Spanish readers of the EL PAÍS gastronomy section El Comidista will already know that we are all crazy about Spanish omelets. In fact, after exhaustive research, the driving force behind the website, Mikel López Iturriaga, has learned to make the perfect tortilla. But as not all of you will have the good fortune to try it for yourselves, we decided to compile a list of bars where the tortilla reigns supreme.

What’s the #1 mistake that Spanish learners make? Learning only from textbooks. Even if textbooks are certainly the most helpful tool for learning, they lack the ability of communicating the nuances of the Spanish language and culture.

After all, slang, dialects, emotion and humor – that’s where the real “soul” of Spanish resides. One great way to cross that bridge from your very own sofa is to watch some movies.