A Great Menu for a Spanish Dinner Party

Spain is an incredibly diverse country. Each one of its provinces is autonomous, and it’s not uncommon to see referendums for independence pass through regional governmental bodies. Spanish cuisine is a good representation of its country because it, too, is diverse. For a good Spanish dinner party, you’ll need to prepare a menu that represents several of the provinces. And although it will be an evening meal, you can’t leave out tapas! Read on for our suggestions.



Here it is. Tapas is what visitors to Spain love and wish they had in their countries. Tapas are little Spanish meals that can be mixed and matched according to whatever palette. They’re essentially finger-food, but there’s a great variety of them—they can be eaten any which way. The tapas that we recommend you prepare are the going favorites in Spain. They are the Patatas Bravas, which are potatoes in brava sauce, the Spanish omelet (also potato) and Gambas al Ajillo, which are delectable shrimp in garlic and olive oil.

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Representing Spain’s 3rd largest city Valencia, with their iconic meal paella. You can make it with seafood, or as a vegetarian dish. Paella itself is not relegated to Valencia, but it comes from there. The Paella Valenciana is made with bomba rice, rabbit, chicken, snails, beans, artichokes and a variety of spices. The only requisite is that you have the paella pan to cook it. You should also cook it over an open fire.

Escudella i carn d’olla – Cataluna

You can’t have a Spanish dinner party without including a dish from Barcelona and its surrounds. The flagship gastronomic item from Cataluna is this meat/bean/vegetable stew. Escudella i carn d’olla is made of many types of beans, means and sausage, and a great assortment of vegetables is thrown it. It’s easy to make a lot at once—it will satisfy a whole party of people!

Spanish Seafood Salad

So far most of what we’ve mentioned is going to be served hot (except some tapas, like salami rolls). So add a salad. It’s always good to diversify dishes for a dinner party so that everyone can eat something they like or are in the mood for. In Spain, salad is traditionally eaten with meals. This one highlights the fact that Spain has many coasts. It combines things like octopus, shrimp, mussel, monkfish, crab and vegetables like tomatoes, corn, onions, bell peppers and olives. It packs an intriguing punch that will leave you without leftovers.

Spanish Tart

There are many Spanish desserts to choose from, but to keep things practical you should prepare something that can be served to a large group. In this case, this tasty custard and berry tart is perfect. All you need is fresh berries and granulated sugar, which you combine in the saucepan. You should fill the tart with custard mix; the berry topping is the final touch. If you want to forgo the crust for the tart, you might opt to prepare a traditional flan dessert instead, with the same ingredients.

So there it is. This is a formidable menu that will bring your Spanish dinner party alive.