When I visited Paris last year for the first time, I couldn't wait to eat my way around the city.
21.07.2023 - 07:34 / roughguides.com
There’s nowhere quite like Barcelona. As cool and hip as they come, this is Catalunya’s elegant and self-confident modern capital. It's no wonder, then, that the city is also one of the most exciting places to eat in Spain. This is our pick of the best tapas bars in Barcelona, from traditional taverns to chic contemporary bars.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Barcelona , your essential guide for visiting Barcelona .
One of the best tapas bars in Barcelona is the Boqueria’s Pinotxo, no contest. The market’s most renowned refuelling stop – just inside the main entrance on the right – attracts traders, chefs, tourists and celebs.
A coffee, a grilled sandwich and a glass of cava is the local breakfast of choice. Or, let the cheery staff steer you towards the tapas and daily specials (€5–15). Here everything is good from a slice of tortilla to fried baby squid.
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Spanish tapa, baby squid with garlic and potatoes © Shutterstock
Carles Abellan, king of pared-down designer cuisine at his restaurant Tapas 24, offers a simpler tapas menu at this retro basement bar-diner. There’s a reassuringly traditional feel that’s echoed in the menu: patatas bravas, Andalucian-style fried fish, bombas (meatballs), chorizo sausage and fried eggs.
But the kitchen updates the classics too, so there’s also calamares romana (fried squid) dyed black with squid ink or a burger with foie gras. Most tapas dishes cost around €4 to €16. And there’s always a rush and bustle at meal times, so be aware that you might well have to queue.
Bar La Plata offers a classic taste of stand-up snacks in the Old Town, with a marble tapas counter open to the street (anchovies are the speciality) and dirt-cheap wine straight from the barrel.
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Fried fish known as pescaditos fritos or boquerones fritos in Spain © Shutterstock
A boisterous bar in a pretty square in El Born, just off Pla del Palau, this is the place for some of the best tapas in Barcelona – if you can get a seat. There’s no equal in town for off-the-boat and out-of-the-market tapas.
You may have to queue, and prices are high for what’s effectively a bar meal (up to €60). That said, it’s definitely worth it for the likes of impeccably fried shrimp, grilled sea bass, Catalan sausage, or squid and chickpeas – all overseen by Pep himself,
When I visited Paris last year for the first time, I couldn't wait to eat my way around the city.
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There’s a lot of things to do in Barcelona, Spain’s second city: the dark, twisting streets of the Barri Gòtic; the cool and sophisticated La Ribera district filled with designer shops and fashionable bars; the enticing beaches and über-modern seafront area – all topped off by some seriously unusual architecture, an integral part of Catalan’s Modernisme movement. It’s this mix, along with its tempting tapas and bar scene that makes the city such an exciting stop, and inevitably the prices to visit its museums, churches and the like are high. Here are a few suggestions for free things to do in Barcelona:
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