Tapas in the UK
 

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/B...s-on-pub-menus

Some of those seem better value than the La Tasca option..

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

I think nowadays you are more likely to find tapas in the UK than in Spain!

And of course nothing on that link was Spanish.. which is fine, thats what the UK does. Takes something from abroad, completely changes it, and makes it their own.

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

Thats probably why lots of La tasca restaurants are closing.....not a good representation of spanish food...the only similarity being that the food was always cold.

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

I thought that Tapas was literally "lid", a small plate or saucer with a small amount of food to go with and absorb the beer.
They are normally small snacks, what used to be known in the UK as finger food.

When you find me a bar in the UK that will serve a 33cl tubo of beer or copa of wine with tapas (and there are some really excellent ones around) for €1.50 then let me know.
That I have recently found excellent establishments charging €1.10 or as we found on Sunday, €1.00 I will expect those really hard to beat.

Many organisations are taking the Tapas label to justify what used to be called Nuvelle Cuisine at shockingly high prices hoping that the new title will engender a change in eating and drinking habits. Very few surfacing in the UK would ever be considered in working class Spain IME.

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

another post from the dark side where reality doesn't exist ? ?

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

Try visiting Granada province , I yet to visit a Spanish run bar that does not serve tapas.......and Ive visited quiet a few :thumbsup:

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

Hi Yes Granada has a few places that you can have a tapa with your drink at a good price. The best place we have seen this was in the beautiful university city of Salamanca. Most places served tapas with drinks and the restaurants were amazing. One of the reasons we decided to buy a place in Spain as opposed to France!:thumbup:

Also my local pub/restaurant in my village in Wales does tapas and a bottle of rose/rosada for £15 for two.

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

Big exaggeration of course but I take the point that in Spain it is possibly diminishing and in the UK increasing.

I agree entirely (only if we're talking about food of course).

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

I can remember the first couple of times I went into a bar and they slipped me a plate of stuff I hadn't ordered :ohmy:
now I judge a place by the quality of the tapas on a value for money basis and the order they come out in as I knock back the tubo's.
as many visitors only seem to stay for the one drink before moving on they don't realise the quality of the tapas improves the more you have to drink.
:thumbsup:

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

Yes, of course it depends where you live

There is only 1 bar that serves tapas in Oviedo, out of 100s. Very few in Cataluna, mainly those that are targetted at the tourists

The real tradition is in Andalucia - and Granada in particular

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

There is a pretty good tapas restaurant in Manchester called El Rincon de Rafa (tucked away in a tiny street off St John Street, called Longworth Street). It's been there for donkey's years, long before La Tasca existed, and the tapas I used to get there were better than 90% of what gets served up in my local restaurant in Spain! I don't go there now when I am back in the UK though, as tapas are the last thing I'd want to eat when I'm there.

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

But restaurants in Spain dont even serve tapas!

That's your problem ;)

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

Yes point taken, I should have said bars! But the ones that serve GOOD tapas are few and far between. The run of the mill ones are pretty uninspiring, patatas bravas which consist of fried potatoes with supermarket sauce over the top, or cubes of gristly meat in a glutinous tomato based sauce. And please don't tell me that this is the type of rubbish served up in tourist areas, because I don't live in one!

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

There's a good Tapas bar in Rochdale too of all places - been open about 20ish years and is booked solid xxxxx

Re: Tapas in the UK
 

Its the type of rubbish served up in bad bars - many of which happen to be in tourist areas

Good food in Spain rarely comes in the form of tapas though. The only place I've eaten excellent ones has been in Granada

Raciones and media raciones, well thats something else!