Kid Friendly Tapas and Flamenco

Are your kids picky eaters at all? Tapas are heavy on the seafood and "strange" food like pigs ears, just so you know.

Yes, the kids will be picky-ish, however they will try foods while traveling! I just want them to get a taste of Tapas. Their ages are 16, 14, 9, and 7, so they could probably do a late night flamenco depending on how our day went. :)

Not all tapas are strange food though, nor seafood. I am allergic to pretty much all seafood but still enjoyed a nice variety of tapas at Cuidad Condal just up Rambla de Catalunya from Placa de Catalunya. They were very busy with tourists & locals ( a lot of after work people) both but took the time to pick some tasty treats for us. A tiny filet, this fantastic fried cheese thing with a raspberry sauce, of course olives, a tortilla - I really can not remember everything but we plan to return! They are also kid friendly. And the Sangria is pretty tasty too! They have a sister restaurant as well - Cerveceria Catalana - it is up the street a ways on Carrer de Mallorca.

If you haven't already, Google eating in Spain to see what and when Spaniards eat. All the meals may hold surprises for your family. What kid wouldn't love a breakfast of fresh churros dipped in very thick hot chocolate!

Rick's guidebook suggests short-session flamenco at [Tarantos](www.masimas.com/en/tarantos), €8 per person for a half-hour show. You may find that outdoor seating offers a less bar-like experience, but will also be the smoking section. Don't miss the busy la Boqueria Market, which also has counters serving hot food (but not many seats).

You might try a tapas restaurant, as opposed to a tapas bar. In the restaurant you order from a menu instead of pointing at food in a case at the bar. The dishes are small and still tapas so you can order an assortment. Ciudad Condal, mentioned above, is one. We liked Cerveceria Catalana in the . And we had a fun dinner at Qu Qu, talking to the Greek people at the next table and ended up sharing dishes with them. The food was not as good as the Ceveceria, though.

I used the word "strange" to indicate that it can be very different from what American children might be accustomed to, not as a criticism. I did not say it was strange food. Every culture has foods that are unfamiliar in other cultures, I'm sure. And I also know, having traveled with kids, that finding foods they will eat can be a challenge. Before my first trip to Spain, I had no idea myself what tapas might involve. I have never encountered fried pigs' ears anywhere here in the States.

The original poster was asking, among other things, if you think genuine late night Spanish Flamenco is a kid-friendly, G-rated experience?

It's Spain. Everything is late night. I've seen many Flamenco performances in Spain and Tucson and I have never seen anything that was inappropriate for kids. We've taken our grandkids (5 of them so far between the ages of 1 and 9 at the time) to Flamenco in Tucson (big Flamenco community here) and they loved it, the tapas (especially the 3 year old) and the other Spanish food.

I have a food intolerance onion which is tricky with Spanish cuisine. I found it easy to find tapas that didn't contain onion as well as other dishes. A lot of tapas has the same dining appeal as fast food i.e. greasy, salty, savory -- there are lots of kinds of croquettes of various sorts that most kids will probably love and because tapas portions are small no one has to try the ones that don't appeal. Lots of bars do larger portions as well that would be big enough for everyone in the family to have a taste. Even those who don't love seafood may enjoy the whole fried little fishes that are a common gratis course dining in small squares in the city. Bars in Europe don't have the same adults only feel as bars in the US -- they are not so much for heavy drinking as for schmoozing and munching with drinks. Kids the age of yours should be perfectly fine in them.

I did a trip report on this site, it's called (something like) Spain: Clean Toilets, Affordable Lodging. I know it's not an appealing title. Part of the report translates menu words to what you can expect. It might help to get familiar with the terms so you can pick the things you are all most likely to enjoy.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/spain-clean-toilets-affordable-lodging

My favorite place for Tapas in Barcelona translates to Champagne (and has an X in there somewhere), I thought it was the most local, lively, authentic, and modestly priced (many in Barcelona are expensive).