The tapa that comes free with a drink draws many visitors from Madrid to the bars of Alcalá de Henares, the university town on Cercanías lines C-2 and C-7, but here it is a house policy, not a rule. Two names stand out: the Índalo chain, with a tapa of your choice per drink at its four bars, and El Griffo del Bras, where a bottle of beer costs 3.80 euros with its tapa and an extra tapa 2.50 euros. Everywhere else, assume you pay for food, and ask before ordering.
Where can I get tapas with my drink in Alcalá de Henares? At El Griffo del Bras, where every soft drink, wine or beer comes with a tapa and an extra costs 2.50 euros, and at the four Índalo bars, where you pick one tapa with each drink. A bottle of Águila Dorada beer at El Griffo is 3.80 euros, tapa included. The Índalo bars close on Mondays.
- Included tapa: El Griffo and the four Índalo bars.
- Extra tapa: 2.50 euros at El Griffo.
- Paid plates: La Calzada, migas at 6.90 euros.
- Closed for good: Más que Bocados.
How does the free tapa actually work?
Order a drink and, at bars with the policy, a small plate arrives or the waiter asks you to choose from a list. The tapa is part of the drink, so a second drink brings a second tapa. What you pay for is the extra tapa, 2.50 euros at El Griffo, or a ración, a full plate from the menu meant for sharing.
| Word | What it means | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Tapa | Small plate served with your drink | Included where the bar says so |
| Tapa extra | A second tapa without another drink | 2.50 euros at El Griffo |
| Ración | A full plate from the menu to share | Menu price, e.g. 6.90 euros at La Calzada |
| Caña | Small draught beer | Price varies by bar |
To ask, say «¿la tapa va incluida?» (“is a tapa included?”). It avoids the classic mistake of ordering a ración thinking it is the free tapa.
Where to share plates in the old town
If you would rather pay for proper plates, La Calzada de Alcalá on Calle Mayor serves migas at 6.90 euros, and Taberna 7 sells house croquettes at 2.50 euros each.
One warning: Más que Bocados, in the Garena Plaza shopping centre, has closed permanently.
For a full meal, see where to eat in Alcalá de Henares; to plan the day, things to do in Alcalá de Henares. Back in Madrid, whether tapas are free in Madrid and the best tapas bars in Madrid.
What tapas do El Griffo and Índalo serve?
At El Griffo del Bras you choose from its tapas list, with options such as a homemade burger, a small pork loin sandwich with pepper, or fried eggs with ham, and the list changes with the calendar: paella on Sundays, migas with eggs and chorizo on winter Saturdays, and gazpacho or melon with ham in summer. It opens every day and is 1,267 metres from Plaza de Cervantes; the unfiltered Águila costs 4.20 euros, also with a tapa.
Índalo works the same way, with one tapa of your choice per drink, such as salt cod fritters with aioli, fried eggs with ham or a ham and cheese roll. The central bar is on Calle Libreros, a few steps from Plaza de Cervantes, and the chain closes on Mondays, so check hours by phone before a special trip.
Questions about tapas in Alcalá de Henares
Are tapas free in Alcalá de Henares?
At some bars, yes, as part of the drink price. El Griffo del Bras on Ronda Fiscal includes a tapa with each soft drink, wine or beer and charges 2.50 euros for an extra tapa, and the Índalo chain lets you choose one tapa with every drink. Many other bars only serve tapas as paid plates from the menu.
How do I order tapas in a Spanish bar?
Order your drink first, for example ‘una caña, por favor’ for a small draught beer. Where the tapa is included, staff either bring one or ask you to choose from a list; if they do not, you can ask ‘¿la tapa va incluida?’. Extra tapas and rations are paid separately.
Where is the Índalo bar in central Alcalá de Henares?
At Calle Libreros 9, 167 metres from Plaza de Cervantes. The chain has three more bars, on Avenida de la Alcarria 2, Avenida Juan Carlos I 13 in La Garena and Avenida Lope de Figueroa 16, and all four close on Mondays.
Ask before you order: in Alcalá, the tapa comes with the drink only where the bar says so.