A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Barcelona

  Chorizo at the Market

Just as Spanish culture extends way beyond the old clichés of flamenco dancers and bullfighters, Spanish cuisine doesn’t exclusively revolve around the eating of paella and the drinking of sangria!

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t necessarily indulge in the famous (and admittedly delicious) dish when traveling in Spain, and there are indeed plenty of places across the city that serve it. But the application of a little imagination will yield far greater gastronomic rewards.

As long as you steer clear of the more expensive joints which flank Las Ramblas, eating and drinking in Barcelona is delightfully affordable for backpackers. Food and drink are the dual motors that drive day-to-day life in Spain, after all, and the best way to understand the country is through them.

Even breakfast is an event in this city: watching people in the scruffy little breakfast bars solemnly line up their morning coffee, with perhaps a slice or two of ‘pan tomaca’ (toast topped with a delicious tomato paste), reveals the depth of the ritual.

For visitors looking for lunch on a tight budget, the best option is probably a stroll through the streets of the Old Town in search of a decent set menu or ‘menu del dia’. This can be an excellent way of getting a full three course meal for a fixed price.

In the evening when the sun dips below the horizon, and the heat of the day subsides, Barcelona really comes alive. The streets fill up with hungry (and thirsty) visitors and locals alike, with lively bars and cafés serving a range of delicious light dishes.

Trendy international restaurants line the streets of Gracia (to the north) and La Ribera. Out to the west of the Old Town, meanwhile, the Barceloneta neighborhood is a great place to pick up some straightforward fish dishes (and maybe even that elusive paella).

A trip to one of the city’s excellent markets confirms the freshness of the fish and seafood on offer. The streets of El Raval, around the city’s main market, the Boquería, and on and around Calle Escudellers, have a selection of lovely, laidback little places.

Here, you can wash down typical tapas dishes like squid (calamares), octopus (pulpo) and all manner of fish, with a cold beer or a glass of cava... Inexpensive and casual – just as dining in Spain should be – it really doesn’t get much better than that!

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