La Bodega de Vinny: Authentic Tapas in Granada

La Bodega de Vinny is a “divey” bodega on a narrow, dimly lit, side street in Granada.There are no menus, no tables, no reservations, and no waiters. Doesn’t exactly sound like your typical restaurant, or a restaurant at all for that matter.

The address listed on Google is wrong.there are no hours posted on the door, and only 19 people can fit inside at any given time. Despite all this, there is a line outside the door every evening. Anxious diners like me wait for over an hour to squeeze our way inside. Once in, you’re left standing almost shoulder to shoulder with your fellow diners.

So what’s all the fuss about?

Nearly every bar in Granada gives you complementary tapas when you order a drink. La Bodega de Vinny is no different apart from one minor detail. Their tapas are not your traditional small bites. In fact, they are huge! 

Is La Bodega de Vinny worth the hype?

I vote yes! La Bodega de Vinny is an excellent way to experience the Granada tapas tradition. They’re not there to make money or turn tables. They’re there to have fun and make you smile.

With a price tag of only €2.50 per person, no, that is not a typo, €2.50, La Bodega de Vinny cannot be beat in regards to quality, flavor, or price.

How it works

Vinny came over and said, “Dime”. This means, “What do you want to drink,” in Spain. So, we each ordered a glass of wine and waited for our tapas.

He retrieved our wine from a wine cooler and poured our glasses through an aerator before serving. A few minutes later he came bearing gifts, two plates and a basket of bread. A tortilla (Spanish omelette) with mixed vegetables and a chicken dish with stewed potatoes, peppers, and mushrooms. After freshly slicing some meats and cheeses behind the bar he came over with a third tapa, a board with Manchego cheese, salchicha, jamón serrano, and chorizo.

The wine was pleasant, and the food was delicious. This is definitely not the place to go with a certain dish in mind. Every night is different. Within the same evening, every order is different. Vinny decides what you’ll eat, not you. The earlier customers had chicken wings. The later ones had potato salads and bean salads with a different variety of sliced meats and cheeses.

I recommend going early. You’ll avoid the lines and get the best dishes of the night.

La Bodega de Vinny, Calle Sol 4, Granada, Spain