Try our city tapas tours

Strolling across a sundrenched square in Seville or San Sebastian, going from place to place for a drink and a bite to eat... now that's the authentic way to enjoy tapas. Known as "tapeo" in Spain, it's a more civilised relation of our pub crawl. The idea is to drop in at several bars for a drink and some tapas, moving on to one place for tortilla, another for chorizo, another for the garlic prawns, and so on.

In London it sounds more like a holiday plan than a reality. But there are signs that tapas culture is improving, as the less authentic Spanish eateries make way for a superior breed of tapas bar.

And it's not just the food that's great. All practise a "first come, first served" policy, meaning you don't have to make dinner plans weeks or months in advance. All you do is simply drop in and have a drink while you wait for a space.

Want to try your own tapas tour? We've created two "tapeo" routes for you — one in Soho and one in Shoreditch. Just don't expect straw donkeys and sombreros, because this is a true taste of Spain.

SHOREDITCH TAPEO
1. Pinchito Tapas
Start your Spanish Shoreditch experience at Pinchito Tapas, a short walk from Old Street Tube. It's like a little bit of Barcelona: a cool but casual bar, lively music, great drinks and a menu of classics supplemented by 10 "tapas del dia" daily specials. Pinchito also single-handedly spearheaded the sangria revival, so be sure to order a jug. And don't leave without trying the marinated anchovies with potato crisps. So wrong, they're right.
32 Featherstone Street, EC1 (020 7490 0121)

2. Eyre Brothers
Just a hop and a skip from Pinchito Tapas is this civilised foodie favourite. Start off in the bar with a great bottle of wine and pick at a selection from the menu of Portuguese and Spanish tapas. At £5 each, you can choose from king prawns with garlic, salt cod croquetas or mini chorizo sausages. The restaurant offers modern Iberian cuisine à la carte.
70 Leonard Street, EC2 (020 7613 5346)

3. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe may have had its moment a while ago, but it continues to pull in the punters with its appealing blend of squishy sofas, upbeat atmosphere and straightforward tapas and street food. Classic tapas such as tortilla, mussels in spicy sauce or chorizo are the purist's choice from the semi-open kitchen, but hit the cocktail list hard and you'll struggle to resist the chunky chips, patatas bravas or tortillas with chipotle salsa. It's a brilliant place to finish your City tapas tour.
35-42 Charlotte Road, EC2 (020 7729 5566)

SOHO TAPEO
1. Dehesa
That this new venture from the Salt Yard team has hit the ground running comes as no surprise. All the ingredients that made Italian-Spanish hybrid Salt Yard a hit are here in spades: fabulous charcuterie, quality wines and ravishing tapas dishes. Don't leave without trying the courgette flowers stuffed with Monte Enebro cheese.
25 Ganton Street, W1 (020 7494 4170)

2. Vivo
When your evening takes a lively turn, wind your way to the basement bar at Vivo for tapas with a South American spin. Empanaditas with sour cream, patatas bravas with spicy tomato sauce or king prawns in chilli or garlic butter are a great match with Vivo's international beers and Latin-inspired cocktails.
Vivo, 6 Poland Street, W1 (020 7734 3029)

3. Meza
Recently reopened after a spit and polish, Meza's back on form and as popular as ever with Soho's post-work crowd. Settle into the sofas or banquettes with your mates and order some fab cocktails and simple tapas from the menu of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes. Thick-cut chips and aioli or chorizo with Pedro Ximenez sherry should go down a treat. From Thursday to Saturday DJ Addy Jay plays from 9pm until late.
100 Wardour Street, W1 (020 7314 4002)