One of the many beautiful traditions that lives on in Granada, Spain is the custom of the free tapa, also known as, the greatest thing ever. With every glass of beer, wine, vermouth, etc, a snack is sent out to accompany it. This tradition is said to have started as far back as the 12th century, and in the 15th century, King Felipe II made it a legal requirement for taverns to serve these snacks with drinks in order to decrease public intoxication. Totally genius! Nowadays, Granada is one of the last places where you can expect a tapa free of charge with every drink. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have years to eat and drink our way through every bar in this charming city, so, I’ve narrowed it down to 4 exceptional bars in Granada where you not only get bang for your buck, but you also get the best for your buck.
Bar Poë
Bar Poë is a must while in Granada. Their tapas are extra special because you get to pick what you want! They offer meat, fish, and vegetarian options and these are not your common finger food tapas. These are complete dishes, such as potato curry and Portuguese salt cod that are served in miniature sizes. If possible, go early, because this place fills up quick and there’s not a whole lot of incentive to leave.
Taberna Gastronómica Chantarela
This lovely restaurant is a few minutes walk down the street from Poë and is known for serving seafood tapas. If you’re someone who doesn’t eat meat, or traveling with someone who doesn’t eat meat, this is a fantastic place to be. They do not hold back and they do not skimp. With our first round of drinks, we were presented with an octopus masterpiece so beautiful and delicious I physically had to pick my jaw up off the floor.
La Blanca Paloma
Stop number three brings us to La Blanca Paloma to try an infamous dish from the south of Spain, berenjenas con miel, in English, fried eggplant with honey. This is always the first tapa served at this restaurant and while it might not look like anything to write home about, they will surprise you in the best way.
Taberna La Tana
Lastly, we have an old school wine bar that was visited by none other than Anthony Bourdain. This quaint little bar had excellent service, excellent wine, and excellent desert, which is why I recommend to end your evening there. One of the very friendly servers helped us pick our wine based on our likings, which of course came with a plate of snacks, and to end on a sweet note, we ordered the desert sampler, which I 10/10 recommend doing. Just look at how yummy!
Annnddd, that concludes my bit on where to get the best free tapas in Granada! Happy eating everyone!
Beyond the Postcard 
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