new tapas bar in Cambridge would not be headline news, the Tito Kiko Tapas Bar on Regents Street definitely should be.

Tapas, the Spanish national cuisine, may have been invented by the king but it was the working man who made it the nation's favourite and a concept that is now sweeping Cambridge and the world.

According to majestic legend, tapas began when the Castillian King, Alfonso X, used to drink wine with a small snack between meals to recover from an illness. But tapas also has a functional use. Un tapa was literally a top, to cover a drink and protect it from flies when the workers returned from a hard morning or afternoon in the fields. The top would be a slice of bread and a morsel of fish, meat or vegetable.

Each region of Spain has its own tradition for tapas and a slice of Andalusian life has been dropped into Cambridge by Israel Garcia, who opened Tito Kiko in April 2012, following on from his uncle's chain of tapas bars in the city of Seville. "We want it to be a traditional Sevillano tapas bar, but it can be a place for people to come and practice their Spanish," said Israel, just before he rushed off to serve more tapas and crack open more vino.

In Spain, tapas is normally consumed before lunch or in the evening before the traditional late, late evening meal, with some Spaniards not eating before midnight. But this is Cambridge, so any time is fine! The bar serves food from mid-morning until late, 1am most days and 3.30am at the weekends, which offers an interesting diversion from normal late-night food.

The practical use of tapas is perfectly reflected in the functional appearance of the bar, situated in a section of what used to be Niche bar. Bare walls and simple furniture give no clues to the vibrant, noisy atmosphere and tempting aromas that await inside.

The bar-area is stacked with wine, whisky and cognacs, featuring Rioja and Valdepañas, the master and pretender of Spanish wine. However, pride of place went to the leg of ham, with thin succulent slices of jamón that melted in the mouth.

We settled at the bar, surrounded by the enjoyably, chaotic shouts and clatters of orders being taken and food being prepared right in front of our eyes. There were twelve tapas on offer, both hot and cold, and luckily most of my favourites too.

We started off with olives, the smooth texture perfectly complimented the tangy and sharp taste of the wine. We ordered four tapas to start with and an option of a couple more later. With the leg of ham at the bar beckoning us, we ordered a platter of cured Iberian meats featuring jamón Serrano, chorizo and salchichón. Next was fresh, deep-fried whitebait and squid or calamares, both served with mayonnaise, lemon and a sprig of parsley.

The fish and meat was delicious and as fresh as something prepared only minutes ago, however our final choice of patatas bravas, fried potatoes with a piquant chilli and paprika sauce, lacked the qualities of the others, but was still well-presented.

We decided to finish off with a platter of cheese: famous mild and buttery Manchegan and lesser known but just as tasty sweet and nutty Mahon, and soft and creamy Tetilla.

We left the hive of activity, a little corner of tapas-inspired Spain, suitably satisfied with the delicious fresh food and wine, and we brushed up on our Spanish too.