Because Spain is a hugely heterogeneous country, my post deals with Madrid rather than Spain, as every region has its different customs.
I recently visited Turin & Milan was delighted to find the evening aperitivo culture alive and well in both cities, although different from Madrid’s.
The word aperitivo for Madrileños can mean three different things.
- First, it´s the social ritual of meeting with your group of friends at a bar for a drink before going on to a restaurant for lunch or dinner, usually on weekends. It is also called the vermuteo or la hora del vermú, as vermouth is a customary aperitivo drink especially on Sundays after visiting the Rastro flea market.
It´s customary for everyone to meet at a bar chosen by someone in the group and always a different place from where you will sit down to take your meal. Your aperitivo, to open your appetite, in one place, then lunch or dinner in another.
For example, if we have lunch or dinner reservations at La Catapa, we will meet up the street at Coalla Gourmet for our aperitivo. If we have a group lunch at La Lorenza we will meet at La Caníbal or El Boquerón. This aperitivo ritual consists of a wine, beer, mosto (non alcoholic) or vermouth, accompanied by a tapa.
- The word aperitivo here has another meaning.
While Madrid is not the city of the “free tapa” (like Granada, Lugo, León, Salamanca), at the bars de tapas that we frequent, especially in the Retiro/Chamberí/Salamanca districts , not in the tourist quarters, most every bar will give patrons a complimentary aperitivo (they call it an aperitivo rather than a tapa) with each drink order. (This could be followed by ordering a larger tapa for which one would be charged.)
This complimentary bite could be something as simple as a small bowl of potato chips, a small plate of olives, charcuterie, some cheese with miniature bread sticks, garlic potatoes, white anchovies, fried fish, a deviled egg, a gilda skewer, torreznos (fried pork belly strips), a slice of Spanish omelet,…
In the case of Taberna La Catapa, regular patrons when ordering a bar drink have their choice of 6 aperitivos: tiny shrimp, patatas revolconas, olives, chistorra, bígaros (periwinkles), boquerones (white anchovies).
We frequent El Capricho in the Retiro district often at the aperitivo hour.
Yesterday with our glass of Rueda and our caña (small beer) we were given a plate of Manchego and picos. Then, unexpectedly, because it was the lunch hour, the owner brought out a recently made chicken paella from the kitchen and every patron received a small plate of this delicious rice. Two aperitivos or small tapas with each drink. The bill: €4.70.
Normally if one orders a second drink, one will receive a different aperitivo. At La Máquina on Jorge Juan, with the first drink one could be served olives, with the second, homemade potato chips. And on weekends at l:00, the staff might bring out a paella and serve it as an aperitivo.
Some examples:
El Capricho
Our 2nd aperitivo
La Castela
Adela Besteiro’s Spanish omelet
Salino’s cheese & picos
- At a formal sit down restaurant, diners will usually be presented with a small welcome dish (not complimentary), like the French amuse bouche/amuse guele, along with the bread & olive oil service. But on your bill you will see a charge for this, “pan y aperitivo”. It’s a common practice. At Restaurante Rafa the charge for the bread service, olives and croquettes is €2 person.
3 examples:
Casa Mortero’s amuse of cream of wild mushrooms
La Txitxarrería’s seafood bisque
Barbudo’s triple amuse bouches
