I went to Venice at Christmas and like most people I was enchanted by her stunning beauty. She was beautiful in the way that Audrey Hepburn was beautiful – perfect, elegant and untouchable.
This weekend I visited an old flame of mine, Granada. You might laugh in my face if I told you that to me she is more beautiful than Venice will ever be. You might cut me some slack if I tell you why.
I fell in love with Granada when I was 18. She was beautiful, charming and full of life. I was young, cheerful and full of energy. She won me over not only with her good looks, but with her vibrancy and lust for life.
Her people are warm and friendly, she is always warm and bright, she is big enough to be captivating and small enough to make you feel at home.
I was a young woman living by myself in a foreign city for the first time and she spoke to me in a language I could understand: food. They say the way to a man’s heart is through their stomach; I am a woman, but it is true for me too. I drank beer and wine and in return she plied me with free tapas.
I feel a little reluctant to share her with you, but her generous spirit is infectious. If and when you visit her, this is where you should drink and eat.
Bar Kiki
It is a testament to her generosity that one of my favourite tapas bars in Granada is less than a minute’s walk from the Mirador San Nicolas, one of the top tourist attractions. The food is brilliant, the portions are generous and the waiters are friendly. They serve many of the tapas dishes you will see around the city, but here they add a personal twist. I loved their callos (a type of stew), which is lifted with a touch of cinnamon and their boquerones fritos (fried anchovies) – light crispy batter giving way to fresh and succulent flesh.
Plaza de San Nicolas, 9; +34 958 276 715
Horno de Paquito
Not far from Bar Kiki is Horno de Paquito. A gypsy called Antonio took me here for the caracoles after serenading me with his singing and classical guitar. There is another bar nearby called Bar Aliatar which is more famous for this dish, but Antonio swears by these snails and their caldo (broth), which I found rich and comforting with a deep umami flavour and a little kick of chilli.
C/San Buenaventura, 18
Bodega La Castañeda
If I were to paint you a picture of a traditional Spanish tapas bar, this is how it would look. Wines and barrels line the walls, hams hang from the ceiling, waiters gesticulate to make themselves understood and customers vie for a space at the long wooden bar. They offer 4 to 5 dishes per day, such as arroz (rice) or bacalao (salt cod), and this is one of a handful of places that lets you choose your dish.
C/Almiceros, 1 y 5; +34 958 215 464
La Mancha
Locals visit La Mancha for the croquetas (croquettes) and albondigas (meatballs), though you generally have to order these. I wasn’t particularly taken by the croquetas, but the free tapas were great. Best of all, a generous plate of fresh prawns and some clams cooked in garlic and sherry.
C/ Joaquin Costa, 10; +34 958 228 968
Bar Bubión
Ask any granadino where they go for a good night out and they are bound to send you to this part of town. I loved the pinchos morunos in this place - skewers of tender, salty pork spiced with cumin and turmeric.
C/Socrates, 33; +34 958 454 606
Cervecerias Agamenon
This place is always packed with locals who come for the cheap drinks, lively atmosphere and long list of tapas, which you can choose from. My favourite dish was the berenjenas con miel (eggplant with honey), a local specialty which is much better than it looks and sounds. The ‘honey’ is actually what Spaniards call miel de caña - literally sugarcane honey, in other words molasses. It sounds like a strange combination but it contrasts well with the salty eggplant, which is battered and fried, bringing both nuttiness and sweetness to the dish.
C/Pedro Antonio de Alarcon, 69; +34 958 289 994
Not that my radiant princess needs that mind. She’s sweet enough.
