Staying in the birthplace of tapas makes it that much easier to enjoy them at any given moment. Here in Barcelona, getting your hands on traditional, extravagant and unique tapas is not only fairly easy but definitely a must. Exploring the world of tapas and learning more about how it began was both enjoyable and tasty
Origin Story
What is fascinating about this history is that so many regions of Spain want credit for the origination. Depending on your source, you may hear many different regions. However, the best bet is knowing they originally began in Spain. Now the tapas you experience in Spain will be quite different from the tapas in Granada for example, but the overall concept of them remains the same.
Tapas in Spain refers to a small portion of food. The size is a major characteristic of a tapa. It is a key principle in deciding whether something is a tapa or not. They are traditionally considered snacks or appetizers before a meal that people would consume before bars, dinner and lunch. This also caters to the culture in Spain as it is common to eat dinner at a later time such as 9 or 10PM.
If you order tapas from different parts of Spain, like Madrid, you may even be able to get a free tapa. The only requirement is usually ordering one drink. This is the case at El Tigre, a very popular bar in Madrid. A tourist looking at the menu outside of the restaurant, expressed their love for the place but specially, the free tapas. Kaylin stated, “It’s nice to eat something small with your drink, especially when it’s free!”
The excitement from this deal was apparent as the place was packed. Lines could be seen inside and out.
Tapas 2254
Though El Tigre, could be talked about for pages, the real star of this tapas experience is a pleasurable restaurant by the name of ‘Tapas 2254’. After taking time to research tapas, it is clear more should be had and since Spain is known for it, it was not hard to find a place. However, what makes this restaurant very different from others, is its insanely high rating and ranking.
Tapas 2254 takes the idea of tapas and really adds an artsy feel to your plate while also delivering some of the best flavors you can experience from this type of dish. With a rating of 4.5 stars and a ranking of #362 out of 8,000 restaurants in Barcelona on TripAdvisor, this place exceeded expectations.
The goal was to try some amazing and traditional tapas while also not spending too much. Despite its high rating and popularity, the prices were very reasonable, and the portions were enough to share with others. This made saving money an easy task without missing out on any flavors.
To get a guaranteed spot in the restaurant, a reservation has to be made. This process was super simple and offered various times for inside and outside seating. The website gives you a taste of the inside scenery so enjoying the food inside was the clear choice.
Upon arriving the restaurant was empty and dimly lit. The staff greets you instantly upon arrival and leads you to a spacious seating area with beautiful foliage all around. Rustic walls surrounded the dining tables and within 5 minutes you feel like you are in a completely different place.
The menu made it hard to choose just a few tapas for us to try. After several minutes of deciding, the tapas were ordered and were quickly placed on the table. The wait time was very short, and the fast drinks made you forget you are waiting on food in the first place.
Some of the tapas ordered were either traditional or featured a unique spin specific to the restaurant. Some of the things we ordered were the goat cheese truffles, the tomato tartar, the artichoke and the mochis bravos. The most anticipated tapa was the mochis bravos as they were advertised as a unique spin on the traditional “patatas bravas”.
The goat cheese truffles were also ordered after another family gave the suggestion. Seated next to us was a family who visited Barcelona quite often from California. Emily stated, “The goat cheese truffles are something we get every time we visit. We really enjoy them.” Their stellar review only made the truffles look more enjoyable.
The highly anticipated ‘mochis bravos’ were more than delicious as the added bacon and basil added a nice touch to the traditional meal.
What made this tapas experience much more memorable than others was not just the superb flavors, but the artsy presentation of everything ordered. Each tapa felt like it had a unique element to it as everyone shared the experience. There was not a single bad tasting tapa which encouraged us to try dessert as well. The waiter Javier was asked what the best dessert option is. He said “I suggest trying the cheesecake. It is one of my favorites.” That was enough for the cheesecake to be ordered and enjoyed.
Like the tapas, the cheesecake did not disappoint either and made it clear that this was a place that will be visited multiple times.
Only a few of the many tapas this restaurant had to offer were consumed, but it was enough to truly enjoy the experience. Ordering tapas is not just about the food but the overall experience. Trying the different types of food, having drinks and laughing with friends in a beautifully decorated environment adds a lot to it.
Tapas 2254 definitely embraces the tapas tradition and makes you want to explore and enjoy more. Enjoying such a thing really makes you feel like you are immersing yourself in the culture and their traditions. It felt great to see not only foreigners enjoying these great snacks but natives as well.
It was a comforting feeling to see people coming together to enjoy this tradition at such a lovely place. Who knew exploring tapas could be so rewarding!
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