Free tapas – yes, free! It’s a hallmark of the Granada food scene. While the tradition of a free tapa (small bite) served with drinks is rare in most of Spain, Granada honors it with style and gusto.
Tapas in Granada is a social event that locals refer to as “hacer el tapeo” or “doing tapas.” To them, socializing over drinks and shared plates is more important than the tapas itself. For us, it’s a delicious and affordable way to immerse ourselves in the city’s food scene.
Finding a great tapas bar or restaurant can be challenging for visitors. For starters, there’s a lot of them. Some are disappointing, offering bad tapas or no tapas along with indifferent service. Or they go through the motions, serving a few potato chips or olives along with your drink. But most Granada eateries embrace this tradition. They may also offer olive but they’ll add something more, like cheese or a bit of sausage. The best ones amaze you with delicious classic dishes that can easily be a light entrée.
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Here are our nine favorite tapas places in Granada, all near the center city. You can’t go wrong with any of them. But there are countless options we couldn’t explore during our two weeks here. We’ll check out some more when we return next year to spend a month in this friendly, food-happy city.
BODEGA CASTANEDA
It’s too bad we didn’t find this classic bar restaurant earlier. Its tapas are hearty and delicious. Our tapas included a couple of slices of tortilla, a bowl of savory pork stew, and a delicious black seafood rice with aioli. You won’t want to order dinner after a couple of rounds of tapas and drinks here. This place is very popular so arrive early to get a seat inside at the bar.
LOS DIAMANTES
We stumbled upon this seafood-focused tapas restaurant during our initial visit to Granada years ago, and it became a must-visit for us again. They have a handful of locations, all serving the same quality dishes. Order a glass of wine and get a big plate of something delicious and frito. We’ve had crisp, hot marinated chicken tenders, cubes of tangy cod and boquerones. (Yes, life is too short not to eat fried anchovies!). Modern, clean, and comfortable.
EL PESCAITO DE CARMELA
Another popular seafood-focused eatery was conveniently located just a few steps from our apartment. Although you may get a fried tapa here, you’re most likely to get a bowl of tiny sweet shrimp you peel yourself. Messy, but worth the effort. We also shared a lovely bowlful of baby clams swimming in a delicious broth we soaked up with bread. Friendly servers; sometimes a little short-staffed, but worth the wait.
BAR TOCATEJA
Tapas are big, hearty, and exceptionally delicious at this wine bar near the green oasis of Plaza Trinidad. Our plates of tomato-rich rice and chicken were highlights of our stay. The bowl of flavorful braised artichoke hearts that followed almost matched them. The bar’s interior is quintessential old-school, complete with a large painting of a matador being gored by a pissed-off Bull.
MINOTAURO BAR TAPAS
This one was a happy accident. While heading for lunch at a highly rated restaurant just below the Alhambra, we followed Google directions and accidentally ended up a few blocks into the Albaicin neighborhood. Most everything was closed so we grabbed a table at the only open eatery on the street and ordered beers from the friendly server. Turns out we stumbled upon a super popular tapas bar in the neighborhood. They’re known for their amazing mini sandwiches made with roasted meats or hamburger. They were tasty and terrific – so good that we ordered lunch from the menu. The tender pork stew arrived with some of the best fries we had on our trip.
LA COCINA DE SAN AGUSTÍN
This tiny, unassuming place inside the Mercado de San Agustin is worth seeking if you like your seafood super fresh. Guests pick from a selection of just-caught fish and crustaceans to have cooked for lunch. While waiting for our sauteed and fried fish, we happily savored a tapa of peel-your-own shrimp. Super affordable and fun.LOS MANUELES
We had two of our favorite meals at this restaurant, as it is popular with locals and tourists. Friendly staff, with an excellent menu of meats, seafood, and rice dishes. The tapas are first rate as well. One one of our favorites was an excellent Russian salad, the creamy potato salad with tuna popular all around Spain. Before lunch one Sunday afternoon, a bowl of olives, cheese, and bread arrived with our wine.
TripAdvisor Granada Restaurants: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g187441-Granada_Province_of_Granada_Andalucia.html Granada – Rick Steves Europe: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/spain/granada
