Spain, for some reason, was never really high on my list of countries to visit. Culturally, I don’t have much in common with the late-night eating schedule or the whole tapas tradition. That said, the upside is a strong seafood culture, given that Spain is surrounded by water on more than 60% of its borders.
During our trip we visited Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, and Montserrat, which gave us a good spectrum of the country’s culinary variety.
Overall, food-wise, it’s pretty much on par with its neighbor, Portugal.
Madrid & Toledo
We landed in Madrid early and, luckily enough, got our hotel room right away. We wasted no time exploring the city, starting with the Palacio Real. From there, we headed to Mercado de San Miguel for our first real bite in Spain — a lively food court packed with vendors selling everything from drinks and fresh fruit to fish and jamón. We spotted some fried seafood and couldn’t resist. It was really good!
In Madrid, one of the classics is heading to Chocolatería San Ginés for their famous churros. I’d had churros in Mexico before, and they were pretty average — these were smaller, a bit crunchier, and dipped into warm chocolate that made the whole thing feel decadent. It’s a bit pricey, but absolutely worth going. We devoured the whole pile in a few minutes 🙂
Toledo, meanwhile, is known for its almond-derivative treats like marzipan and turrón. Obviously we couldn’t skip that, and honestly, it’s hard to avoid since it’s everywhere in the city. We settled on a more artisanal shop and picked up a little bit of everything — every piece was tasty.
Barcelona
Spain is known for its jamón, often put on par with prosciutto in Italy. Is it better? I wouldn’t go that far, but it was really good. We ate at a local restaurant specializing in it, along with other regional dishes, called Casa Alfonso. Alongside the jamón, we ordered patatas bravas, garlic shrimp, padrón peppers, and cod fritters.
Patatas bravas are potatoes topped with a tomato-based sauce. I know it looks like mayonnaise mixed with ketchup, but it’s not — it’s smoky with a bit of a kick, which I really liked. The garlic shrimp stole the show, cooked to absolute perfection. The padrón peppers, on the other hand, were meh — just not my thing. Cod fritters, just like in Portugal, are a favorite of mine, and we polished them off in about 6 seconds.
One dessert I’d wanted to try for years was crema catalana, Spain’s answer to crème brûlée. Instead of cream, it’s made with milk and infused with a hint of orange or lemon zest, giving it a lighter, brighter flavor under that classic caramelized sugar crust. It was absolutely delicious, and I’m already planning to recreate it at home.
Overall, Spain turned out to be a very enjoyable food and cultural experience.