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Understanding the bocadillo: the legendary sandwich of the New World
In the five-meal daily routine of the average Spaniard, one meal holds particular importance: the second breakfast. It is called almuerzo and is often the first truly substantial meal of the day. Early in the morning, Spaniards usually just drink coffee, sometimes accompanied by a pastry or toasted bread rubbed with fresh tomato, olive oil and salt.
Almuerzo is a hearty meal eaten after 10:00, one that can easily keep you going until a late dinner. The king of the Spanish and Latin American second breakfast is the bocadillo — a large sandwich made with a fresh baguette and a hot filling. Filling, quick and inexpensive — how could one resist? Every province, and indeed every bar in Spain, has its own combinations of ingredients that define “that perfect taste”, but some bocadillos have long since become classics.
El chivito
This classic bocadillo originates from Uruguay. A fresh white baguette is filled with fried pork loin or beef, lettuce leaves, bacon, tomatoes and a fried egg. The dressing is mayonnaise. As with all bocadillos, the flavour is impossible to describe — it is best experienced on an empty stomach.
El pepito de ternera
A Spanish-style bocadillo filled with veal and slivers of fried garlic. Its origin is linked to a bar called Don Pepito, which began offering this version in the mid-1950s, after the Civil War.
El serranito
Just three ingredients: grilled pork loin, roasted green pepper and jamón. This bocadillo comes from Seville. It is most commonly found in the south of Spain, but it is also much loved in Valencia.
Bocadillo de calamares
A capital classic, this bocadillo is considered a staple of Madrid’s bars. The recipe is clear from the name: a fresh baguette filled with squid rings coated in chickpea flour and deep-fried.
Other bocadillo recipes are limited only by the imagination of those who make them. Sobrasada sausage paste with goat’s cheese, tomato jam, blood sausage and fried onions — such combinations can easily be discovered in any popular bar.
La Cotorra recommends three interesting places in Valencia where you can explore bocadillo culture.
Orxateria Cal Carrero
A traditional orxateria where you can try horchata made from chufa (tiger nut; Latin Cyperus esculentus), as well as fresh bocadillos prepared with imagination. One of their recipes, featuring Spanish longaniza sausage, won the national Spanish bocadillo competition in 2025.
La Pérgola kiosk
A cult spot for bocadillo lovers. Reservations are not possible, but you can queue alongside local police officers, families and gastro-tourists. Bocadillos can be taken away, but it is best to eat them on the spot, under parasols, with views of the picturesque Alameda boulevard.
Bánh Mì gastro corner
If you have a taste for Asian flavours and are already familiar with the classics, La Cotorra recommends the Vietnamese take on the bocadillo by renowned chef and food enthusiast Steve Anderson. The gastro corner is located on the lower level of Mercado de Colón (Mercat Colón), next to the Ma Khin restaurant.