SPAIN’S BIGGEST TAPAS CHAINS | Good or bad?
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- čas přidán 16. 03. 2019
- We taste test some of Spain's biggest tapas chains - 100 Montaditos, La Sureña, Lizarrán, Tapa Tapa - to see if the food is YAY or YUCK! Venga, let's go! 🥝
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This channel is all about promoting the small, often family-run tapas bars and restaurants that serve up delicious food across Spain. But there is another side to this country's tapas culture, and that's a number of large tapas franchises and chains that have up to several hundred outlets throughout the country. This includes 100 Montaditos, La Sureña, Lizarrán and - a smaller one - Tapa Tapa
Lots of locals and tourists visit these bars, but I've never been (maybe once to one of them for a beer). So I was curious... what are they like? So today we hit 4 of the biggest ones, and taste the food, rating the food of each out of 5.
First we went to Lizarrán, which was probably the best of the bunch. The whole experience is very sterile, but it was busy and the food, while not very good, wasn't horrendous. It was just - well - loveless. And cheap.
Next we went to 100 Montaditos. This chain has outlets across Spain, and even some in the USA. We were told off for filming inside, so we got the food to go and shot the scene outside. I've never tried it, but the food wasn't good in my opinion. But hey, it is fast food, and it is cheap.
Next up was La Sureña. This was a step up from 100 Montaditos, and the cazón tapa (fried shark) was actually pretty good. But the prawns were flavourless and the bravas were not - in my opinion - bravas.
Finally we hit Tapa Tapa, Bar of Tapas. This chain has been operating for a number of years in Catalonia and recently popped up in Madrid. It has excellent reviews online. And I can understand why. It all looks like tapas, it tastes ok, the service was very good... but it's just a bit joyless. I could be in an airport somewhere in the world. So, while the best of the bunch, and more expensive, it wasn't great.
WHO ARE WE? 🥝
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Hola, Spain lovers! We're James and Yoly. James is a New Zealander, and Yoly is from Spain. And we both live in Madrid. This channel is all about giving you a local insight into life in Spain, and helping you experience this country like a local when you come to visit (or live!). If that sounds like your kind of thing, bienvenido!
*This description contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you use them 🙏🏻
My humble advices for people who want get some tapas in spain are:
1/ As Yoli said, avoid places with the word “Tapas” in their name
2/ Avoid places with “fotoplato” (menus with pictures of the dishes)
3/ Avoid places with multilingual menus
4/ Trust Jame’s advices as if he were your mother xD
Enjoy!
Oh, and the translations can be bewildering!
Amen
Hi, I‘m from Spain. Never been to Lizarran or Tapa Tapa. But my experience is that 100 montaditos its more for teenagers and Sureña basically to get drunk! Regards!
Very true!!
It's extremely relaxing to watch James and Yoly eat food
I personaly enjoy any place that makes good huevos rotos. But La Sureña is really great as a hangout spot. A bucket with beer and 2-3 hours chatting, there is nothing like it.
True - those cheap beers come in handy :)
2-3 hours?
This is a great video! Thank you for comparing these places. It really helps a tourist to tell what is a good quality tapa and not waist their time on bad food. I don't understand why you can't film in a chain restaurant. Love all of your videos.
I was in Madrid for the first time last month with my gf (who is from Madrid) and for tapas we went to el Brillante one evening, the one across from Atocha train station. Not another foreigner in sight, in the middle of Madrid! It was filled with local people and you know that's always a good sign. The food there was, well, brilliant. Recommend highly.
Glad you had a great experience!!!
that's an absolute classic, especially the squid ring sandwich (bocadillo de calamares). It has two varieties- with or without mayo, and generally quite good price-quality (some gourmets hate tapas bars like this one). I remember once seeing a couple of female Japanese tourists, when they brought the sandwich they were amazed at the size
I'm traveling Spain for two weeks next month and am so glad I saw this video Haha. Definitely need to scroll through your archive. Thanks guys!
Please do - lots in here!
Ever been to a chain tapas bar? What was it like? Let us know! 😍or 😷?
We have 100 Montaditos here in Miami, I would give them a 6 maybe compared to several of the actual tapas bars here owned by Spaniards. I lived for a while in Madrid for a mile and LOVE getting tapas when I go back.
Love all your videos, James and Yoly! I am so looking forward to Spain next year :D
Well I personally love 100 Montaditos! It was always handy when my friends and I only had pocket money but still wanted to go out and eat something. I missed them greatly when I lived in England but then when I came back, I realised the quality was meh. I am also pretty sure the quality has dropped nowadays, I kind of remember they were nicer at the start of the 2010 🤔 still, I'd recommend it to all my friends from abroad with cheap budgets to get a first taste of Spanish flavours. Lizarrán is better but the rations are small and I find the prices high for the quantity. And I have barely been to La Sureña but the food wasn't too amazing XD I just wish there were higher salaries/jobs for us young people, I'd really love to just do a tapas crawl every weekend with my friends and not be afraid of the money😂 great video guys!
Thank you!!
0:47 Lizarrán
5:09 100 Montaditos
9:47 La Sureña
13:54 Tapa Tapa
Thanks Nigel!
You put a lot of effort in video production and raise the art of vlogging to the next level. Wow , I’m sure I will go back to your vlogs when I return to Spain soon.
James is so energetic and enthusiastic... He'd really deserve more followers.
I Just went to Barcelona & Sevilla and went to all your & Devour tour recommendations it was AMAAAAAZING!!! Thank
you
Thank you for this video. Very helpful! 👌
Hi there people! I've been to Lizarran in Alicante and that is it, basically my only experience with tapas bars so far, so I still have all expoloring and experimenting to do, looking forward to that! Were moving to Spain in just little over a year from now and I'm watching everything Spain related from CZcams and I have to say, This channel and the way you do these videos is best I have seen!!! 😃😃😃
Awesome - thanks for that. A world of amazing food awaits you!
Also on the note about some places being convenient because they're close; when I was in Madrid everything was walking distance and every bar recommended was worth the walk
I first came across Lizarran in Valencia in January 2019,I did not know they were a franchise but I found the food very tasty and when the bell rang to indicate more food coming out as a new way of getting people to eat more tapa, (which I did) but far too much bread, and to pay the bill they counted the cocktail sticks which I thought was great,
I love your Madrid food tours, I have been there many times and eaten in many of the places you recommend, I went to Sobrina de Botin in June this year, (oldest restaurant in the world) about 8.30 Saturday evening and was totally ignored, we stood there for about 5 minutes and walked out.
That's a shame. I'm sorry to hear that!
Great info!
The food prices are amazing in Spain, so is the alcohol. Their food is fresher and worth so much more. I love Spain. Can't wait to return and explore, eat, and drink.
Lizarran - CARTA DE PINchos (creo que ya esta todo dicho)
Es como ir a un Taco Bell y pensar que es comida tipica Mexicana 🤣
En mi país hay un Lizarran, hacen paella con arroz precocido :(
Tanks for taking the time to review those chains. When I travel, I like to "go where locals go", but many locals frequent those chains too. I love going inside a hole in the wall if it is packed off the beaten path. Usually that's a good sign. Now google and dedicated sites help a lot with reviews and recommendations so that helps too. Now, when traveling with kids who are extremely conservative when it comes to trying new things, fast food chains are sometimes a life saver. I remember one time we had to stop at a burger place by the beach in Barcelona because my son was hungry since he did not eat much at the place where we ate. Bought a burger and off we went. I hope one day he will improve his palate a bit more.
I think it's normal that kids need a little coaxing :)
I miss 100 montaditos in Florida. (Used to be in more places than Miami.. reminded me of my trip to Spain and they had Spanish beer)
Hola Sad day if Spain going like fast food ! When i go to Spain i want eat like a local and enjoy the culture of Spain. Love you're work and vlogs Australia
Well done for tipping your toe in the 'fast food' tapas, brave guys! So the results are what I expected and I guess you guys did too ! Let's face it, where ever you go in the world food outlets will copy and race to the bottom of great food taste and experience! I lived on 3 continents and trust me its world wide!.... Loving your channel as always, will out to the villa at end of March...... keep up the great work !
Thank you soooo much for doing this. Though it's always great to find new awesome places, being warned about the ons to avoid is just as important. D
Thanks Daniel - happy travels!
The 100 montaditos in South Miami closed down almost instantly. Great video! Great content!
Thanks Robert!
Great show about less than average food. Best regards, and waiting for more of you from you!
I was in Madrid last November and I went Cava baja street following the channel advice in some of the bars and it was awesome I hope to meet you in my next trip to Madrid. Cheers 🥂
When you say "better", my American ear hears "bitter" LOL. Love your channel
Plan on going to Spain late in the summer and love getting tips. You can only eat so much in a day and it would be a shame to waste it on bad places.
Hi! Can i ask, what should I expect for a daily expense around Madrid a day?
Like not hotel included, just metro ticket for the day and just a breakfast, lunch and dinner with a few extras?
Tapa Tapa acted as Training Wheels and a crutch for our jet lag for the first 24 hours in Barcelona. I really liked it, but it was my first full meal in Spain after landing in the airport 12 hours prior. Then we went off to the real authentic restaurants in the following days ahead.
That's true! It can be a good way to ease your way in. Glad you had a great trip!
Love your work,keep it up.Sorry to hear about the tragic shooting massacre in Christchurch,New Zealand.Thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
Coffer Martin Hey thanks - terrible news coming from NZ. 😔
Thank you for that
Bravo. Been to Madrid many times. Never eaten at these establishments. Will be going to Madrid in August. Will certainly visit the Ibiza neighborhood tapas you suggested.
Thanks again for providing a way to make better choices.
Love your show.
I've said this before -love that you keep it real! No need to glorify everywhere you go when everyone knows Spain has fantastic food.:)
I love spain and portugal i used to go to those countries almost every year specially spain..i was in malaga few months ago it's beautiful and very clean food is good too..
And don't forget Valor cafés. We sometimes plan our trip around "is there a Valor there?". So. Much. Chocolate. 🥰
100 montaditos is a pretty good place to go on Wednesdays because they do the 1€ offer. Almost all their dishes for 1€, not bad. And I don´t know in Madrid, but in Catalonia La Sureña and 100 montaditos are almost always together, sharing a restaurant or one next to the other. I think they are from the same owner.
I went once to lizzaran at toledo right after siesta. The location was empty and enjoyed a bunch of the hot tapas. I really love it out there. A few years later i try it in madrid and it was terrible. Maybe some locations are better than others. I can do cien montaditos for something quick, coffee, water, beer. I dont like their montaditos, maybe the wings and the fries with chesse and ham. But nothing besides that.
Hola, James, Really good to know these places and get an idea!! Thanks to you guys! Oh, by the way, I love Cruzcampo beer... I loved it when I was in Spain but unfortunately could not find here in the States.
I have recently discovered your videos and was interested in your opinion here as Lizzaran and 100 Montaditos are always somewhere we eat in Spain .
Lizzaran Pinchos are hit and miss. The hot ones can be good but the croquetas I find reasonable for the price and really reliable
As for 100 Montaditos the 1 euro offer is great for those on a budget, in fact its great any day of the week for people on a budget . The usual standard ones are ok for the price , beer is reasonable and you can't fault the concept . They don't strive to be exceptional and that's just fine . If you don't pick the adventurous items they can be just fine .
I have had horrendous food in barrio bars at times .
Take it for what it is and you will be fine
For real, we have 100 Montaditos here in Portugal as well and I was surprised how better it was compared to the ones in Spain!
I've went to 100 Montaditos in Madrid and in Seville and they just don't compare with the ones in Portugal. Here they are just so great!
I have been in Madrid for more than 4 years and never been to any of these tapas chains. If I eat out, I wanna eat good food 😄😄
Well said.
Loving your videos and the tons of fabulous information and impressions! What especially delighted me was the lack of really noticeable music in them! Is there any chance of keeping the music low-volume or even music-free, please? (I'm a musician, BTW.) We're off to Spain in a few days. Looking forward to following as many of your leads as we can. Thanks for your great tips!
Your spanish is sooo good!! Can you do a video about how you learned spanish?
I’m on my way to Malaga and Seville, any recommendations for both cities? Thanks
We don't have a Tapa Tapa here, but I've had the other three. I find them to be good places for cheap drinks and drunk food. I certainly never CHOOSE to eat in any of these places. Our 100 Montaditos overlooks the beach and is a great place to hang out.
I really enjoy your videos. Keep up with the good work! Sadly, more and more in Spain, good food is expensive.... It didn't use to be...I can remember eating in the most humble of places and going to heaven!!!!
You can still eat cheap and well, but obviously it's harder to find that it once was (in the big cities)
Thank you so much, James! I am traveling with my daughter in April to Spain and all of your videos are helping a lot. Also, we are doing the Flamenco & Tapas tour in Sevilla with Devour tours.
Fantastic - I hope you have a wonderful time! And I'm sure you will!
Gracias por video chicos, muy bueno como siempre..........I've only ever seen those "table-buzzers" in Spain, I wonder if they are used elsewhere?
They are commonly used in the US in big chain restaurants.
Video about Calsotada (Traditional Catalan Sweet Onion BBQ) will be great!
Good idea!
I live close to the same 100 Montaditos you went to. When I first moved here to Madrid I went all the time because I didn't know any Spanish and you can order with a paper. It does a good job of fulfilling its duty of being cheap fast food. Now I've lived here for a year and do find it odd that there is a fast food version of an already fast and casual food, tapas.
Good review, as a spanish person living in Málaga we often go to the places mainly for price.
100 montaditos for example has an offer on Wednesday and Sunday were, all if not, most of the menu costs only 1€. So all items including the beer is only 1€ and it gets full. Any students will look forward to a beer, some crips, olives, and 2 random sandwiches for 5€.
Yeah these places are great for price but if you are after authentic food with great taste follow their advice on other great places :).
We are Americans and have been to Lizarran in a few cities. We usually stop there when we have been busy doing the tourist thing and all of a sudden we are hungry and have missed lunch. We have not had their tapas much but I did find a beefsteak and fries acceptable... of course as I said we were hungry and our choices were Lizarran or Taco Bell.
When in Valencia before pandemic we went to 100Mondatitos many times...It was alright. Unfortunately I don't remember which ones we tried.
I forgot to mention, back in 2003, our first visit to Madrid, we tried Cañas Y Tapas a few times. It's like Tapas Tapas but less "fancy" lol.
Going to the south sometimes the humblest 'taberna' or 'tasca' and a 'txoko' at the Basque country can bring you a pleasant surprise.
I love your channel
Hi James & Yolli, just watched this one. 100M is somewhere we go at least once on each trip. We're vegetarian and the veggie (mainly cheese) choices are pretty decent. The sweet ones are good too. Cheap beer & cheap Tinto de Verano, especially on an "everything €1" day. The other 2 big chains don't do so well with us as there's much better tapas everywhere, but we don't think of montaditos as tapas.
Hi James & Yoly. Thank you for your helpful videos. Though I probably won't be eating at tapa chains, I was wondering if you can type out the names of the dishes you featured so I can order them elsewhere--that would be helpful. I'm planning a trip to Spain this September, and I'm already learning Spanish in preparation for the trip. I love seeing you two work together! Keep up the great content!
Hey there! The main dishes we tried were at the last two stops
Gambas cocidas
Patatas bravas
Cazon en adobo
At the last stop
Gambas al ajillo
Croquetas
Albondigas (meatballs)
Enjoy!
@@spainrevealed Gracias. It was the cazon en adobo that I want to try, and of course the bravas (I also watched your bravas video). 👍
I like to watch your videos guys.
Tenéis que probar una cadena de pinxos que, aunque esté en sitios turísticos, está muy bien, se llama Txapela.
You make me want to drink wine and eat delicious things on slices of French bread rolls at 10am
Que opinas del museo del jamon, yo lo encuentro bastante bueno pero las croquetas estaban pesimas
Creo que está bien.
Coming to this late. I will be visiting Sevilla and Granada soon and obviously want to try tapas. BUT I am a vegetarian. How easy is it to know what the ingredients of a tapa are - and would it be safer in one of these chains which I guess have detailed descriptions on their menus?
WOW!!! Your channel has exploded! I would love to do a collab with you! Congrats! 😍❤
Great idea! 😊
It would be nice to see you both on one video.
Please do a collab!!! ❤
Congrats!!! Collab!
I watch you both. That's a nice idea.
Lizzarron in fuengirola is exceptional and highly recommended
Vosotros me caéis muy bien.
We've only ever stoped in to 100 Montanditos a couple of times for a quick coffee. There is nothing special happening here. It's perfect for students or if you're on a different time schedule than to locals and you need a quick bite whilst all the other "real" bars are closed.Or, if you're traveling with little ones and they just have to have something , it will tide you over till dinner time. These places are a hard PASS for us.
Thanks again J&Y for such great content
Salud
Thanks for that!!
The new music is much better lol
lol - switching it up!
yoli is an amazing human being
She is indeed!
100 Montaditos was convenient, but not my favorite place. We had just come out of the Thyssen-Borneimisza Museum and wanted a quick lunch and something cold to drink. After figuring out their order system, the food didn't take too long to be ready. It was OK. What was NOT OK was the messes that were left on all the tables. They had no one cleaning up and the birds were all over the place. Hitchcock? Not really, but we won't go back.
Hi there. friendly advice, it will be a great idea if you can include the dish (food restaurants)prices. thx.
Hey James, how will I tell a chain from a local place? Will it be obvious?
love your videos..its amazing you both don't weigh 350 and one half pounds, enjoy.
ive been to 100 montaditos, i agree the bacon and meat and even chicken are not good, but the saumon and cabra cheese and tomate, or the sandwish of tomatos, extra virgin oil and cheese are really tasty, also dont forget that it pretty cheap in montaditos ! 1 or 1.5 euro per mini sandwish.
They are indeed cheap. The food I tried just wasn't very good. Maybe I chose badly?
I made the mistake of going to Lizarran in Valencia. It was virtually empty but I had been out and about all day and it was too early for dinner so I just hoped in to grab a small bite...it was very forgettable but the beer was more american sized. Just one step above the places that are right next to the major tourists spots that charge you a truck load of money for crappy food.
Not sure how often you guys go to Barcelona but if you have a chance check out Taberna Can Margarit in Poble Sec or Paco Meralgo in Antiga Esquerra. Both awesome places with really friendly staff/owners and great food and very few tourists.
There’s a Cien Montaditos in DC, kinda disappointing.
Have you thought about doing a video searching for Madrid's best tortilla de patata (like you did with the bravas one)?
It's def. on the list!
Spain Revealed - James Blick great! if you need suggestions I could tell you a couple of places :)
I like Lizarrán. I used to eat at the one in Alicante. I liked it because I was broke. I am not a food snob. It was a fun place. I remember a guy walked in without a shirt on and they quickly made him leave. I think these chains would do great in the USA. I wish they would. I have grown acres of pimientos de Padrón and have not been able to sell them all. I really like that you covered franchises. By the way, studying Spanish is an inexpensive way to travel, they provide lodging. The Spanish classes in Spain have become a strong industry. They may be a good episode. I lived on All i Oli and a stick of bread back then.
Im from Bilbao and i never seen lizarran here. I guess that they cant even compete with the local pintxos bars.
Yo tb soy vasco y para mí lizarran es básicamente pinchos industriales... Una kk vaya
Have you done a review of casa mingo? I would like to see that!
I can't deal with these food related videos. I WANT TO TRY EVERYTHING
haha!
The ONLY reason to go to 100Montaditos is for €1 coffee, or for €1,5 beer or tinto to get day drunk off. The one surprising food item on the menu are the chicken wings, alitas de pollo, which are actually very nice!
It’s called Pan Bao I think (at Lizarrán).
Great video as always. Please leave out the background music in the future so we can experience the raw footage
Ah, you didn't like the music? I find it helps accompany.
I like music but this one is a bit jangly
I love Montaditos prices when visiting Spain on a budget, and they make everything easy to order, but the ingredients feel quite basic and are not that memorable.
It's true - the price certainly helps if you're on a tight budget
madrid next May....i need to book you guys pls
That meatball sandwich did look dire. Looked like frozen slop you find in Ikea. At least the Ikea one comes with a sauce to try to cover up the taste.
Never heard of take away tapas, lol, nice places you visited
Hmmmm the thought popped in my mind ... conveyer belt tapas
I was in Spain in 2017. I started out in Barcelona and stopped one night at Tapas Tapas. Maybe it was what I ordered but I liked it. In Madrid and Sevilla I ate at more local tapas restaurants but Tapas Tapas was not bad at all. Perhaps the food at that one location had a better chef. Not sure.
Yeah, maybe the chef was better
You guys are great....even when you eat crappy food 🤣
haha thanks
Anytime corporates get involved it's usually a bad thing. Even if they maintain standards initially eventually you will see a decline. On top of that it's usually a franchise model and they are totally inconsistent.
Pues, el 100 montaditos de Algeciras está muy bien, al menos los montaditos que yo he probado estaban muy buenos. El Lizarrán de aquí no estaba mal, pero el del centro comercial La Cañada, en Marbella, muchísimo mejor, estaba todo increíble, eso sí, sólo pedí los calientes. Supongo que aunque sean franquicia, especialmente con las cosas que son recién hechas, dependerá de quien lleve la cocina. 💁♀️
The first one sounded like the food had been sitting around for a while before it got to you.
Coño, estais en Atocha y no habeis entrado en el brillante a probar algo tan tipico como un bocata del "tropi"
100 montaditos only on discount days otherwise it's a no go ....