Treading the Tapas Trail

Living in Spain can hardly be called the real deal if you have not participated in at least one night of tapas crawling. After all, what could be better than the odd evening of itinerant gluttony, richly accompanied by good conversation and (just a few) glasses of wine? With that in mind, we have decided to investigate the tapas circuit in Salamanca, visiting numerous tapas bars to discover every secret speciality, the culinary forte each proudly has to offer. It’s taxing, this marathon tapas fest around the city, but somebody has to do it, and we’re only too happy to nominate ourselves for the challenge. Here’s the opening instalment of our self-invented tapas journey.

To begin- Calle Van Dyck. Once the popular street for tapas in Salamanca, frequented by locals and tourists alike, now it seems that the quality has sadly travelled elsewhere. Many of the recommended tapas bars didn’t merit another visit- cafeteria types with little atmosphere and even less choice on the menu. However, if you do head here, La Goleta should definitely be your first stop. A cosy yet classy tapas bar, I would recommend its generous tosta menu- particularly with morcilla (black pudding chorizo), and with gambas (prawns lighly tossed in garlic and olive oil). You couldn’t possibly go wrong when each tosta is served with a free glass of their crisp house white. The service, too, is warm and welcoming- and we were even given a few tostas on-the-house (most probably because we showed an embarrassing enthusiasm for the menu...I highly recommend giving it a go). Still hungry, our next discovery was La Degustación- another gem amongst Calle Van Dyck’s abundant tapas bars. With old wine barrels serving as tables, this place was delightful, and the tapas was good too. Given the bar’s name, it was no surprise that the menu offered a huge range of pinchos to taste- and at 1.50 per dish, it exhausted our willpower not to sample everything. Lastly, you should make Van Dyck itself your final stop of the night- a bar dedicated to Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas- and serving potent cocktails to boot.

Next up: Plaza Mayor, the heart of the city with plenty of tapas bars on its doorstep. Overlooking the Plaza itself, there are two impressive tapas bars, both owned by the same family, which we would visit again. El Reloj has its charm, with its antique wooden door and majestic chandelier, buzzing with customers of all ages (on Calle Van Dyck, they bizarrely often seem to be old men). Come here and order the huevo revuelto- a simple gastronomic delight. Its sister bar, Plaza 23, is just a mere few steps away- perfect to maximise on eating time. Just trust me and ask for their tosta with morcilla, chèvre and caramelised onion: two mouthfuls of heaven. We’d go back just for that one dish. Upstairs is a chic restaurant that boasts a beautiful view of Plaza Mayor, especially at night- perfect for a special dinner (although vegetarians should perhaps steer clear: the menu is essentially just meat). Both the tapas and the restaurant are more expensive than the average Salamancan restaurant, but it's definitely worth it for both the location and the quality.

Venturing beyond Plaza Mayor, another day we decided to brave a few discreetly-located tapas bars. We’d heard good things about La Galatea, an undiscerning bar that I otherwise would probably have walked straight past. At lunchtime, it was completely empty- but luckily we ignored this warning sign, as the delicious jamón iberico and manchego cheese were both sliced to perfection. However, the exotic tapas menu somewhat betrayed the bar’s authenticity. Kangaroo with rose petals and ostrich in a poppy and grape sauce (yes, I thought my Spanish had failed me too) may be aimed at those with a more daring taste, but they hardly count as true Spanish tapas. Just opposite on Calle Doctrinos, we hit upon Doctrinos, a wonderful tapas bar that I would highly recommend. Although poorly located, the owner here really knows his stuff. With legs of jamon iberico suspended from the ceiling, numerous red wines on display and regulars enjoying quiet conversations at the bar, Doctrinos had a lovely ambience- and the tapas was perhaps the best we had tried. Ridiculously cheap, too- at merely 80 cents per tosta, you can forgive us for going a little bit overboard when we ordered. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly manage another bite, a tosta with beautifully sliced lomo arrived. And I managed two bites. Clearly, this tapas circuit should always be complemented by frequent exercise (and I don’t just mean walking between each bar).

One way of judging the popularity of Spanish tapas bars is by scanning the floor- more discarded napkins under the bar (as tapas etiquette begs) endorses the bar’s reputation. Of all the tapas bars I’ve mentioned here, Doctrinos was the most dirty, and therefore (illogically) the one I would most highly recommend. For now, a well-deserved break before we continue eating our way around Salamanca. After all, there’s a reason why Spain is also known for the siesta...