A good place to begin your night is along the Campo del Príncipe, where at least seven old-fashioned tapas bars do a rollicking business during the cool of the evening. Our favorite is La Esquinita, Campo del Príncipe, s/n (tel. 958-22-71-06). Small, atmospheric, and sometimes claustrophobic, it serves a crowd that mostly eats standing up, sometimes spilling into the street, rather than sitting at any of the trio of small tables. A specialty tapas here is a ración of fried fish that tastes absolutely sublime when accompanied by wine or cold beer.

A perennial favorite directly in front of the cathedral is El Bodegas Castañera, Elvira, 5 (tel. 958-22-97-06). Inside, rows of antique wine barrels and exposed masonry bring to mind many generations of wine connoisseurs, whose ranks you'll be tempted to join, thanks to the fact that virtually nothing has been changed in this place in years. Another contender for your bar business is Casa Henrique, Calle Acero de Darro, s/n (tel. 958-12-35-08), an old-fashioned masonry-sided hole-in-the-wall lined with antique barrels of wine and sherries. Its specialty tapas consist of thin-sliced Serrano ham and heaping platters of steamed mussels with herbs and white wine.

One of the most popular tapas bars in Granada (at least with us) is Casa Vino del Agua, Calle Algibe de Trillo (tel. 958-22-43-56), a well-maintained bar with an adjoining restaurant in a small garden in the heart of the Albaicín. Everyone agrees that the cooling nighttime breezes show this convivial spot off to best advantage. Don't expect full-fledged platters; its strength is small-scale portions of cheeses, patés, and salads, which go especially well with glasses of wine and beer. An equally historic spot with a verdant patio loaded with plants and shrubs is Bar Pilar del Toro, Calle Hospital de Santa Ana, 12 (tel. 958-22-38-47), near the cathedral and the Plaza Nueva. An even larger competitor, La Gran Taverna, Plaza Nueva, 12 (tel. 958-22-88-46), is a modern and irreverent site that attracts coffee- and wine-tasters as well as lovers of sliced Serrano ham, fondues, and liqueurs. Bar La Mancha, Calle Joaquín Costa, 10 (tel. 958-22-89-68), is a roughly equivalent nearby site.