A TALE OF TWO TAPAS cities
Think Spain and think sun-drenched squares, delicious tapas and ice-cold wine. Where better to celebrate World #TapasDay than a pair of the country's most food-focused cities
GRANADA
The legacy of the Moors permeates Granada like the smell of the cumin that flavours much of its tapas. Sitting in a crook of the Sierra Nevada mountains, this southern Spanish city was under Moorish rule for 800 years. The sprawling Alhambra palace is Andalucía's calling card. As you walk through the narrow streets of Albayzín, the old Moorish quarter, you'll hear the enchanting sounds of rippling fountains that have been in place for centuries, while the atmospheric fall of sweet-smelling orange blossom wafts gently by.
Nowhere is Granada's unique fusion of east and west more apparent than in its tapas. It's one of the best places in Spain to try these small plates as they come on the house with every alcoholic drink. Grab a stool at any bar and delicious dishes will appear as if by magic. Fat fillets of anchovy in spiced batter, flaky pastel (a small pastry stuffed with chicken and almond) and tortilla del sacromonte (omelette with pork offal) are just some of the delicacies on offer.
The only problem in a place with 2,565 bars – one for every 92 inhabitants – is knowing where to start. Plaza de Toros, the bullring area, is the city's gastronomic heart. Start on Calle Dr Oloriz at Tendido 1 and Ermita Plaza de Toros, working your way towards Plaza de San Pantaleón, which buzzes with residents yelling out their orders, a glass of manzanilla sherry in hand. Barrio Realejo, the old Jewish quarter, is practically made for tapas crawls but to mingle with the locals, head to Plaza Nueva and Calle Elvira at lunchtime. La Riviera is one of the few places where you can choose your free tapas (grilled octopus with chorizo is a must), while Bodegas Castañeda's dark wood and bouquet of hams hanging from the ceiling are a sign of the wonderfully traditional tastes to come. Think gazpacho, snails and patatas a lo pobre (poor man's potatoes). Getting there: BA flies from London City, while easyJet goes from Gatwick and also from Manchester in July. ba.com easyjet.com