Girona Evening Tapas Tour

The evening is when Girona feels most itself. The squares fill with locals, the cathedral glows under floodlights, and the bars of the old town and the Mercadal serve small plates until late. This guided evening food tour takes you through that scene in a group, stopping at several tapas bars for dishes and drinks that capture the Catalan table: croquetas, patatas bravas, jamon, local cheese, seafood and a glass of Emporda wine or a vermouth on ice. The guide explains what you are eating and why, helps with ordering, and leads you to rooms you might not find alone. Between stops you stroll the lanes after dark, when the city is quiet and the stonework glows.

Evening tours typically meet in the early evening, giving you time to enjoy the golden light before dinner. The first stop is often a bar with a vermouth tradition, where you try the aromatic red vermouth that Catalans drink before meals, served with olives and a slice of orange. From there the group moves to a series of taverns and wine bars, each with a specialty.

Expect classics such as croquetes, tortilla, grilled sausage, anchovies and Iberian ham, with a few modern twists. The guide matches wines to dishes, explaining the grapes of the Emporda region, such as Garnacha and Carinena, and the white wines of the coast.

What makes the tour work is atmosphere. You are not eating in a tourist restaurant; you are standing at a bar with locals, talking to the staff and moving at the group's pace. The guide can tell you the stories behind the venues and recommend places for the days that follow.

It is also an efficient way to eat widely on one night, since each stop offers a portion rather than a full meal. By the end most guests have eaten what amounts to dinner. If you have special diets, mention them at booking so the operator can plan.

Book ahead in high season, because small-group tours fill. This tour pairs well with an afternoon at the Onyar or the walls, and it makes a lively first night after arrival. Spanish dinner hours are late, so if you want a full meal later you can still find open kitchens after the tour ends.

Think of the evening as a rehearsal for the rest of your trip. By the end you will know how to ask for a glass of local wine, how to share plates, and which neighbourhood bars to return to with friends. In winter the tour has a cosy feel, with bars warm and crowded and stews on the menu, while in summer the groups often spill onto terraces and squares.

Either way, leave room for a final coffee or a digestif, and ask your guide where the lights stay on latest, because a few kitchens in the Mercadal keep serving after the main tourist hours.