You'll find fish everywhere in Barcelona, from food to sculptures
Food is integral to Barcelona. And it is likely to be integral to your tourist experience of the city. But unlike some European cities, you don’t have to part with the contents of your wallet in honeypot restaurants. If you eat where the locals eat, and try traditional Barcelona food, you won’t go far wrong. Our Barcelona food guide brings you a table full of tips…
“The most authentic thing you can do in Barcelona is visit one of the markets like La Boqueria, buy a baguette and some cheese and a bottle of wine, and go and sit in the park,” says our guide Margo Ford from Fat Tire Bike Tours. “And if a local says they are going to the park, then this is the park they are usually talking about.” she continues, gesturing around her.
It is Sunday lunchtime, and there’s Lindy Hop going on at the bandstand, and table tennis by the gates. People are walking to the zoo, taking selfies in front of an ostentatious fountain and boating on the lake. And everywhere, they are having a picnic.We are in Parc de la Ciutadella, right in the heart of Barcelona, and this is the Catalan version of street food. Unlike other cities it’s not about stalls at the side of the pavement or a pancake or samosa eaten on the run. In Barcelona traditional food is about leisurely afternoons spent grazing on bread and cheese. It’s about coffees and pastries on a terrace. It’s about long family dinners in the fading sunlight.
There’s lots to offer foodie visitors, from cafe lined squares, to local markets and fine dining. But what is Barcelona traditional food?
Of course, this being a thriving European City and tourist hub not everyone chooses to sit on the grass. There’s no shortage of world class restaurants producing just about every kind of food on the globe in Barcelona. The one thing many of these have in common is fresh, local ingredients. They use the tried and tested flavours of the Mediterranean and the produce of land and sea to create a fusion of old and new.
Margo says one of the things that keeps her in Barcelona is good, wholesome food. Her favourite Catalan dish is Pan con tomate (also known as Pa amb tomàquet. “When I first got here I thought bread with tomatoes…what could possibly be exciting about that? But I’m addicted to it. It’s toasted so well and it’s all about quality. You have unbelievable bread and unbelievable olive oil and perfect tomatoes with a little bit of salt, and maybe a piece of cheese and ham. I know it sounds simple but it hits the spot.” We try some. She’s right. Typical Barcelona food is already beginning to hook us in.
The Boqueria market is a fabulous place to begin to appreciate the local food scene in Barcelona
But with so much choice when it comes food in Barcelona, how do you decide where to spend your euros? One way is to simply wander out of the touristy areas and find a place that looks good. Alternatively you could ask a local. If this is a bit daunting then renting a hosted apartment or house often gives you the chance to pump your host for information, as well as putting you right in the heart of a local district.
Eating on the street Barcelona. No problem eating around the clock here, day or night.
Following some of their tips and my own nose, I decide to do my own taste test and Barcelona food guide, finding the best cafes in Barcelona as well as the best picnic spots. Here’s how I get on…
Catalonians eat little and often and I mirror them on my journey around the city. They start their day with good coffee at their local bar or cafe. So at 7am each day, I seek out a character coffee shop in Eixample; the district where we are staying. On the first day, at a bakery near Sagrada Familia, the caffeine gives me the energy to concentrate on Gaudi’s creative legacy. The second day, a patisserie near St Pau Hospital sets me up for an adrenaline filled ride at Tibidabo; Barcelona’s oldest amusement park. The third day, shortly after my car is towed away to the city pound, it is coffee in a darkened bar back in Eixample that brings my blood pressure back to normal. The small street cafes are all so different and a charming way to start the day.
Barcelona cafes are great for a morning coffee or for mid morning pastries and a chillax.
By 10am the rest of the family is up and we’re all ready for breakfast. Catalonians have theirs on the run, and so do we; with more coffee and pastries. At Mr Bread on Calle Mallorca, we have the ‘Hoy Sabado’ weekend deal of cafe al gust and croissante xocolate, while the kids have licorice scented churros – the Spanish version of doughnuts. It should see us right through to lunch, but we have heard about Crema Catalana. We figure it would be rude not to try one; leading to another unscheduled stop!
Ah lunch, the best meal of the day. In Barcelona anyway. Catalonians have their main meal at this time, often returning home from work to make it a family event. But we find the famous tapas perfect for a lunchtime snack. The children particularly love Patatas Bravas, fried potato with a spicy dressing. You can enjoy your tapas just about anywhere in this city. If you want to embrace your inner tourist, there are some excellent bars in Placa del Rei, with a view of Gaudi’s famous lamp posts. We go on a little further to Santos Tapas, on Placeta del Pi, near the Palau de la Musica Catalana, where sun streams through the window as we sit on high bar stools and eat with toothpicks.
Tapas in Barcelona is on offer round the clock, a great idea for lunch or an anytime snack. This selection is from Santos Tapas.
An hour after that and it’s time for coffee. We find a little place called Gelateria Pagliota in the busy Gothic Quarter that has been making ice cream in the city for 27 years. It s packed yet unpretentious, despite its history. An expat we meet tells us new cafes and bars are springing up all the time, “I didn’t notice that bagel shop until today,” she cries, adding “I love bagels!”
Many locals spend their weekend at one or other of Barcelona’s many parks. First you must call at the market and pick up some snacks. La Boqueria, near La Rambla, is a tourist favourite. Check out the hedgehog chocolates and gorge on the sight of football sized watermelons. But locals prefer the gothic Mercat Santa Caterina, with its Gaudi style roof – a Barcelona food guide tip you might want to follow. There are a huge selection of parks you could take your food to in Barcelona, from the hill of Montjuic, with its Olympic stadium complex, to the fabulous Gaudi shaped wonderland of Park Guell. We refuel in Parc de la Cuitadella. And in Park Guell. Ok, I’ll admit, we pause to eat just about everywhere.
Looking at pastries is fun but eating them is more fun.
After your afternoon in the park, it is time for dinner. Our first night sees us wandering the seafood restaurants at the Port Olimpic, peering at the strange fish on platters outside. We settle for a rather more prosiac kebab as none of us are sold on seafood and we are on a limited budget. And we finish up with an ice cream on the beach under the 56 metre copper Frank Gehr fish.
The fish on display at Port Olimpic Barcelona were impressive, like this outside El Tinglado. But it didn’t persuade the kids to try!
As a family we can’t afford fine dining experiences. We also despair at the table manners of our kids. But you can’t do a foodie piece without finding out some restaurant recommendations. We ask a couple of Barcelona residents; guide Margo Ford from Fat Tire Bike Tours and Claudia Calamia, manager of our own apartment, to share some of their favourites. If you are visiting Barcelona soon, with or without your family, check out their ideas and let us know what you think.
Fresh fish is on the menus at the al fresco restaurants down at Port Olimpic Barcelona
The Boqueria market- a must for every Barcelona food guide
Do you have a favourite place to eat in Barcelona? A favourite dish or a recommendation? Do leave a comment and let us know.
Shopping for late night snacks in Barcelona. No need to stop eating when the sun goes down.
Disclosure Note: This post was brought to you thanks to support from Housetrip. The tastings and experience are, as ever, entirely all our own. The suggestions and recommendations are those of people living and working in Barcelona.
Zombie Run- Scare Yourself Fit No one can run away from a global pandemic, but… Read More
February's Light Up Cheltenham festival celebrates the town's classical Regency heritage by throwing a rainbow… Read More
Brutal but Beautiful Skiing in Flaine and the Grand Massif Half a century of piste… Read More
Biking the Camino de Santiago - With or Without kids Up for a cycle challenge?… Read More
Looking for things for kids in Manchester this half term? In the centre of metropolitan… Read More
Had enough of expensive European cities? For the last six months we've been focussing on… Read More