El Tubo

The basics

While El Tubo is most famous for its food, there are also sights to see, such as the San Gil Abad Church, notable for its 17th-century baroque architecture. Still, eating and drinking are the top things to do here—you’ll be hard-pressed to find a tapas tour of Zaragoza that doesn’t stop by El Tubo. Culinary tours typically combine wine tastings with visits to several tapas bars to sample local specialties.

Things to know before you go

• Don’t be too surprised if you see people tossing their serviettes and cocktail sticks on the floor—this is quite typical in Zaragoza.

• All of the bars accept both cash and credit cards. The service charge in Spain tends to be around 10 percent.

• The streets of El Tubo are mostly paved and even, albeit narrow, so shouldn’t pose too much of a problem for visitors with limited mobility.

How to get there

El Tubo is in the city center of Zaragoza. The neighborhood is close to Plaza España, which can be reached by tram. You can buy a ticket for the tram at the ticket machine at each stop or use a rechargeable transportation card. You can’t pay cash.

When to get there

The tapas bars in El Tubo are typically open for lunch, then close for a couple of hours during siesta time. They tend to reopen from early evening until late at night, and get particularly busy at around 9pm. Peak season in Zaragoza is from June through September.

The best things to eat in Zaragoza

Each of the bars in El Tubo tends to specialize in a type of Spanish tapas. Some are experts in fried croquettes, with fillings ranging from squid ink risotto to sausage and pine nuts, while others serve up shimmering anchovies, huevos rotos (fried eggs served on crispy potatoes), and garlicky portobello mushrooms. Food tours help you overcome the language barrier when ordering, and make sure you’re sampling each place’s specialty.