Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes! I can handle tapas with just my spouse, but when you start adding people it's annoying to figure out how much I should be taking from a given dish and how to split the bill in the end. I just want to eat my food.

+1 I love being able to taste lots of items with 1-2 other people, after that it’s just gross and annoying.

I was at a work dinner once and one woman insisted we should all choose an entree and share. There were 8 of us and I was the only one at the table who completely declined. We weren’t friends and most just met, it was a regular steakhouse type of restaurant. This lady was so put off that I wasn’t embracing this GNO vibe and sharing my filet. Gross.

That's so strange to do at a steakhouse. Surprised other people went along with her.

Agree, OP.

I love going out for tapas because it’s spending fun time with friends. But I eat dinner at home before going out.

Anonymous wrote:Don't people use them like dim sum, OP? Order a bunch for the table? That is the principle of dim sum and yes, you do have to pace yourself and figure out whether you're ordering too much, but the result is delicious and it's fun to share (with friends, not strangers!).

I am not a tapas fan, but I am a dim sum fam. I do acknowledge that dim sum is purpose-built, where they roll little carts around and check off your order. They've got it down to a science. Maybe if tapas restaurants worked like this, it would work better

Except dim sum has reasonable prices. Tapas are insane. I have to go to a tapas restaurant for a party and can already tell I’ll need 2-3 of them to feel remotely full, assuming I am not pressured to share them too. They run $18 all the way up to $29 each. It’s insane. I gotta pay $70-80 just to feel full and share annoyingly with other people.

When I get dim sum, XLB is what, $7-8?


The point is that Spanish style tapas were never intended to be dinner. It’s just finger food and bar snacks.

Don't people use them like dim sum, OP? Order a bunch for the table? That is the principle of dim sum and yes, you do have to pace yourself and figure out whether you're ordering too much, but the result is delicious and it's fun to share (with friends, not strangers!).

I am not a tapas fan, but I am a dim sum fam. I do acknowledge that dim sum is purpose-built, where they roll little carts around and check off your order. They've got it down to a science. Maybe if tapas restaurants worked like this, it would work better

I love tapas, but I'm a small eater/grazer. My husband agrees with you and wants a full meal.

I do like Korean style tapas, where they roll around a cart. That way you know how much you are getting, and aren't even waiting on food.

Anonymous wrote:I studied abroad in Spain, so I get what you mean that it isn’t served the intended way.

However, I like tapas because I get to taste different dishes that I wouldn’t necessarily get to taste if I just ordered my own plate.

+1 I enjoy tapas for that reason, too. And they do it this way in the UK, too.

Anonymous wrote:Yes! I can handle tapas with just my spouse, but when you start adding people it's annoying to figure out how much I should be taking from a given dish and how to split the bill in the end. I just want to eat my food.

+1 I love being able to taste lots of items with 1-2 other people, after that it’s just gross and annoying.

I was at a work dinner once and one woman insisted we should all choose an entree and share. There were 8 of us and I was the only one at the table who completely declined. We weren’t friends and most just met, it was a regular steakhouse type of restaurant. This lady was so put off that I wasn’t embracing this GNO vibe and sharing my filet. Gross.

One of my irritations with this style of dining in restaurants - often they bring you an odd number of something - 3 dumplings, 5 crostini. Sure, people go out to eat in groups of varying sizes - but most often it's even numbers - 2 couples, that kind of thing. Then you're left trying to divide up one item that was small to begin with, or decide who of a group gets multiples of something.

Anonymous wrote:I hate having to share dishes with people. I am, despite my best efforts, a picky eater. So if we are sharing plates, and I only like two things on the table, I might not get any of them while other people like six things on the table.

Can’t you just order another couple dishes?

I hate having to share dishes with people. I am, despite my best efforts, a picky eater. So if we are sharing plates, and I only like two things on the table, I might not get any of them while other people like six things on the table.

Yes! I can handle tapas with just my spouse, but when you start adding people it's annoying to figure out how much I should be taking from a given dish and how to split the bill in the end. I just want to eat my food.

When I go most dishes have enough for 4 people to get a portion to taste.

The tapas at Barcelona and Zaytinya are pretty filling.

I studied abroad in Spain, so I get what you mean that it isn’t served the intended way.

However, I like tapas because I get to taste different dishes that I wouldn’t necessarily get to taste if I just ordered my own plate.

Well, in America at least. Tapas were never meant to be served for dinner. They are supposed to be bar food you get for free while boozing, i.e., small plates you eat while drinking. Tapas are illogical to eat for dinner. If you’re with your family, a single tapas dish will only be enough for about 1.5 persons, which means you need to order repeats of anything multiple people want. That can often lead to order too much of a certain tapas dish or not enough.

I also am always hungry after leaving a tapas place. The prices for tapas are also exorbitant when you factor in how many you need to feel full, which is probably 3-4 of them that are priced $12-18 each.


Tapas places are the worst, because the US does them completely backwards. It’s just snack and finger foods that are turned somehow into a full dinner for full entree prices. It’s so ridiculous.