How to tapa like a pro

We've been in Madrid just shy of 5 months, so we've had our fair share of tapas.  Here's what we've learned so far about how to enjoy a proper tapa experience.  (If you need to wikipedia prep yourself on what tapas are all about, please do so before reading on.)  Just know that the Spanish tapa hop is about small snacking in bars and cafeterias along with a beverage, usually beer or wine. 

In our experience, the basic ingredients to a good Madrid tapa experience are to (1) choose the right time; (2) play it cool when you enter the bar; and (3) practice the art of lingering.

First, a good time to "tapa" is during the "merienda," which is the time inbetween lunch and dinner.  In Madrid, that might be roughly between 7-9 PM.  It's a good time to have a soda, beer, glass of wine or a coffee.  A friend recently said the merienda makes up the third meal of a typical four meal Spanish day (that's breakfast, lunch, merienda, and dinner).  (Note: you can start earlier if you are on vacation or it's the weekend.)  Here's one example of our recent tapa stop for a "caña" (small beer) and some manchego cheese wtih crunchy bread sticks. 

Once you've picked the right time, you need to play it cool when you enter the bar or cafeteria.  Generally, look for a place where there are people, and you'll be in luck.  Go up to the counter, and order your drink.  Hang back a bit while the waiter is getting your order.  Check out the menu, look around at the restaurant or check out the other customers.  When your drink arrives, you'll probably get a small plate of something scrumptious.  Here's an example of another tapa we got, which was fried calamares (for the record, this was nothing special):

Finally, you want to linger with your drink and tapa.  No need to rush.  Talk, hang out, check your email, whatever.  Just don't rush, and don't rush to pay your bill.  Enjoy your time.  When you are ready to leave, make some "packing up moves."  You might gather your purse or put your coat on.  Stand up.  At this point, the waiter will hand you the check ("la cuenta"), and you can pay.  In Madrid, at least, tapas are normally free, so your bill should just reflect the drinks you ordered.  After you've paid, head off to your next stop!

On tipping:  We usually leave a little tip if we go for a drink.  If the bill is under 5 euro, you might leave 20-30 cents.  Maybe a little more.  Spain isn't a big tipping culture, so don't feel obligated.  But, if you want to, a little extra is never a bad thing.