Tapas in Granada: Free with Every Drink, Here’s How It Works

In short: In Granada, most bars give you a tapa with every drink, without charging extra for it. You order the drink, and the tapa comes on its own. After three rounds in two or three bars, you have had dinner.

How does the free tapa work?

You order a drink, for example a small beer (caña), a glass of wine or a tinto de verano (red wine with lemonade). Shortly afterwards, the waiter puts a small plate down next to it. This also applies to soft drinks, but usually not to coffee or tea.

In many bars the kitchen decides what comes, and the tapa changes with every round. Other bars have a list you choose from. If there is something you don’t eat, say so when you order: there is almost always something for vegetarians.

If you are hungrier, you can also order a ración (large portion to share) or a media ración (half portion). These cost extra.

Which neighbourhoods are worth it?

There are good tapas bars all over the city. To start with, these four areas are enough, all within walking distance of the centre:

• Calle Navas and surroundings: the classic tapas street next to the town hall, narrow, loud and very central.
• Calle Elvira: lots of small bars at the foot of the Albaicín.
• Realejo and Campo del Príncipe: terraces on the square, a bit quieter, good after a visit to the Alhambra.
• Around the Plaza de Toros: mainly locals from Granada eat here, and the portions are often bigger.

The further you get from the cathedral, the bigger the plates usually become. More about life in the city is under Studying in Granada.

What should you try?

Granada’s cuisine is hearty and has Moorish roots. These dishes keep coming up as a tapa or ración:

• Habas con jamón: young broad beans with ham.
• Berenjenas con miel: fried aubergines with cane honey.
• Patatas a lo pobre: potatoes slowly cooked in olive oil with peppers and onions.
• Remojón granadino: salad of oranges, salt cod and olives.
• Pescaíto frito: small fried fish, as the coast is not far away.
• Jamón de Trevélez: air-dried ham from the Alpujarras.
• Piononos: small sweet sponge rolls from the neighbouring town of Santa Fe, for coffee afterwards.

What gets served in the rest of the region is covered under Eating in Andalusia.

What are the rules in the bar?

Eating tapas is easy. These are the habits you should know.

• You order at the bar or from the waiter, and pay at the end for all rounds together.
• Each person orders a drink, and then each person also gets a tapa.
• One drink per bar and then moving on is completely normal.
• Tipping is optional. A few coins on the plate are enough.
• At 6 pm the kitchen is often closed. Then you get olives or crisps at most.

How does the tapas round fit into your day?

At midday it fits well after a morning at the Alhambra: from the exit you can walk down into the Realejo in a few minutes. In the evening, Calle Elvira is a good choice when you come back from the sunset in the Albaicín.

In summer everything shifts later. According to the weather service AEMET (normal values 1981 to 2010), maximum temperatures in July average 34.8 degrees, which is why the terraces only fill up late in the evening. You will find all other destinations in the city under Granada sights.

Frequently asked questions

As of October 2026. Opening hours, prices and entry rules change. Check them on the official websites before your visit.

Cover image: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0