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Deciding what to eat in Barcelona was easy. Deciding where to eat was another story. On a limited time frame in a city like this, there can be no mistakes, no meals wasted. Fortunately, there was no need to worry. Everywhere I chose to eat was chosen with careful selection. This preparation paid off. My list was packed with tapas, churros and a few other eats. Most restaurants that I chose were small neighbourhood places. I wanted to enjoy the food that the locals enjoy. High-end restaurants did not interest me, neither did any place catering purely for tourists. It was a delicious success. Follow this guide on what to eat in Barcelona and I can guarantee you won’t go hungry!

Currency Converter – €1 = £0.90/$1.15

Empanadas @ Rekons

My first stop in Barcelona did not disappoint. Empanadas are similar to pies. A filling is wrapped in dough and baked. Rekons have an excellent selection. I went with two different fillings. One was filled with chicken and the other with chorizo and cheese. The first thing that caught my attention was how fresh both were. The chicken had subtle flavours with a hint of spice. It was very light and easy to eat. The chorizo and cheese empanada was a bit heavier and oilier on account of the sausage. It also had a thicker pastry adding more substance. It was tastier than the chicken, as chorizo tends to be. This was a delicious start to my time in Barcelona. I definitely recommend that you visit. No empanada I saw after looked as good, and nowhere had as much of a selection.

Opening Hours – 10am – 12am

Price – €2.30 per empanada

Address – Carrer Comte d’Urgell, 32, 08011 Barcelona

Tapas @ Bar La Plata

This small place is far more famous than I realized. Celebrities such as Daniel Bruhl, Bono and, my personal favourite, Anthony Bourdain have all dined at this small, neighbourhood restaurant. With just 6 tables and an even smaller menu, La Plata will certainly surprise you. Their range of tapas may be small, but each item is done to an incredibly high standard. I started with the salad, a plate of tomato bread and their sausage. It was all delicious. Upon eating, I realized that the fried anchovies were the item of choice for most customers. I had to try them and they surpassed the already very high bar set by what I had eaten so far. All dishes were washed down with some fine tasting red wine.

Opening Hours – 10:00 – 15:15 and 18:15 – 23:00, Closed on Sunday

Price – 4 plates of Tapas and 2 glasses of wine cost me €12:90

Address – Carrer de la Mercè, 28, 08002 Barcelona

Tapas @ Quimet y Quimet

I had previously written that the tapas at La Plata could very well be the best in Barcelona. Then I ate at Quimet. I cannot pick between the two because of the huge difference in style between the two. Quimet is slightly more high-end, even though all their fish is canned. They have a selection of tapas plates but it is their small sandwiches that are popular. A huge selection of seafood is mixed with vegetables and the end result is astounding. Every bite is a delight. This place is crazy busy. People wait outside to get in, and it is a struggle to place your order. All good fun in order to get food as amazing as this. I chose three different sandwiches; prawns and red pepper, scallops and caviar, finished off with baby squid and onion. All three were incredible.

Opening Hours – 12:00 – 16:00 and 19:00 – 22:30, Closed Saturday and Sunday

Price -Sandwiches cost between €2.50 and €3.50, plates cost considerably more

Address – Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, 25, 08004 Barcelona

Lunch @ Bar Casi

You might think that given its close proximity to Parc Guell that Bar Casi is there purely for the tourists. You would be wrong with this assumption. This small neighbourhood restaurant is there purely for the locals in the area. There is an English menu but the owner does not speak a word. He will be very friendly to you though and speak to you in Spanish, even if you don’t understand. The lunch menu is designed to serve a starter and a dessert, a selection of 7 or 8 items on each. The food tastes like simple, real, home cooking. Portion sizes are quite large and the two dishes are more than enough to leave you stuffed. I planned my visit to Parc Guell around Bar Casi’s opening hours.

Opening Hours – 13:00 – 16:00 Monday – Friday, Closed Saturday and Sunday

Price – €12

Address – Carrer de Massens, 74, 08024 Barcelona

Bo de B

You have two choices here, a plate or a bocadillo. Regardless of what you choose you are going to get great, filling food for a low price. Bo de B is a tiny place near the beachfront. It only holds a handful of people, so you may have to wait to get in. The Bocadillo sandwiches are packed with meat, salad and sauces on a crusty, freshly baked baguette. I chose one of the plates, chicken and potatoes. Beautiful grilled chicken, potato, rice, cabbage, three different sauces and more. It was a crazy amount of food but all so good and all so fresh, it even came with half a baguette. Avoid peak times and you have a chance of being seated and served quickly. Bo de B is one of the best value meals in Barcelona and the queues are a testament to that.

Opening Hours – 12:00 – 23:30, Monday to Saturday. 12:00 to 19:30 on Sundays

Price – €7 for a plate, €4 for a bocadillo

Address – Carrer de la Fusteria, 14, 08002 Barcelona

Saj @ Teddy’s

Given a large number of Middle Eastern, North African and Asian nationals live in Barcelona, I knew that I would have to try at least one meal that originated from outside of Spain. I chose Teddy’s. They sold a huge selection of Saj, a Lebanese flatbread. I chose one that was topped with minced beef, tomato, onions and a spice mix. Had I eaten it on its own, it would have reminded me of the Lahmacun I had in Istanbul. Instead, I chose for cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes and hummus to be added to it. The whole thing is then wrapped up and eaten with your hands. A light and tasty snack that is perfect to grab on the go. Seating is available but is very minimal. Sweet options are also available, with toppings such as Nutella and kinder bueno.

Opening Hours – 12:00 – 24:00

Price – Prices range from €3 – €6

Address – Carrer del Carme, 70, 08001 Barcelona

Tapas @ La Cova Fumada

I entered this small tapas joint near the beachfront at 10:30. Even then it was jam-packed with locals. The only menu is in Spanish, so I used google to help me choose. I went with tomato bread, bomba and morcillas. The bread was crusty and delicious. It was simple but nice to eat. The bomba, fried balls of mashed potato that have been stuffed with meat, were excellent. On top were a dollop of garlic sauce and a smaller amount of a spicy sauce. With the sauces included, this was a delight to eat. The sauce had a kick to it but was nothing that couldn’t be handled. The morcillas or blood sausage was meaty and greasy just as any good blood sausage should be. It was quite heavy for breakfast but delicious none the less. Another great, local tapas place in Barcelona.

Opening Hours – 09:00 – 15:00, Closed on Sunday

Price – For 3 Tapas, I paid €8.90

Address – Carrer del Baluard, 56, 08003 Barcelona

Steak @ La Braseria Argentina Iguazu

The South American influence across Barcelona is plain to see. This is evident in the many steakhouses that adorn the city. I wanted steak but I wanted it in a restaurant in keeping with my other choices and that wouldn’t break the bank. I headed to a neighbourhood near the beach and found this small local grill restaurant. It was the type of place you wouldn’t enter expecting great food unless previously researched. I was tempted by the mixed grill but stuck with the steak. Entrecote with baked potatoes. Simple, nothing fancy, just good food. The meat was tender and cooked to perfection and the potatoes accompanied it so well. It may not look exciting but this was exactly what I wanted, a cheap, simple, good steak.

Opening Hours – 06:00 – 24:00

Price – Entrecote cost €11.90, prices vary depending on meat choice

Address – Carrer de Pepe Rubianes, 4, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Pita @ A Tu Bola –

To be honest, pita is just my recommendation. I am sure anything from here would be a good choice. You have three options; plate, pita or tapas. You then choose your ‘taste’ or fillings. Essentially they serve rolled up balls made from different kinds of meat or vegetarian options. They come with ingredients that suit their taste and a whole bunch of vegetables. I got the Caribbean Chicken pita which was chicken meatballs, pineapple and bacon. It was delicious. I was surprised just how filling this was. I went for a mid-afternoon snack and left almost unable to move. A great, cheap place to grab a healthy meal in the city.

Opening Hours – 13:00 – 23:00, Closed on Tuesday

Price – €6 for a pita, €3 for a tapa and €8 for a plate

Address – Carrer de l’Hospital, 78, 08001 Barcelona

Chocolate con Churros @ Churreria Laietana

No list would be complete without this delicious dessert. They are commonly found, not just in Spain, but all over the world. For the best ones though, you need to try them in their homeland. This seemed like the go-to place in Barcelona to try them and I was not wrong. It’s a small shop where you might have to fight for a seat but it is worth it. Churros are cooked to order, mainly due to the high turnover. Then they are sprinkled with sugar and sold with a piping hot mug of dipping chocolate. The milk chocolate for dipping is excellent and not too rich. The churros are cooked perfectly with just the right amount of crunch. Churros are easily found in Barcelona. The fact that this place is overflowing with locals goes a long way in showing how good it is.

Opening Hours – 07:00 – 13:00 and 16:30 – 20:30, Closed on Saturdays. No late shift on Sundays

Price – €3.30

Address – Via Laietana, 46, 08003 Barcelona

I learned very quickly that the people of Barcelona eat really well. Eating was a social event there, shared between family and friends. The best places are small and often chaotic. Avoiding the tourist traps that are on the likes of La Rambla will always prove to be fruitful. As with most cities, choosing what to eat in Barcelona is all about following the locals. They do not mind going to the busiest places and dealing with the crowds that are there and neither should you. Barcelona is full of great food and I am sure I only scratched the surface. For example, Can Paixano, another highly popular tapas restaurant was closed during my time there. One day, I will return to Barcelona with a blank itinerary and eat my weight in food again.

To read more about Barcelona, including the best way to spend a weekend there, click here.

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The Roaming Irishman

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