Guide to Andalucia > Destinations > Marbella > Where to eat > Tapear

MARBELLA. Where to eat. TAPEO

The gerundive, that is, noun-verb, tapeo, the Spanish activity to tapear, eat tapas, is about as famous an institution as the siesta, and you won’t put a step wrong by following our guide to tapas.

The ‘tapa’ has a curious history, but it is thought that it originated with a Castilian king, during the 14th or 15th centuries, who decreed that to avoid bloody fights in the streets, all drinks of wine or alcohol should be accompanied by a small snack, almost a miniature meal (think also of the Greek meze), to settle the stomach and, presumably, the humour. But the Spanish roustabout tended to eat his food and that of his drinking friends in the bar, so bars started to cover the drink with a small individual plate, or tapa (lid), bearing food.

While table manners have improved somewhat, the bars of Marbella still offer the chance to sample multiple tasters of a great variety of classic specialities from the cuisine of the Málaga littoral. If you want to tapear in Marbella, we recommend the following establishments.