The tiny bar that is always full
Bar Casa Julio is on Calle Hermosa, a narrow street a few minutes from Plaza Nueva in Centro. The bar is small. On a busy Friday evening, the people spill onto the street and the noise of conversation reaches the corner. Inside there is a counter, some wall space, and not much else. The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is framed near the door, though the regulars do not seem particularly interested in it.
In Granada, every drink order comes with a free tapa. Casa Julio delivers on this without ceremony: fried espetos rebozados, jamón serrano, and boquerones arrive on small plates with your drink.
What makes it work
The bar does not try to do anything complicated. A small menu, fast service, honest cooking. The espetos rebozados are battered small fish, fried hot and served immediately. The jamón serrano is sliced and laid out on the plate simply. The boquerones are either fried or in vinegar depending on what comes with your particular order.
The chaos is authentic rather than curated. The bar fills because people keep returning to it, not because of a marketing campaign. Locals from the neighbourhood mix with visitors who found it through word of mouth or a friend's recommendation.
The location
Plaza Nueva is one of Granada's main squares, at the bottom of the climb into the Albaicín and where Carrera del Darro begins along the river. Calle Hermosa runs off it into the surrounding streets. The bar is on foot from the Alhambra ticket office exit route and from the Carrera del Darro riverside walk.
If you are walking down from the Alhambra in the late afternoon, this is the bar to stop at before deciding what to do with the evening. Prices are low: a beer or glass of wine costs around €2–3.
Getting in and finding space
There are no reservations. Arrive, find a gap at the counter or against the wall, and order. Turnover is fast. If the bar looks completely full from the door, wait on the street for two or three minutes and space usually opens up.
