El Tabernáculo

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
At El Tabernaculo you can experience religious remorse and sinful gluttony all at the same time. The walls of this tapas bar in Granada are covered from ceiling to floor in an awesomely gaudy display of photos of Semana Santa (Holy Week in Spain) and religious trinkets. A heavy aroma of incense lingers in the air.
Anthony Bourdain describes this bar on an episode of Parts Unknown, «As best as I understand an Easter-​Jesus-​and-​Mary-​themed drinking establishment, where between drinks one can ponder the agony of the Christ. But with sausages!»
There was only one other couple at the bar during our visit. The couple, locals from Granada, didn’t speak much English, but the husband was kind enough to point out a few of the trinkets in the bar and explain their meaning. The bartender didn’t appear to speak English either so the only words we exchanged were «tres vinos roja por favor», «gracias», «de nada», and «uno mas por favor».
We received the traditional plate of free tapas with each glass of «Jesus juice» that we ordered. I’m not sure exactly what some of the items were on the plate, but everything was delicious and freshly cooked on the griddle behind the bar by the bartender. Our first tapas was a piece of ham that was heated on the griddle and served over bread with mayonnaise. The «open face sandwich» was served with kettle chips. When we ordered a second round of wine we received some sort of delicious, hot and garlicky spread over crusty bread and a side of olives.
This tapas bar is a must-​see if you are visiting Granada!

2 young amigos making miracles in only 15 square meters. :)
Delicious and unique tapas with each beer and hopitable service although no-​english :)

What an experience. El Tabernaculo sits in the middle of Calle Navas, surrounded by tons of other tapas joints (some of which I fear may be tourist traps… generally the ones with people outside ushering you in are to be avoided… or if they have signs for pitchers of Sangria), and offers a truly authentic tapas experience. The old man behind the bar runs the show. Meaning he DOES EVERYTHING. He takes your order, pours your drink, cooks your food, answers your questions, and hands you the «cuenta» when it’s time. But not just your table. He does this FOR EVERY TABLE and EVERY PERSON AT THE BAR. A true stud, that man.
He looks a bit grumpy at first – heck, not even at first, throughout the entire meal. But he’s not. That’s just his game face. The man is really nice and cooks some mean (and free!) tapas. Remember, bars in Granada serve a free tapa with every drink you order. You typically don’t choose that tapa. They have a system – a dish for the first drink, a dish for the second drink, a dish for the third, and so forth. There is a menu too, in case you want to order something else. No need for that here. We sat down and ended up getting three drinks… so three tapas. The first was a Potato Hash with Quail Eggs and Fresh Bread (the bread in Spain ALWAYS DELIVERS), seasoned to perfection. The second was a Lomo Patty on a slice of Bread served with Olives (the olives in Spain ALWAYS DELIVER). The third was a bit odd, I must say. It was an Omelette on a slice of Bread, but the Omelette was very vinegar-​y. I actually enjoyed the first two bites, then it was a bit too much. No complaints tho. I really loved this place.
Be prepared for lots of Jesus/​Semana Santa decorations ALL OVER THE PLACE. The small, antique TV in the back also played, on a loop I’m guessing, last year’s Semana Santa event. That, to me, just added to the flavor and authenticity of this place. A memorable experience from start to finish.

I don’t think a review of this place can even begin to do the tapas justice. The bar is directly across from the more famous Los Diamantes but I’d argue that the food is just as good. We took lunch relatively early (1:30) but we were still accommodated. We stayed for only three tapas, which was more than enough for the both of us.
We tried a quail egg and potato hash tapa which was bonkers awesome, some kind of lomo dish on toast with some of the best olives I’ve ever eaten, and lastly some sort of omelette. The latter was my least favorite of the three, it tasted heavily of vinegar, but I still ate most of it.
After about two cañas I tried a Vino de Verano (red wine and lemonade) which seemed to be fairly popular with the locals, and was just as refreshing as I’d hoped it would be.
This particular tapas bar was super tiny, don’t expect to stop in and easily find space if it’s busy. Also don’t be in a big rush because there was only one person operating both the kitchen and the drinks.
The religious theme was pretty fun to see, and the walls were completely covered with Jesus/​cross memorabilia along with a countdown to Holy Week.

I came here after seeing the bar on Anthony Bourdain’s show. It was exciting to finally be in a place where he had been after years of watching. I definitely was not disappointed. Located on a busy tapas street, this Catholic themed bar is charming and strangely, very homey despite all the Jesuses plastered all over the walls watching you as you drink. As common in Granada with every drink you get a healthy sized tapa. I had only a beer and I was given some zesty paella to go with it. I wish I had the stomach to try more but that’s all I had here. The bar man was old school and very charming even though I did not understand his Spanish. I loved this bar and found the collection of Jesus pictures especially unique. If you visit any bar in Granada, make it this one.

We got here early but the barman was around and let us eat even though he hadn’t even gotten the chairs out yet. We started with tomatoes (delicious, spiced a little differently than other places in Granada with more Italian herbs… but went very well with bread) and snails (served in a hot tomato based sauce… delicious) and sangria. Excellent value for the food and bebidas.
This street is full of good tapas, but the atmosphere in this place sets it apart. Jesus stared down at our snails with envy. Very cool place, definitely in my top 3 for Granada!

Yes, I’ll admit it. I came here after seeing the bar on Anthony Bourdain’s show. I’d never been to a Bourdain recommended establishment and I was intrigued. I definitely was not disappointed. Located on a busy tapas street, this bar is the ideal place to have a few cañas or vinos in the mid afternoon. As common in Granada with every drink you get a healthy sized tapa. The tapas change after every drink and after three you’re sure to be full. The tapas vary from tostadas with jamon, to pork bocadillos, or even patatas bravas with egg. I loved this bar and found the collection of Jesus pictures especially unique. If you visit any bar in Granada, make it this one.

A tiny bar covered from floor to ceiling with small playing card size religious images. It’s unlike any bar I’ve ever seen. The fish pancakes with a homemade aioli served with a drink were incredibly delicious. I love this place and would come here all the time if I lived nearby. It’s a one man shop and the owner is friendly and unassuming. A must-​stop on a tapas bar crawl.

Bar d temática cofrade, adornado con multitud de fotos y estampas de imágenes de cofradias de Granada y muchas de Sevilla. Estoy seguro que varios paisanos mios han estado aqui de tertulia. Muy recomendable además por sus tapillas

Magnifico bar en el centro, las tapas sensacionales, muy entrañable, visita obligada si vas a Granada