For months, I’ve been curious about a certain Spanish restaurant in Nagold.  I noticed that Tapinos, a tapas place, got lots of good reviews.  However, they are only open in the evenings and not on Sundays or Mondays.  I’d think of Tapinos on a Sunday, realizing that they are closed then.  I’d vow to make a reservation for a night when they are open.  Then I’d forget to make one and end up doing something different.

Well, this morning, I was reminded of Tapinos and I told Bill he should give them a call and see if we could get a table for tonight.  Bill was worried that no one would be there, since they don’t open until 6:00.  I told him that just because a restaurant isn’t open for customers, that doesn’t mean no one is there.  So he called, used his elementary German, and got us a table for seven o’clock this evening.  We arrived a few minutes early.  The guy Bill talked to was waiting for us.  There were three other guys there, finishing up their drinks.  They left before we ordered, so we had the small place to ourselves for awhile.

The outside.  Sorry, it was dark outside.  It’s located next to the river in Nagold and there’s a lot of free parking nearby.  

The front door.  Inside, it’s very cozy, quaint, and romantic.

 

Bill spoke German to the waiter, who I also think was doing the kitchen work.  At first, I didn’t think he spoke English, but while Bill was in the bathroom, he asked me in English if we wanted water.  I said we did.

Bill ordered a lovely bottle of Spanish wine, which went well with the guitar music.

A few shots of the interior.

Loved their wine display.

Small dining room, but very charming.

 

We checked out the a la carte items on the menu, but the waiter explained that he could offer us a tapas menu for 22 euros per person.  Basically, it was five different tapas– typical Spanish fare.  I was a little worried because I’m not as adventurous as Bill is when it comes to some things.  But it turned out my worry was unjustified.  We had a delightful tapas meal and nothing was overly offensive to either of us.  Next time we visit– and there will be a next time– we will have to order from the menu.

We started with olives, olive oil soaked bread, and a nice spread…

Then we progressed to Spanish style tortillas…  remember Spain’s tortillas are not like Mexico’s tortillas…

Basically potatoes, eggs, vegetables, and a very pungent cheese that was almost beyond my limits.  I was proud of myself for enjoying this. 

Next came a platter of sausages, ham, cheeses, and in the center of the platter, red tuna on a baguette. The waiter explained in German that this is very typical Spanish food.  He even showed us the parts of the pig the meat came from.  He was careful to tell us that they were free range pigs.  The Iberian ham was especially good.  Bill loved the cheese– one was a sharp goat cheese and the other was a milder sheep cheese.  I skipped it.

The wine tonight.  It was lovely.

Slices of eggplant with sheep cheese melted on top.  I am not a big cheese fan.  Bill loved it, though, and remarked how the eggplant had a sweetness that counteracted the cheese’s sharpness.

 

I think we’d lost count of the tapas at that point and figured we were finished.  We weren’t, though.  After a short intermission, more food came out.  We were also joined by two more couples who came in for dinner.

Fried potatoes and housemade sausage with a very interesting sauce that tasted of herbs, mustard, and vinegar.  This was very satisfying, but we were getting close to being full…

And finally, calamari served on a bed of zucchini.  Bill doesn’t usually like calamari, but he enjoyed this.

 

The guy who took care of us was very friendly and spoke fine English, though he mostly spoke German as he brought us our food.  In a way, it was kind of refreshing.  I was excited because I understood a lot of what he was saying.  A couple of times, I even understood more than Bill did.  I also noticed a sign on the wall advertising tequila.  Tequila isn’t all that Spanish, but it does happen to be my favorite liquor.  We didn’t have any tonight, though.

Bill was really getting into the meal and he said more than once that he’d like to visit Spain again.  Funny, but two years ago, we were in Portugal and Spain on a “hop”.  We lived in Texas and had no idea a return to Germany was on the horizon.  We had so much fun in Spain and Portugal, not knowing if we’d ever have the chance to visit again.  Now that we’re back in Europe, I think we’ll plan another trip!  Our host said he had been in Rota recently and we told him about our trip out of there two years ago.

Bill got a kick out of the sign reminding guys to sit when they pee.  If I know Bill, he obliged.

We finished up with a digestive.  The guy who took care of us said we could have either a dry or sweet one.  We chose dry, so he brought out what was basically Spanish grappa.

 

The total bill came to 74 euros before tip, but we got a lot for our money.  Our host seemed delighted that we stopped in and was happy when I said we’d be back.  His focus seems to be on natural foods, though I think I heard a microwave beeping in the back.

Anyway, we had a very nice time there and it was a real treat to have something other than German, Italian, or Greek food.  I would recommend Tapinos. Want to make a reservation?  Call 01631600229.  They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 6:00pm.