There are two ways to eat in Spain: you can go to a
restaurante
or
comedor
(dining room) and have a full meal, or you can have a succession of tapas (small snacks) or
raciones
(larger ones) at one or more bars.
At the bottom line a
comedor
- where you'll get a basic, filling, three-course meal with a drink, the
menú del día
- is the cheapest option, but they're often tricky to find, and drab places when you do. Bars tend to work out pricier but a lot more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local or house specialities.
Breakfast, snacks and sandwiches
For
breakfast
you're best off in a bar or café, though some
hostales
and
fondas
will serve the "Continental" basics. The traditional Spanish breakfast is
chocolate con churros
- long tubular...
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Tapas and raciones
One of the advantages of eating in
bars
is that you are able to experiment. Many places have food laid out on the counter, so you can see what's available and order by pointing without necessarily knowing the names; others have blackboards or...
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Meals and restaurants
Once again, there's a multitude of distinctions. You can sit down and have a full meal in a
comedor
, a
cafetería
, a
restaurante
or a
marisquería
- all in addition to the more food-oriented bars.
...
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Alcoholic drinks
Over fifty percent of the European Union's vineyards lie in Spain and
vino
(wine), either
tinto
(red),
blanco
(white) or
rosado/clarete
(rosé), is the invariable accompaniment to every meal. As a rule, wine...
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Soft drinks and hot drinks
Soft drinks
are much the same as anywhere in the world, but try in particular
granizado
(slush) or
horchata
(a milky drink made from tiger nuts or almonds) from one of the street stalls that spring up everywhere in summer....
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