Plenty of Spaniards walk into a bar for a sandwich, not tapas, especially in the morning. Spanish menus use several words for sandwiches, and they do not all mean the same thing.
The words on the menu
- Bocadillo: a sandwich made with a split loaf or roll of crusty bread, usually a barra, the Spanish baguette-style loaf. This is the everyday Spanish sandwich.
- Bocata: the informal word for a bocadillo. You will see it on bar boards and in restaurant names.
- Sándwich: in Spain this usually means a sandwich made with soft sliced bread (pan de molde), often toasted. A mixto is ham and cheese on sliced bread.
- Montadito: a small piece of bread with something on top or inside, small enough to eat in a bite or two. The name comes from montar, to mount or place on top.
- Bikini: in Catalonia, the usual name for a toasted ham and cheese sandwich.
- Flauta and pulga: names for a thin baguette and a small roll, used in some regions for smaller sandwiches.
Classic fillings
A bocadillo filling is usually simple, often one main ingredient. These are among the most common:
- Jamón: cured ham, often on bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil. See our pan con tomate guide.
- Tortilla de patatas: a wedge of potato omelette in bread, a common breakfast and mid-morning choice.
- Calamares: fried squid rings in a roll, closely associated with Madrid and the bars around Plaza Mayor.
- Lomo: pork loin, either cured or cooked on the grill, often with cheese or roasted peppers.
- Queso: cheese, often Manchego.
- Serranito: an Andalusian sandwich, best known in Seville, of grilled pork loin, jamón and fried green pepper.
- Pepito: a roll filled with a thin grilled steak.
When Spaniards eat them
Bocadillos fit around Spain's late meal times (see our guide to Spanish meal times). Many people have a sandwich mid-morning, between a light breakfast and a late lunch. In Valencia this mid-morning meal is called the almuerzo, or esmorzaret in Valencian, and a large bocadillo is the centre of it. Children often take a bocadillo for the afternoon snack, the merienda.
How to order
- Ask for a bocadillo de followed by the filling: bocadillo de jamón, bocadillo de tortilla.
- Many bars offer a smaller size, sometimes called a medio or a montadito. Ask if you only want a snack.
- Bread is part of the order. A good bocadillo has crisp crust and fresh bread, and the filling is thinner than in many sandwiches outside Spain.
- Montaditos are often ordered several at a time, like tapas. Our tapas etiquette guide covers ordering at the bar.
Where to try it
These venues' own records mention sandwiches or a bocata menu. Fillings change, so ask what is on offer.
- Chabela Bocadería & Ultramarinos, Mexico City: a Spanish tavern in San Miguel Chapultepec serving bocatas, pinchos and tapas at the bar, plus wines and vermouth.
- Bocata, Beijing: its record says it has an informal bocata menu alongside a menu of more traditional Spanish dishes.
- Socarrat, Mexico City: its record lists sandwiches among its tapas and portions, along with paella.
