If you’re visiting Granada, there’s no question that you’ll be getting tapas while you’re there. Granada is a city rich in culture and history, but potentially above all, it’s certainly the most well-known city in Spain for free tapas. At any bar you go to, when you order a drink (alcoholic or not), you’ll get a plate of tapas free of charge–what could be better than that?
Free tapas is a long-running Spanish tradition that lost its way in many parts of the country, but still holds strong in Granada. It’s thought to have originally become standard practice in Spain to serve a small plate of food with all drinks in order to keep patrons from getting too drunk; that’s certainly not the case now, but it’s still a wonderful piece of traditional Spanish culture to partake in–if you’re visiting this vibrant city, be sure to take full advantage of the amazing food culture here and fill up on as many free tapas as you can! I spent a weekend eating my way around different tapas bars in Granada, and these are my absolute favorites in the city (in no particular order). Don’t miss them!
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1. Los Manueles Reyes Católicos
Possibly the most crowded bar/restaurant we visited in Granada, but for good reason! Despite the crowds, we were sat at a table surprisingly quickly, though you could easily order at the bar and eat or drink outside, or just mill around the bar. In my entire month in Spain, I don’t think I ordered any other drink except for vermouth, which I highly recommend: I’d never had it straight before, but it’s wonderfully sweet, sometimes spiced, and always cheap! In my opinion, the perfect drink on a night out, especially if you’re getting free food with each one.
We were served a sharing plate of tapas that tasted like chicken in a light curry sauce, though we don’t know exactly what it was (but it was delicious!). I ordered some tapas for myself as well, and my vermouth plus two small tapas only cost about 8€. You really can’t beat that!
STANDOUTS:
- Albondiga Manueles (Manueles meatball)
- Croqueta Manueles (Manueles croquette)
2. Bar Poë
Bar Poë was absolutely my favorite tapas bar in Granada (and maybe all of Spain). A vermouth was only 3€ here, and they had an incredible menu of free tapas to choose from, ranging from beef stews to Portuguese-style cod to chicken curries. Some of the tapas were even vegetarian, which can be very hard to find in Spain! The chickpea salad (veggie) was absolutely amazing, as was the pork stew, and it was even more amazing to us such incredible food was just… free with our drinks. You just don’t see that in the States.
STANDOUTS:
- Estofado de carne con Piri-Piri (Piri-Piri pork stew)
- Ensalada de garbanzos (chickpea salad)
3. La Goma
La Goma was another great spot that was actually entirely vegan. They have a rotating menu that’s written on index cards–very casual and endearing, albeit a bit hard to read in the dim lighting. However, we ordered pretty much one of everything, and each dish was outstanding. We were served a tofu dish as a tapa with our drinks (again, a vermouth was no more than 3€), and each of the main dishes didn’t cost more than 6 or 7€ each, with great portion sizes. Definitely a spot to visit if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just love yummy tapas!
STANDOUTS:
- Curry rojo (if on menu)
- Seitan (if on menu)
4. Ras Cafe Bar
This was the only bar we visited where we didn’t order food in addition to our tapas and drinks, but we absolutely loved the vibes of this bar! It honestly felt like a mixture between a typical Spanish bar and a typical British pub–it was all dark wood, comfy tables and booths, cozy corners, and quiet conversations. I will say, Ras probably served the best vermouth I had in Granada, and it cost between 2-3€. Truly can’t beat it. Plus, this was my favorite tapa as well: jamón Iberico with olives! The Iberian ham in Spain is absolutely delicious, so if you’re a meat eater, please take every opportunity you have to enjoy it. It’s a delicacy here for a reason!
STANDOUTS:
- Vermouth (best I had in Granada)
5. El Pozo
This felt like more of a restaurant than your standard small tapas bar, but that’s probably only because we sat outside on the patio (which was lovely). I’m sure the inside has more of your typical feel, but if you can get a table outside, do it! We got a really yummy tapa that I think was couscous with sausage and ham, but you aren’t typically told what your tapas are when they’re brought to you, so I just guessed. We ordered quite a bit of food here since we had just come from exploring Sacromonte, and I can confirm this is a great spot for larger meals in addition to just tapas! I ordered a little spread of tapas for myself, and my friends both ordered bigger lunches of eggs, potatoes, and ratatouille that looked delicious–just look at the photos!
STANDOUTS:
- Patatas bravas (potatoes)
- Tortilla de patatas (spanish omelet)
- Quesos (assorted cheeses)
- Huevos, patatas, y pisto (eggs, potatoes, and ratatouille)
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