From Barcelona’s El Poble Sec to Madrid’s Barrio de La Latina, Vancouver’s Como Taperia is a nod to the lively Spanish neighbourhoods, which are known for their tapas bars. Since its opening in 2018, this Mount Pleasant neighbourhood restaurant has offered tapas that are authentic to the country, as well as original dishes with a playful twist and a nostalgic feel.
So what is ‘como' anyway? It can be translated to 'I eat' (verb), however, it is also the literal Spanish word for 'what'. Adding onto the eclectic playfulness of the restaurant, one could interpret the name ¿Como? Taperia as 'what taperia restaurant?'
“We kept hearing a few terms we liked while on road trips to Spain,” says co-owner Shaun Layton. “Como in the terms of ‘what?’ or ‘come again?’ came up a lot and we loved the way it sounds, writes, and kind of throws you off guard a bit. On a night out in Madrid it came out in a funny conversation and we knew that was the name."
When it came to other name options, some soccer terms were getting kicked around, but Layton says he's keeping the names in his back pocket for potential projects down the line.
Como Taperia is currently in the process of building a brand new patio space, but will remain closed for in-person dining for the duration of the latest provincial health and safety mandates. The Como Mercado and Como en Casa boxes are available Tuesday to Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. and can be pre-ordered for pick-up online.
