Heading to Spain on your summer holiday this year and wondering what tapas dish to try first? Well, you’re not the only one, as Google searches for ‘Spanish tapas’ are up 28% over the past month.
Thankfully, New data from the Global Travel Booking site Omio has revealed the most popular Spanish tapas dishes to help you decide.
Omio analysed 4,000 reviews from the 10 highest-rated restaurants across 5 major cities in Spain, 190 of which mentioned food, to put together an index of the top-rated tapas dishes across the country. They looked at restaurants in cities including Barcelona, Seville and Madrid, to find the crème de la crème of tapas dishes to try on your next visit to the country.
| Dish | Number of mentions |
| Croquetas | 105 |
| Patatas Bravas | 25 |
| Bacalao | 24 |
| Gambas al Ajillo | 8 |
| Pan con Tomate | 4 |
| Calamares | 4 |
| Ensaladilla Rusa | 3 |
| Tapa de Bacalao | 2 |
| Jamon Iberico | 2 |
| Spanish omelette | 2 |
Coming in first place are croquetas with a whopping 105 mentions. Croquetas are renowned for their versatility, as they can be filled with many different fillings, most commonly ham (jamón) or cod. A classic tapas staple, which you’ll find on menus all across Spain.
Despite not clinching the top spot, Patatas Bravas came in at a very respectable second place with 25 mentions. This saucy potato dish is known and adored worldwide, popular with locals and tourists alike.
In third place, surprisingly, is Bacaleo – more commonly known as salt cod amongst locals, with 24 mentions. This is a lesser-known tapas dish outside of Spain; however, it is extremely popular in regions such as Seville and Madrid.
TikToks’ viral lunch recipe inspiration, Pan Con Tomate, comes in fifth place with 4 mentions. The simple, yet delicious dish is currently taking over social media thanks to M&S bringing out a pre-made jar, with Google searches up +47% worldwide over the past quarter; however, enjoying the authentic version in Spain is recommended.
Making up the remainder of the top 10 list is Ensaladilla Rusa – a Spanish potato salad – with 3 mentions, Tapa De Bacalao with 2 mentions, Jambon Iberico with 2 mentions and Spanish omelette with 1 mention.
Dishes such as Ensaladilla Rusa and Tapa De Bacalao are not often found on tapas menus outside of Spain, unlike dishes like Patatas Bravas. When visiting Spain, try indulging a little more in the local cuisine and trying some of the lesser-known tapas alongside your favourites.
Fish dishes are the most popular Spanish tapas
It appears that there is a theme of seafood when it comes to popular tapas dishes, as fish dishes make up 20% of food-related reviews. Gambas al ajillo came in at fourth place with 8 mentions, followed by Calamares (calamari) with 4 mentions and Tapa De Bacalao with 2 mentions, suggesting that fish and seafood are staples in a Spanish diet.