Foodies, prepare to be enthused: 12 of Spain’s best tapas bar districts

Start here to explore one of the city’s most traditional districts. Streets like Cava Baja, Cava Alta and Humilladeros are home to some of the most historic tabernas, and are always brimming with people enjoying tapas, especially at the weekend. Madrid’s local specialities are patatas bravas, potato omelette, croquettes, olives, mature cheeses, and offal dishes. It’s usual to find them offered free to accompany your drink. You might be interested to know that this district was actually the original town of Madrid in the Middle Ages. More information at the Tourist Office of MadridYou will also fall in love with Alcalá de Henares, which is only 30 km away from Madrid. Enjoy the traditional tapas in its famous bars and restaurants, in such emblematic places as the arcades of its Calle Mayor.

Lesson 1 to go for tapas in San Sebastián: they are called “pintxos” here.Lesson 2: visit the old town centre and streets like Calle Pescadería, Calle 31 de Agosto and Calle Fermín Calbeltón.Lesson 3: try as many different ones as you can, from the classic gilda (olive, hot pepper and anchovy) to more creative ideas.In this area, you can’t go wrong with any of the pintxo routes.More information at the Tourist Office of Donostia-San Sebastián

Many people regard Granada as one of the best cities for wandering from bar to bar enjoying the tapas, which are often free with a drink. Local specialities include tiny fried fish, pinchos morunos (pork skewers), montaditos of sausage on bread, patatas bravas and potatoes with alioli. You can find them practically everywhere in Granada, but it’s lovely to snack and admire the sights at the same time, in the area around the Cathedral and streets like Calle Navas, Calle San Mateo, Calle Elvira, Plaza Nueva and Plaza Campillo.More information at the Tourist Office of Granada

This is one of the trendiest areas of the city, where people gather for tapas on bar terraces. There are plenty of tapas bars on Calle Burriana, Calle Ciscar and Calle Cádiz. The local specialities in Valencia are fish and seafood: grilled cuttlefish, boquerones (fresh anchovies) in vinegar, cod croquettes, molluscs like clams and mussels, and salted fish. Of course, small servings of rice dishes, such as the famous paella, are also popular. There are also several restaurants in the area serving signature cuisine.More information at the Tourist Office of Valencia

The old town centre is easy to cover from bar to bar enjoying the delicious tapas of Valladolid. Most restaurants are on the squares near the Cathedral: Plaza de Portugalete, Plaza Universidad, Plaza San Martín and Plaza Martí y Monsó. Tapas are so important to the city that every November it hosts the National Tapas Competition, when Michelin-starred chefs choose Spain’s best tapa. Here you can try a few of the winners, such as the “Lechazo Taj Mahal” (at Don Bacalao, Plaza Santa Brígida), “Bocata de calamares envuelto en obulato” and “Tigretostón” (at Los Zagales, Calle Pasión).More information at the Tourist Office of Valladolid

A street with over 60 bars and restaurants where you can enjoy the culinary delights of La Rioja. This is Calle Laurel, where there is a bar every two metres and you can try local produce like asparagus, borage and peppers, in delicious dishes such as patatas a la riojana or chuletillas al sarmiento. And of course, the famous wine of La Rioja is the ideal accompaniment. As well as this street, Logroño’s tapas bars also cluster on the nearby Calle Albornoz, Calle San Agustín and Travesía de Laurel. More information at the Tourist Office of La Rioja