All About Bars

Bienvenidos to my first reader’s choice post, dedicated to my brother Andrew. I was asked to detail a typical café or bar in Spain because the ones here are different than they are in America and I go to them all the time (gasp). Note: since cafés and bars are about the same thing, I will refer to them as bars. I believe Spain has more bars per square kilometer than any other country, mainly due to the fact that although Spaniards are very social, homes are very private. So instead of hanging out at someone’s house, you hang out at the bar. And many times after work or class in the evening, people head to a bar for a drink or a snack with their friends before dinner. Several times I have seen a family at a bar, including the kids.
When you walk into a bar, the first object of your attention is, of course, the bar. Usually it is crowded with people sitting or standing around the counter, calling out their orders to the bartenders. The bartenders may or may not be slightly crabby. Behind the counter, there are usually shelves displaying bottles of all the varieties of wine and beers they serve. Most places also have chalkboards or signs listing all the varieties of tapas they serve, and often there are dried hams hanging from the ceiling. In the traditional bars, the walls are tiled with small brightly-colored tiles in intricate designs, but there are a few modern bars with walls painted in reds, browns, or blues, more like American coffee shops. Customers can either stay at the bar or sit at tables in the back. Many places also have tall tables close to the bar or out in front that you can stand around. One traditional bar I like, El Rinconcillo, is the oldest bar in Sevilla and has barrels to stand around.
At a bar, you can order alcohol if you like, but you don’t have to. When compared to America, bars in Spain are really a cross between a coffee shop and a bar. You can also order soda (pop for all y’all Yankees) or coffee. The coffee here is amazing- most of it is really expresso so it’s not made in a coffee pot. My personal favorite is café con leche, which is expresso, milk, and sugar. I have also recently discovered a small bar near my work that specializes in types of hot chocolate (which is not very common here).

You can also order tapas, which are little dishes you can order several of and share. There are a million types of tapas and each bar usually has a couple particularly good ones they are known for. My favorites are calamaris del campo (onions and peppers battered and fried, pictured below), tortillas (like a potato omelet), Iberian ham, and the one I discovered last night, berenjena con miel (fried eggplant with honey). There are also many with fish, ham, olives, or tomato soup, but I prefer vegetables. One of my favorite places is 100 Montaditos that serves 100 varieties of tiny sandwiches. If you want to eat a meal of tapas, you can either order several or go to a couple different places. People generally aren’t in a hurry when they go to a bar.
I believe that has about exhausted the topic of bars, so I will leave you here. Come visit me and I’ll order you some good stuff :^)