What is a picoteo?

Updated on 20/10/2026

Informal food in small portions, shared or eaten standing up without fiddly cutlery: tapas, boards, cold or hot bites.

A picoteo is informal food in small portions, meant to be shared or eaten standing up, by hand or with a single piece of cutlery: tapas, boards of cheese or Iberian cured meats, cold or hot bites. In everyday Spanish, picar means to eat a little of several things without sitting down at a table.

Where it is used at a corporate event

To go with a vino español reception or an afterwork.
At a welcome cocktail, before a dinner or a presentation.
To keep people going between sessions on a long day.
As the basis of a standing lunch, with more pieces and some heartier ones.

What is usually served

Canapés, mini sandwiches, croquettes, bite-sized tortilla, empanadas, skewers, boards of cheese and Iberian cured meats, and something sweet. Finger food is the more polished and organised version of a picoteo.

Approximate quantities

It depends on whether the picoteo goes alongside something else or replaces a meal. Using the industry benchmarks in our price guide, a reception that replaces a meal starts at about 14 pieces per person and about 2 kg of cheese or Iberian cured meats for 50 people; if it is just there to accompany drinks, 6 to 8 pieces are enough.