Tapas, pinchos and sharing plates (raciones): ordering without over-ordering

Key rules

• Free tapa: A free tapa with your drink is a local custom, and most of Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona, charges for tapas.
• Ask first: Ask the bar how it counts the bill and whether tapas are free, because practice differs bar by bar.
• Group of four: Four people typically order three to five raciones, adding more later if needed.

Tapa customs differ by region

In most of Spain you pay for tapas. That includes Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and the Basque Country. A free tapa with your drink is a local tradition, not a national rule.

Where it still happens:

• Granada city is the best-known example.
• León (the Barrio Húmedo area), Jaén, Almería, Salamanca and Ourense.
• Some other places in Galicia, plus Lugo, Zamora, Burgos and Soria.
• Parts of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, such as Albacete.

The bar usually chooses the free tapa for you. Order a second drink and you normally get another tapa.

The custom is fading. Some Granada bars now charge for bigger tapas or let you choose. Tapas at a table or on a terrace are sometimes charged too. If it matters, ask before you order.

Pintxos in the Basque Country

Pintxos are small snacks, often on bread with a toothpick. They are laid out on the bar counter. Take them yourself or ask staff to serve you. Hot pintxos are ordered from a board or from the kitchen.

Bars count the bill in different ways:

• Staff count the toothpicks (palillos) or skewers left on your plate.
• Some bars use plates of different shapes or colours for different prices.
• Some bars work on trust. You tell the barman what you ate and drank when you pay.

Ask on arrival how the bar does it. Keep your toothpicks on your plate until you pay. It is normal to go from bar to bar (called txikiteo or poteo) and pay at each one. The checklist below covers the routine.

How much to order: tapa, media ración, ración

A tapa is a single bite or small plate. A media ración is about half a full portion. A ración is a full plate meant for sharing, usually between two and four people.

As a rough guide, order two to three raciones or media raciones for two people. A group of four typically orders three to five raciones. Start with cold dishes and fried food, then add more if you are still hungry. Ordering in rounds is the easiest way to avoid bill shock.

Sizes vary by bar and region, so ask the waiter how big a ración is before you order. These quantities are a rule of thumb, not a standard.

The questions below cover free tapas at tables and group sizes.

Checklist

• Ask on arrival how the bar counts the bill: toothpicks, plates, or telling the barman at the end.

• Keep your toothpicks or skewers on your plate until you pay, so staff can count them.

• Order hot pintxos from the board or the kitchen, and take cold ones from the counter yourself or ask staff to serve them.

• Tell the barman exactly what you ate and drank when you pay, if the bar works on trust.

• Pay at the end in each bar if you move from bar to bar.

Frequently asked questions

Which cities still give a free tapa with a drink?

Granada city is the best-known place where a free tapa comes with each drink, and it is also common in León, Jaén, Almería, Salamanca and Ourense. You also find it in parts of Galicia, Zamora, Burgos, Soria, Extremadura and Albacete. In Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and the Basque Country, tapas and pintxos are paid for.

Do I get a free tapa if I sit at a table or terrace?

Not always, because tapas at tables or on terraces are sometimes charged even where counter drinks come with a free tapa. Some Granada bars now charge for bigger tapas or let you choose. Ask before ordering, and know that a second drink usually brings another tapa, chosen by the bar.

How much should a group of four order in raciones?

A group of four typically orders three to five raciones, starting with cold dishes and fried food. A ración is a full plate for sharing, usually for two to four people, and a media ración is about half of that. Add more later if you are still hungry.