In Spanish tapas culture, a small open-faced sandwich topped with ingredients is called a montadito.
The word montadito comes from montar, meaning “to mount” or “to place on top.” It describes a small piece of bread carrying a topping such as cured meat, cheese, seafood, vegetables, or a cooked meat preparation. Montaditos are common in bars and are often eaten as tapas or pintxos.
The format is deliberately flexible. Some montaditos use one slice of bread, while others resemble miniature filled sandwiches. Popular combinations include ham with cheese, pork with sauces, or tuna with peppers. Because the term describes the assembled format rather than one fixed recipe, menus can contain many different montaditos.
Montaditos should not be confused with a Gilda, which is a skewer of anchovy, olive, and chilli. Nor is every small Spanish sandwich necessarily a montadito in strict regional usage. The key idea is a compact bread base with ingredients mounted on it.