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When eating well turns into art
Eating tapas is more than just a way of ingesting small servings of typical dishes, it is essential part of Spanish lifestyle. Any foreigner you ask will tell you that they are undoubtedly one of most popular aspects of Spanish gastronomy.
The best thing about tapas is that you always have the chance to sample a wide variety of dishes and leave room to try some more afterwards. Another good point is that everybody has their own favourite dish and the culinary options are endless.
Eating tapas is a cultural thing, the art of fine wines and good, slow food is so different to binge drinking and unhealthy fast food in Northern Europe.
Eating tapas has become a symbol of identity of modern Spain and one of the typical examples of national gastronomy, perhaps as much as the pasta and pizza for Italians or sushi for the Japanese.
The history of the term “tapas” (covers in Spanish) is said to have appeared in the 14th century when it was first used in taverns in our region. This name was used to describe the small plates of slices of garlic sausage, cheese or cured ham which were used to cover wineglasses in the bars of Andalusia. Gradually, the term consolidated in the rest of the country.
According to historians, the custom of covering glasses of wine with small plates derived from a Royal Decree during the Hapsburg Dynasty, who prohibited wine to be drunk on its own. The inners were forced to cover glasses with a piece of bread and a dish with slices of sausage or cheese.
The Tapa Route in San Roque City Centre
The monumental town of San Roque offers visitors and tourists a series of unequalled sightseeing attractions: a unique and fascinating historical background as the City of Gibraltar in Exile and the largest collection of listed historical buildings. Due to all these aspects we can consider San Roque the Historical Centre of the Gibraltar Area.
Whilst you delve into the history of the “Other Gibraltar” and get to know the City of Museums, you can also go on a culinary tour around typical tapa bars and restaurants scattered around the old quarter of San Roque.
The underground car park behind Juan Luis Galiardo Theatre is the easiest place to park your car, then you can leisurely walk up to the tree-lined Alameda Alfonso XI square, where we came to the popular Bar L’eden and sampled a tapa of “carne en salsa con pimienta negra” (pork in black pepper sauce) with a small glass of beer or “caña”.
The next place we visited was the magnificent Diego Salinas Municipal Complex, San Roque’s old 18th century military barracks where the Mesón El Cuartel is located. We tried the exquisite “rosada al coñac” (red hake in cognac sauce) here.
Afterwards we return to the Alameda Alfonso XI Square to visit a new restaurant, Restaurante Cervecería Cruz Blanca,
where you can sample a variety of tapas or "raciones", as well as enjoy
a and a daily menu. Here we savoured chicken breast with cured ham
and green peppers.
Afterwards we walked around the Bar Torres, located in the emblematic Plaza de Andalucía Square. The establishment is a theme bar full of bullfighting memorabilia, we enjoyed a tapa of “ensalada de pulpo” (octopus salad) here.
Just around the corner is Bar San Felipe, in the first stretch of the picturesque San Felipe Street, the most monumental street in the old quarter of town. We savoured a tapa of cuttlefish in sauce here, absolutely delicious! Be prepared to walk up some hills to get to the top part of town, which will give you time to make room for the next tapa dish!
Once we arrived at the quaint Church Square at the top of the hill, we came across the rustic Bar El Varal, a bar is reminiscent of Holy Week. We enjoyed a tapa of “Jamón de Jabugo y queso manchego añejo” (outstanding cured ham and mature manchego cheese).
Just around the corner is the genuine Plaza de Armas Square, where Manuel Ballón "El Africano" invented the Red Cape and Sword Technique in 1720. This is the place where Don Benito Tapa Bar is located. This 18th century ancestral home is a great spot to enjoy a wide variety of tapas or full dishes from this part of the world. We decided to go for a "Montaíto de Roquefort", a grilled pork fillet in a bun with Roquefort cheese sauce.
Shortly afterwards we strolled down to a new establishment called Bar-Tolo, situated in Navarra Street to sample a eggplant sandwich with honey and thyme sauce. Another round of beer, please!
Just around the corner is where Bar El Estrecho is located, in Almoraima Street (opposite the Post Office). A variety of col and hot tapas. We sampled the speciality of the house, roast spare ribs.
Luckily after this stop all the other places are downhill. The next destination is Taberna La Barrica in General Lacy Street, where we savoured a tapa of fried Camembert cheese.
Almost directly opposite is where the Bar Koala is located, we ate a tapa of chicken in curry watered down with another “caña” here.
Después visitamos el Bar Deportivo para comernos otra tapa. En esta ocasión, degustamos una tapa de champiñones rellenos.
Afterwards we headed down to Bar Deportivo to try another tapa. This time we sampled a tapa of “champiñones rellenos” (stuffed mushrooms).
To finish off we went down to the new Mesón Posada del Rey, a restaurant located in Avenida de Europa (half way between María España Fountain and the Lion and San
Roque & the Tailless Dog Statues) to enjoy our last typical home dish:
Iberian pork sirloin with a caramel sauce.
In short, the fact is that there is nothing better than eating tapas with friends or relatives, chatting, laughing and enjoying the atmosphere. Of course, San Roque is an idyllic location for all of these things!
