5 Great Reasons to Visit Granada (Spain)

By Laurence Gardner /

2. The Food

Tapas are traditional Spanish dishes, and meals usually consist of two to five different delicacies together. Granada is full of good quality tapas bars, where you can try out dishes such as salmorejo (a delicious cold tomato soup, thicker than gazpacho), meatballs, spinach with chickpeas, Spanish tortilla, sliced Iberico ham, cuttlefish with lemon, or pork in a sauce of whisky, garlic or blue cheese. Of course, you can also get excellent international food if you fancy. There are high quality eateries across all of Spain, so you might wonder what makes Granada€™s tapas bars so special? The answer is simple; it€™s one of the few Spanish cities to maintain the old custom of giving you free food with your drink. I€™m not talking about some olives or a bowl of peanuts €“ it can range from a dish of freshly made paella to an entire pizza. You€™ll be hard pressed to find a bar which doesn€™t give you a decent sized portion when you order a beer or a coke (which typically costs 1.50-2 euros), and it€™s a delightful way of eating; you and your friends can spend an hour or two in a bar, relaxing and nibbling on Spanish delicacies. Some bars let you choose which tapa you want (preferable for vegetarians,) while others elect to surprise you. The only problem is, if you€™ve already eaten and just want a drink you might find yourself overwhelmed by the constant stream of food. Although I once found a little bar there which let you order a second beer as your free tapa €“ brilliant.