Eating out in Nerja - Tapas and Sangria feast

Eating out in Nerja – What is ‘Sangria’?

Sangria is an alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal. Under EU regulations only those two Iberian nations can label their product as Sangria; similar products from different regions are differentiated in the name.

Now, until I started writing this post, I never knew that; the bit about the EU regulations. Although I have drank my way through a fair amount of Sangria in my 20 years of living in Andalucia. Some of it is good, and some of it, shall we say, a bit on the sweet side.

How to Make Sangria

The easy way? Get a big jug full of ice, add a bottle of red wine, a half bottle of lemonade / bitter lemon and some Cointreau (Cointreau is a premium triple sec orange-flavoured liqueur) and bung in some chopped oranges and apples. Bingo! That is a basic Sangria! You can check out Kieth Floyd’s version on this Youtube video.

There are numerous versions of this drink and you may even come up with your own. If this proves a little too sweet for you, ask for ‘Tinto de Verano’ which is chilled red wine with soda or lemonade.

Tinto de verano is a cold, wine-based drink popular in Spain. It is similar to sangria and is typically made up of 1 part of table red wine and 1 part soda, usually lemonade. Traditional brands of soda, or gaseosa, such as La Caserta, can be replicated by mixing Sprite or 7-Up with carbonated water. Cheers Wikipedia

#Note: Do not mix the word ‘Sangria’ with ‘Sangre‘. One is a wine cocktail, the other is stuff that Dracula drinks…Blood!

Eating Out in Nerja – Tapas

Anyone who has the remotest idea of Spanish cuisine or Spanish culture will have heard of ‘tapas’.

There are numerous stories about the origins of this delightful habit, my favourite goes as such: the king of Spain was out riding and stopped at a place for a glass or two of wine. To keep the flies out of the king’s drink, he was given a slice of bread to cover the glass.

So was born a beautiful tradition.

Since then, things have advanced (or got silly) and now tapas can be as elaborate as you like.

There are standards that you will find in almost every bar offering tapas in Nerja. Cheese in oil, anchovies, prawns, Russian salad, Serrano ham, boiled eggs, Tortilla and so on, all with a slice or two of bread.

The more elaborate tapas, such as sausage and black pudding on skewers served over a roaring flame. Salchichas en el Infierno (Sausages in Hell) can be found in Nerja. Pictured is this wonderful tapa at my favourite tapas place Redondo Bar.

Tapas are both hot and cold dishes. You will find all sorts of meat, chicken, fish and so on being served up.

#Tip: For those not too keen on ‘exotic’ types of tapas, stay clear of the ‘Seso de Chivo’. They sometimes come fried in breadcrumbs.

Take a walk around Nerja, go on the Tapas trails, try different establishments and, by the time you are ready for home, you’ll be quite an expert. I can’t think of anything more enjoyable. Ask the good people at Nerja Beach Holidays where to get the best tapas, they should know.

Go further inland, they also serve their versions of tapas, they are also, in some places, free with the drink.