Since I’ve been on my one-woman tapas tour for the past few months, I’ve noticed quite a few unwritten rules of behavior that are common in many if not all of the tapas bars here. So, I thought I’d share a few:

• Ask ‘Se dan tapas aqui?’ or ‘Se da tapas con consumicion?’ before ordering. You don’t want to be unpleasantly surprised or disappointed when your drink shows up without a free, tasty little morsel to accompany it. 

• Throw your napkin on the floor. The first time I walked into a tapas bar and saw the crumpled up, used napkins scattered everywhere, my Southern sensibilities were a bit offended. ‘Is this ok?’ I thought to myself. I’m still not sure that it is ok, but it is certainly standard practice. I still haven’t been able to bring myself to do it without sort of letting the napkin happen to ‘accidently’ fall from my hand as discreetly as possible. In some bars, there will be a small bin under the bar or the table, so, in those cases, it’s expected that you’ll dispose of your used napkins in them. Ditto if you see a sign posted somewhere that reads, ‘No tirar papeles’ or ‘No tirar servilletas‘.

At Bar El Alcazar in Ciudad Real – the floor is your wastebasket

Other tapas bars are more ‘fancy’. If you see a wastebasket, use it.

• Order your next round by gruffly (or sweetly) yelling, ‘Cuando puedas’ at the bartender. At least that’s how most of the old fellas I  usually find myself surrounded by do it. The universal signal of raising your empty glass and pointing to it while eyeballing the bartender also works pretty well.

• Learn the difference between a caña, a tubo, a botellín, a jarra, and a copa. These are all different sizes of draft beer or other adult beverage, that obviously range in price. And, just to keep things confusing, all of these names (with the exception of caña) may vary depending on what city or region in Spain you’re in. No matter what shows up after you order, just drink it.

• Figure out the rules to that dice game that you’ll sometimes see the fellas playing at the end of the bar. It’s usually accompanied by loud shit-talking.

• Perfect your not quite perfectly pronounced drone of  ‘Ha luwayooo…’ (hasta luego), as this is the most acceptable way to exit the bar and say goodbye to both the bartender and everyone else within earshot.