The relationship between music and food is a long and rich one. This is perhaps not surprising as they both bring us sensual pleasure and emotional and physical nourishment. Sharing food and enjoying music together are part of our bonding process as social beings, and there is even science to back up this gut feeling!
When we hear or taste something that particularly appeals to us, it triggers the release of dopamine in our bodies. This is known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, and it helps us to feel happy, motivated, alert, and generally enjoying life as we should be.
Good music is rich and complex in timbre, rhythm, pitch, and so on, just as a perfectly prepared food dish is a beautiful combination of flavours, textures and aromas. They are both able to reach our pleasure receptors and engage our emotions.
Furthermore, a pleasing emotional and sensual experience stays with us in our memories long after an indifferent one, so that is why you can so easily recall that happy and carefree feeling of dining out on holiday on a lovely warm summer evening.
While large restaurant chains might carry out scientific research into what types of music will boost sales, there are plenty of smaller independent restaurants that genuinely care about creating a wonderful atmosphere for their guests. For example, you can’t ask for a more authentic dining experience than a Spanish restaurant with live music.
The soul-stirring power of traditional Spanish guitar music is the perfect accompaniment to tapas dishes that enable you to sample the authentic flavours of Andalusian cuisine. The soulful music has evolved from the flamenco culture of southern Spain, which captures in its rhythms and melodies the purest human emotions of heartache, love and joy.
Whether you are looking for a restaurant with the perfect ambience for a first or second date, or you just want to recapture some of that Mediterranean holiday magic, the combination of authentic Spanish food and music is really unbeatable.