What Is A Tapas Bar? -
A Spanish tapas bar is typically a small place to enjoy a "chato" ( small
glass of wine) or a "ca�a" (a small glass of tap beer) accompanied with a
small portion of an authentic Spanish appetizer. It's simply a nice place
to have a good time with your friends.
Walk into a Spanish tapas bar and the first
thing that hits you is the variety of appetizers (tapas) found: From
pickles on cocktail sticks, cheeses, hams, chorizos, to sizzling hot
dishes like shrimps al ajillo served in small earthenware casseroles. It's
the chance to dip into so many tastes, as well as the visual spread of
tapas that make them universally appealing.
But behind the apparently bewildering
variety are certain clear principles. Originally a mouthful of food
included in the bar-price of a fino, wine or beer, a tapa is designed to
accompany drink and good conversation. The tapa, invented in an age less
obsessed with productivity, is a trick for spinning out your drinks
without getting drunk. And whether thirst provoking or absorbent, they
should be easy to eat so they don't interrupt the flow of conversation.