Hi we are coming out on the 12th dec this year (not been before), and have been to Tenerife and found lots of tapas bars, hidden off beaten path. Are there any places in CT or Lanzarote (we will have a car) looking for traditional cheap food!

El Fondeadero at Las Caletas (between Costa Teguise and Arrecife) has great tapas and is really cheap.
It tends to be very busy at lunchtime though, so get there early.

May seem a daft question to a few but how does Tapas work, do you go in sit down and say can i have tapas please or what? I just don't know. thanks

Tapas routines vary from bar to bar.
Some will have a list of available Tapas (San Francisco in Arrecife, main st) or others like La Lonja in PdC (Harbour) have the Tapas on the bar and you just chose.
I normally go for 2-3 Tapas per person.

There does seem to be a bit of an aura about tapas!

They are basically bar snacks. The bars the locals go to will always have 3 or 4 plates of something on offer But it won't advertise with big letters saying tapas outside! Lanzarote tapas tends to be more fishy than the mainland for obvious reasons.

Best to just pop in and be adventurous!

Is (hermanos or Hermanns) still going!? tapas was second to none and the home made cidre WooHoo!

Also the one in playa blanca down by port cant remember there name run by two spanish laides, thought they were sisters. excellent food and the flamenco dancing was excellent. what a night i had in there! when i left there were no taxis running

Both theses places will see me in march!

Some traditional 'local' bars still give you a free 'tapas' if you are drinking in their bar. I've been given a small bowl of stuffed olives and tiny whole pinkled gerkins recently.

yes but I am noticing this less and less... I think at Christmas, only Maritoni's gave us tapas whilst we were having a drink and waiting for our food.

I haven't seen proper tapas bars outside of Madrid. Free and plentiful food was the norm the last time I was round the Puerto del Sol area provided you were drinking at the bar.

Cuidad Lineal is another area of Madrid for excellent tapas.
Not the same now after my friend is sadly no more after the Spanair disaster.

You should try the area around Almeria for FREE tapas with every drink. Great selection and they keep coming. Roquetas de Mar has loads of Tapas bars with excellent food and choice. Cafe Aurora in the port area is a great example as is Bar Anna in the urbanisation.

tommybhoy