Tapas, half raciones and raciones

Size of portions, can be confusing as the food itself, when turning inland off the coast into mainland Spain.

Iberico ham and cheese (queso) 

Obviously the food you eat will inevitably be regional and always "not what you expected", so be adventurous, it is rarely expensive.

The custom of tapas is an ideal way to try different food without over committing yourself.  The principle being to order a small tapa either hot or cold with each drink (as you would perhaps order a packet of crisps with a pint in the UK) and then go on to the next tapas bar and try their tapas.

Octopus in oil

You can easily eat as little or as many courses as you then feel comfortable.  Most tapas bars try and specialise with a different form of tapa than their neighbour to encourage you to try theirs.

Rabbit in garlic

Look for the bars with the glass counters on the bar with their selection of cold tapas.  Hot tapas can sometimes be displayed on a second glass counter or written on a blackboard.

Sizes work normally as follows:-

Tapas - size of a tea cup saucer
Half Racion - size of a side plate
Racion - size of a dinner plate

But if you want a small tapa, again I always demonstrate with simple hand signals SMALL! as some tapas bars will often give you a ration anyway.  This is not to rip you off, its because often Spanish in a group will order one racion each, place it all in the middle and share but still call this tapa!

Simply if its not Menu del Dia i.e. the set lunch menu anything can happen !!

Kidneys and potato 

For example we have ordered a Cana (draught beer) and been given a ration of grilled meats i.e. Carne.  Whenever it goes wrong, either just enjoy or smile politely and ask for it to be changed.  Personally I prefer to have a go, but either works and as yet never experienced any ill-feeling.  I find politeness always wins!

Bacalao (salt cod)