on toast, peppers with thick salt, octopus with paprika, and slices of bread with salmon or anchovies. Local specialties include Zurrukutuna cod with peppers and eggs, Revuelto de perretxikos scrambled eggs with mushrooms and Sukalki beef stew. Enjoy a stroll aound the Concha Bay where you will find restaurants offering fresh seafood, and do not forget to order scallops, spider crab or anchovies.