Guest Post: Il Bar Di Tapas

Today's entry is a guest post by Robin Graham, another expat blogger based out of Spain. He's stationed on the opposite end, about as far south as you can get, and I love reading about his vastly different experience in the form of witty prose. That's why I invited him to give us a sneak peek of one of his favorite spots down South:

It’s a while since I was here - we had to cancel our last trip to Seville. And it feels good; we always pick this spot at the bar, where we can look at the fridge-full of food products as if it were a television. Sometimes this place is number three in my mental top ten, sometimes number five, sometimes number one.

They still keep the jamonera  beneath a window that in the warmer months becomes a hatch so that customers can be served in the street when the place spills over. It’s a tiny bar, with just a few stools and a bit of standing room.

There isn’t too much cooking going on – the ingredient is prioritized here. The menus consists of a range of brusquettas, designated white (mascarpone, walnuts and blue cheese), red (tomato pesto and pecorino), Andaluz (mozzarella with salmorejo and jamón) and Siciliana (mortadella, provolone and olive paste).

On top of that there’s bresaola, goat’s cheese in a salsa verde, scamorza and a caprese salad made with good buffalo mozzarella and sprinkled with oregano rather than basil, just to keep things Spanish. It’s the only tapas bar I know of that serves up such a range of Italian treats in Spain’s beloved, bite-sized portions.

The ladder still leans against the wall by the door so it can be moved and scaled by a member of staff to retrieve a bottle from the overhead wineracks, such is the premium on storage space here. At times there is loungy music and at times there is just the hum of the patrons’ chat.

It’s a neighborhood bar and in fact takes its name from the neighborhood: Alfalfa. Well-known enough but away from the hordes.

A real favourite.

Follow Robin on Twitter or read his blog here.

365 tuesdays

Zeruko is known for its wide range of pintxos, both from the kitchen and on the bar. One of the best is the squid hamburger. Pieces of chopped squid, shaped into a patty and sauteed until golden, topped with a spongy squid ink "cake" a la Adriá. Watch out for the wasabi...

Part of the 365cities project.

365 tuesdays

'Pintxo pote'. It's a concept similar to happy hour: you pay a ridiculously low price for a drink and a pintxo, for a couple of hours, usually on a Thursday.  In and of itself it is worth a post, but a pintxo pote that falls on a Sunday? Awesome. This great neighborhood bar, Bar Diz, has always had a special something, and now you can enjoy a generous selection of bargain pintxos on Thursdays and Sundays. 

Price.- 1,50€ (drink and pintxo)

Bar Diz
Zabaleta, 17. Donostia

Part of the 365 Cities project.

365 tuesdays

With its too-cool-for-school vibe, its rude barman, and all those foreigners, there's a lot you can hate about A Fuego Negro.  But there are things that keep you coming back, too. One of these are the black rabas. They're not fried calamari in a black ink tempura, which is what I expected to get. Please. They are more along the lines of the creamiest croquetas in the world. They are delicious and shocking. Surprising.

Part of the 365 Cities project.

365 tuesdays

One of the best pintxos in one of the best bars of San Sebastián, Hidalgo 56. It's notable for a lot of reasons: the bar, full of classic pintxos like ensaladilla rusa and unique pintxos like the cheese cream with pesto; the hot pintxos from the kitchen; and the emphasis on quality of raw product.  And here it's not just lip service. It's for real. The must-order is the volcano of morcilla (blood sausage), studded with raisins and served next to apple puree. Perfectly balanced.

 Part of the 365 Cities project.