An expat living in Spain has revealed the 10 ‘unspoken rules’ British tourists need to pay attention to when ordering food in Spain. In the latest episode of his Spain Revealed YouTube channel, James Blick took viewers on a step by step guide of the ‘unspoken rules’ of ordering tapas in the much-loved sun soaked tourist destination.
The New Zealand expat gave his subscribers a guided tour around his new home of Madrid, showing off some the city’s most loved eating destinations.
As he made his way around the culinary offerings of the Spanish capital, he warned viewers that there are some key differences that tourists should pay attention to when visiting they are visiting the popular tourist destination.
Avoid ‘Tapas Bars’
His first top tip was to stay clear of ‘tapas bars’, saying that they are usually tourist traps “Spaniards don’t need to be told bars are Tapas bars, because all bars are Tapas bars.”
He has also advised touritsts to stick to places that don’t have tapas in the name, as they’re more likely to provide a more authentic experience.
Understand Spanish restaurant types
Next up, he explained the various different names Spanish give to restaurants, this comes from the fact that most premisis that serve drinks will also lilely have some food offering.
Accoridng to James there are ‘bars’, which serve limited levels of food, ‘cafeterias’ which act like bars but tend to open earlier and usually close at lunch time before re-opening later in the day.
Then he expalined that there are ‘cervecerias’, which are much like the former. Next, he described the concept of ‘tabernas’ that are ‘like rustic restaurants’.
Scope out the space
He also urged tourists to ‘scope out the space’ to see what sort of resutaurant they are visting, and to gauge the level of formality.
Get real estate
James explained that customers will have to learn to get ‘real estate’ during their visit to the country. By this, the Australian expat explained that tourists must work hard to secure their place at the bar, especially if they’re also planning to enjoy some tapas at the same time.
Hunt down the menu
With Spanish eateries operating differently to their UK counterparts, he explained how tourists might have to do some searching for menus during their travels to Spain. People should expect menus to be scattered around restaurants rather than one placed at every table setting, like we’d expect in the UK.
Hunt down the waiter
Much like the last tip, he also highlighted how tourists will have to be prepared to track down the waiter, as Spanish restaurants tend to be less formal and unlike the UK where waiters usually come over to serve each table.
Menus are confusing
Menu’s can often differ in terms of language depending on region, he explained. Although, broadly similar, he said that those visiting the country should try and familiarise themselves with the regional differences across the country.
Don’t be a greedy guts
He also warned not to make the same mistake as many others that have travelled to the much-loved country down the years. He said the best policy when ordering in restaurants is to order less food than you were probably intending to order, with the view to ordering more if needed.
Always pay at the end
Although this tip might seem quite self-explanatory, he explained that some tourists have been led to believe that you should pay after each round of tapas, but he insists that the best policy is to do this at the end of the meal instead.
Go when the kitchen is open
Unlike in the UK when restaurant kitchens are usually open from the moment that the doors open, in Spain they tend to have a period between lunch and dinner time when the kithcens close to prepare for the next stage of service.
