This post is dedicated to my best friend Caitlin, who introduced me to my first real “foodie’ experience in Las Vegas (& I’ve been eating my way through life since) ♥️
Why are we all suddenly obsessed with eating tapas? Actually, the real question is, why would we NOT be?! If you’ve never tried tapas, or better yet, don’t know what they are, allow me to put you on to your new favorite dining experience. This post talks about what tapas are, where they came from, and what types of restaurants serve them. The best part? They’re essentially perfect for every occasion: girls night out, date night, or even making random friends at the bar (yes, I speak from experience).
Many restaurants have adopted the sheer genius concept of serving food “small plates” style. This allows people to try multiple different menu items at once. Try 2-3 dishes, and next time you come back, you can try 2-3 more. This may not be how tapas started, but it’s how they’ve evolved in modern day restaurant culture. There’s never been an easier time to eat your way through a menu, and we are here for it. I’m already hungry.
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What Are Tapas?
Tapas are a “small plates” style of food that originated in Spain. The word “tapa” (verb: tapar) means “to cover.” There are many theories, but it is said that tapas came about when bartenders started to cover their customers’ drinks with a slice of bread, ham or cheese to prevent bugs and other insects from entering. I don’t know. It makes sense to me, but I’ve always been better at eating than I am at history. /shrug
Tapas have long been an integral part of Spanish social culture. Traditionally, Spaniards would bop around from one bar to another and have a drink and a small dish at each place. Spanish culture is very social, so the concept of eating and drinking while running into as many people as you possibly can makes a lot of sense. No wonder I love that country…
Tapas are dishes that are meant to be shared. If you don’t like sharing, that’s understandable. Sometimes I don’t either. In that case, you can order anywhere from 2-4 different types of tapas for yourself, because the portions will be small. When people go out in groups, the amount of tapas can be endless.
Why is the Concept of Tapas So Popular?
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had no idea what to order because you wanted to try everything? Same. But now you CAN try just about everything, thanks to the concept of tapas.
With tapas, you are able to sample a bunch of different dishes without getting too filled up on any one thing. If I’m out solo traveling and end up at a tapas restaurant, I usually order 2-3 tapas depending on how big they are. If I’m with my friends, there’s no limit. It’s almost like a contest to see how many things we can try. (“Should we order oneeee more?”….)
You can even hit up a tapas restaurant before dinner and get a drink plus one of the plates as an appetizer. Personally, I would never trust myself to do this because I would end up just staying here and eating everything, but if you have more will-power than me, know this is a very popular concept. You can try multiple restaurants throughout the city this way!
Making Friends Over Tapas
I’ll never forget the time I went to a Lebanese restaurant in Washington DC and opened up their menu, only to find that I had no idea what most of the food was. They had a bunch of small plates, and my bartender happened to be very Lebanese (and…okay…very cute). If you’re cute and working at a cultural restaurant, I’m probably going to trust your judgement. I told him to pick 3 of his favorite things and just send them out to me.
As I was sitting at the bar alone, the lady sitting beside me had just ordered. We got to talking, and when her food came out, she insisted I try a bite of everything she had. I don’t normally eat food off a stranger’s plate, but I also don’t normally say no to food period, so whatever. I tried a bite of everything.
Of course, when my food came out, I returned the favor…and just like that, we ended up sampling half the menu together. My cute bartender’s rec’s were spot on. I left Washington DC stuffed, cultured, and with a new friend. The lesson here? Don’t sleep on tapas OR solo travel.
Read about this restaurant and others in my post, The Most Romantic DC Restaurants for Your Next Night Out
What Types of Restaurants Serve Tapas?
Tbh, there’s not really one right answer to this. That’s because a lot of restaurants serve tapas without explicitly advertising themselves as “tapas restaurants” or “small plates restaurants.” You just know by looking at the menu. For awhile, when people thought of tapas, they strictly thought of Spanish food, but now, more and more restaurants with different cuisines have been adopting the concept (see my Lebanese restaurant example above). If you’re in doubt, you can always ask the waiter or bartender how big the serving sizes are. A lot of times, they will tell you how many plates most people order.
Most of the restaurants in my DC post that I mention are tapas style, and the cuisine ranges from American to Middle Eastern. Another time, my friends and I had the best Mexican tapas experience at a restaurant in Las Vegas. I love that restaurants serving different types of food are all hopping on this trend!
Restaurants with Tapas in Spain
I can’t leave this section without giving a shout-out to the OG tapas capital of the world. If you go to Spain, you will see that arguably the majority of restaurants are tapas-focused. In Barcelona, you will find many restaurants in Eixample and the Gothic Quarter to get your tapas fix (click on the links to see some of my fav restaurants in the city!).
Same goes for restaurants in Madrid, along with all other Spanish cities. I listed these two as an example because they are 2 of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, but know that you can find tapas everywhere here. Spain is one of my favorite countries, largely because of the food scene.
What Are Popular Spanish Tapa Dishes?
There are many different kinds of tapas, but here are a few I typically see on Spanish menus:
- Jamón Ibérico: Cured Iberian ham, thinly sliced
- Pan con Tomate: Bread rubbed with ripe tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and salt
- Patatas Bravas: Fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli
- Chorizo al Vino: Chorizo sausage cooked in red wine
- Croquetas: Fried breadcrumb-covered rolls, often filled with ham, chicken, or cod
Of course, restaurants that don’t serve Spanish food are going to create whatever they want and put it in tapa form. That’s the beauty of small plates. You can literally take a mini serving of whatever you want and make it into tapas. It’s sheer genius.
“Get in Loser, We’re Eating Tapas”
Men are great, but have you ever put on your favorite dress and heels to go to dinner and share a bunch of tapas with your besties?
My friends and I love a good tapas place. We’re all more or less foodies, and tapas have introduced us all to foods we didn’t even know existed. (Bone marrow? Yes, you can eat it.) Plus, there’s just nothing more fun than sitting there with your girls, talking and laughing and getting a liiiittle bit tipsy while the waiter brings you practically everything on the the menu. It’s iconic. If your next girls night out doesn’t involve tapas, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Make a night out of it. Food is an experience – so why not romanticize your life by having an exemplary dining experience with the people you love?
If You Need Girls Night Inspo, Check Out the Following Posts:
Tapas Around the World
Today’s tapas restaurants don’t discriminate – you can find them everywhere worldwide! Skyscanner is my favorite app/website to get the best deals on flights all over the globe. If you, like me, plan your trips largely around food, type in your destination and start making reservations!
