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Forget that fancy restaurant – if you’re after a true hit of Spain’s red-hot, fiesta-loving, sociable soul, take the lead of locals. Track down a tapas bar that’s been in business for donkey’s years, elbow your way to the bar, browse what’s at the counter, shout out your order, squeeze into an available corner and dig in. The idea of meeting friends for a gossip and a glass of vino, vermouth or beer accompanied by an endless parade of delicious dishes you can share is so deeply ingrained in Spanish culture they even have a verb for it – tapear – and the golden hour for this is around 10pm.
Edge north to the wave-beaten shores of Basque Country and you’ll find tapas rivaled by pintxos, bite-sized morsels served on bread, in a spoon or on a skewer, equally good as a pre-dinner snack with an aperitif or as a meal in themselves.
In Spain they say “De la panza sale la danza”, or the stomach leads the dance, so read on for our favorite tapas and pintxos spots that will sweep you (and your tastebuds) off your feet.
The Madrileños are rarely afraid to come out of their shell – and neither are the caracoles (snails) that have made this fabulously old-fashioned bar in Madrid’s La Latina neighborhood famous. An enormous pot of escargots in a rich house sauce with garlic, smoky chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage) and paprika has been bubbling away at Casa Amadeo since 1942. The interior has barely changed since then, with retro patterned tiles and old pictures festooning the walls. Try the caracoles with a glass of vermút (vermouth), or go for other traditional faves like river crab and fat pork knuckles.
Tip: Casa Amadeo is just around the corner from El Rastro flea market, in full swing on a Sunday. Come before midday to score a table or be prepared to wait.
But a hungry step away from the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and Real Jardín Botánico, bright, Spanish diner-style El Brillante gets regularly rammed with locals in search of the city’s freshest, crunchiest, tastiest bocadillos (long baguette-like bread loaf with fillings). It has been making some of the very best here since 1952. Top billing goes to the one stuffed with lightly olive-oil-and-flour battered calamari (squid), but you can also give them a whirl with fillings like chorizo, tortilla and tomato-anchovy. Or pull up a stool at the pink marble bar for old-school tapas like pig’s ears, tripe, and patatas bravas, potatoes swimming in spicy homemade tomato sauce.
Tip: Get a sweet start to the morning by heading here for churros con chocolate, sugary deep-fried dough sticks dunked in hot chocolate that’s thick enough to stand a spoon in.
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