Not tapas, actually, but "Pintxos" (pronounced 'peen-chohs'). These are paid, they don't come for free with every beverage.

On being against the govt, technically the Basque and Navarrese "Fueros" (some kind of agreement between the people and the King) made them mostly self-managed in Spain/Iberia. There even used to be locally minted coins, customs and exeption from doing the military service.

And, on txokos, been there. They are often half-familiar/half-your-engraved-by-fire-friend-group-from-Elementary School times, forever and ever, amen.