Each spot has a must-order dish and I kicked off with earthy mushroom croquetas at Taberna Doña Casta, before crossing the road to Bodegas Almau, a wine-bottle lined bar which specialises in various anchovy preparations. After a bit of a back and forth, I was persuaded to try their award-winning signature tapa of a slice of toast spread thickly with cream cheese and topped with an anchovy fillet, honey and dark chocolate shavings. Much to my surprise it proved a salty, sweet delight.

We were on a cross roads trying to decide where to go and I consulted the list, and Taberna Doña Casta was right in front of us, one of the recommendations. The guide noted the €23 bottle of wine and six tapas deal as worth a try, but we wanted to have a drink and a bite in more than one place, so we declined. Also, its probably the most popular place, standing room only and lots of noise, so we hopped across the street to a place whose name I can’t remember and had a very nice glass of wine and a couple of Gambas & Olives which was very agreeable.

Some of the most classic ones are specialists in one kind of tapa that they have been preparing for a very long time, like El Champi which serves grilled mushrooms on bread, Bodegas Almau for “anchoas en salmuera”, Lamaribel Escabechado for marinade tapas, Taberna Doña Casta with its “croquetas” and “huevos rotos” or “El Musti”, nickname of Bar Fenicia, which makes awesome “empanadillas” with its libanese influence. Into the new generation ones we have Uasabi, El Meli del Tubo or 7 Golpes.

If you go for tapas in Zaragoza , unconditional croquette lovers have a true gastronomic paradise at the Doña Casta bar . Located in El Tubo , its bar is filled with an impressive variety of croquettes ready to fry and serve at a moment’s notice. From the classics to the most innovative, such as Cabrales cheese with apple , chicken with chocolate, black rice with aioli or cod with asparagus, the offering is a feast for the senses.

When evening fell, we indulged in a hearty, flavor-packed dinner at Taberna Doña Casta, famous for its huevos rotos. It’s a dish as delightful as it sounds—crispy potatoes, luscious eggs, and savory Iberian ham—mine were con setas (mushrooms)—all mixed together to create something worth writing home about. There’s a sense of pride in the food here, as if each dish is a love letter to Zaragoza’s culinary heritage.

Si te gusta el tapeo sin demasiadas florituras, la Taberna Doña Casta, en la popular área del Tubo está especializada en croquetas caseras y huevos rotos. Aquí Dora Gracia (cocinera-propietaria) y su equipo apuestan por la cocina aragonesa tradicional y por los platos más caseros con recetas de la abuela. Todo se hace al momento, y encontramos tanto platos clásicos como tapas muy bien hechas.

Y aunque en Zaragoza hay muchos bares en los que se sirven buenos huevos rotos, los de Doña Casta fueron de los primeros que se hicieron poniendo esmero para hacerlos así uno de los buques insignia de la casa. Te recomendamos los de foie o los de jamón y en cuanto a croquetas, la de cabrales con manzana y la de gallina con chocolate.

Let’s kick off with the best croquettes in town, Taberna Dona Casta. With loads of croquettes to choose from, I’d recommend picking three or four to try, leaving a bit of room to get another one of your winning flavour combo. I can vouch for the mushroom and goats cheese, the ham, gorgonzola and nuts, and the apple and blue cheese.

Doña Casta are serving up, and I mean this whole-heartedly, the best croquetas I have had anywhere in Spain. If you haven’t had croquetas in Spain, they are the same as French croquettes, just with a Spanish twist. The filling is usually bechamel based, but sometimes it is with creamy potatoes.

There are only a few seats in the dining room and only a few tables are available in front of the taberna. We were lucky and managed to get a free table. The taberna is known for its delicious croquetas and is a must for any tapas lover.

17 Hotel Palafox, Marqués de Casa Jiménez, s/n., ☏ +34 976 237 700. Inviting decor of beige stone/marble, dark wood and soft lighting. All the rooms with wireless internet, minibar, room service etc.

The list of pubs that can be selected are the next one - Doña Casta - Bodegas Almau - El Truco - Casa Juanico - Bonanza This tour can be customized upon request, message me for more details

I tried their Arroz Negro with Aioli croquettes ( €2.50) Again, really delicious. I think in general, you can’t go wrong with eating Tapas in Spain.

Then it’s over the calle to Taberna Doña Casta, a croqueta specialist: the ham, cheese and walnut slips down in about 30 seconds (€4.25 with wine).

Sin salirnos de la calle, dos paradas más: una ración de migas en La Miguería (Estébanes 4) y otra de croquetas en Doña Casta (Estébanes 6) .

Taberna Dona Casta churns out the fried, fat pellets known as croquetas, crammed with mushrooms and goats’ cheese, or pickled quail.