Guess what? We found a nice bar where you can get one tapa and a drink and don’t spend a lot in the process.

In some parts of Spain, when you order a beer, you get a free tapa. The city of Granada is the most famous place I know that has this hospitality tradition. But it is practised in other parts of Spain too.

A tapa and a drink

A “tapa” is a hot or cold bite for one served to accompany a drink. To simplify, it is a snack you eat with your beverage, typically as an aperitive.

In Barcelona, the practice of a free tapa with your drink is not so common. You can get some free olives, chips or peanuts and the like in some places. But a good tapa, like a piece of Spanish tortilla similar to what we had in Santiago de Compostela, is not a norm. If you want tapas, you order it separately.

I like the idea of having a bite with my drink especially when it is alcohol, not to drink on an empty stomach.

Last week, we discovered Raspall, a bar with a concept close to this tradition, in the Gracia neighbourhood.

Raspall

Raspall offers a combination of drink and tapa at a very affordable price.

For instance, you can have a beer/ vermut/ juice with a tapa for 3 euros. Wine/cava/non alcoholic beer with a tapa is 3.50 euros. It is quite decent. You can also order some cocktails (mojito, Caipirinha, etc.), but I find the combination of drink and tapa more interesting.

I expected at that price the tapa to be something simple like peanuts. Imagine my surprise when I read the choice of tapas of the day on the blackboard: mini burger, pimientos del Padron, tuna tataki, etc. Wow!

The atmosphere and the staff

There was a pleasant ambiance in the bar, with everyone chatting away. The space is not huge, but it is cosy. The crowd was mainly locals, which felt more authentic. The only drawback was the loudness. It was a bit hard to hear, and we had to shout a bit while conversing, but these are minor details. Not everyone is bothered by noise.

The women on the staff were friendly, welcoming and smiley. We had a good time at the bar.

Raspall, c/samsó 8 , Barcelona, Spain

Other awesome bars:

– A great wine bar in Barcelona

– One cool cocktail bar in Barcelona

– Discover Barcelona’s oldest bar, an absinthe bar