Where to Eat in Barcelona, Spain
Tapas: the Spanish culinary phenomenon sweeping the world.
So I thought to myself, what better place to explore tapas than in the capitol of Spain, Barcelona?
Below is a compilation of my favorite restaurants, tapas bars, and sweets. And then some that in hindsight, I wish I hadn’t wasted stomach space on.
Basically here’s the list I wish had when I was sifting through the 5,320 highly reviewed tapas bars deciding what to eat.
Vayamos a comer!
6 Tapas Bars Worth the Trip from Lands Afar
1. Gourmet Tapas by Sensi
Can the Sensi family adopt me? Located in the Gothic Quarter, this was one of my favorite sit-down meals in Barcelona. Favorite dishes include the octopus and the pork cheek (really the most tender ever). I’d recommend making a reservation as they get packed and this is not a place you want to miss.
2. Viana
Viana is a family run restaurant where you feel the love from the moment you walk in and with every dish you eat. Also located in the Gothic Quarter, this is a place fit for a special moment with your someone. Truly inspired entrees (especially loved the tuna tartare with apple and avocado, slow cooked beef cheeks with sweet potato and cinnamon puree) . Reservation only, so call or email ahead.
3. Quimet & Quimet
I still think about this scrumptious smoked salmon, yogurt, and truffled honey pintxo everyday. Off the beaten tourist path, in Barcelona’s theater district, and chaotic crowded standing-room only, but a gastronic experience well worth the trek and the wait and the chaos. Grab a bottle of cava, a few friends (or not, I won’t judge), and live a little. Standing room only (once you brave the line that is).
4. Bar Pinotxo
You have not experienced pastries (or life) until you’ve had xuxos from Bar Pinotxo, located in La Boqueria. Deep fried, filled with creme de Catalana, and coated in sugar, these have the texture of croissant-like donuts. They get out of the fryer everyday (except for Tuesdays) at 8:15ish AM and typically sell out before 9:45ish AM. Trust me, I came here 3 times before getting the timing right… (the other 2 times, I threw myself a tapas pity party, which of course, were also sublime because this man and his family can do no wrong). There are only 14 bar stools, so get here early!
5. Can Paixano (La Xampanyria)
If you’re looking for a fun time drinking some Spanish bubbly (i.e. cava) at a place that seriously knows how to bring the grub too, look no further. This feisty place is located ~5 min away from the harbor area. Try the fried chorizo, croquettes, and order a bottle of the Brut Nature Berenguer Ramon (ONLY €8.50 for the entire bottle!). Come prepared to order in Spanish and drink/eat standing. Cheers!
6. La Pepita
There’s a pretty long wait here especially around regular dinner hours (aka 8 or 9pm in Spain lol), but they seat you at the bar down the street so that you can hangout and grab a drink. Of all the things we tried, we liked the “marinated sea bass w/ spinach, strawberries, basil and pepper” most although it does not photograph well.
DESSERT: Gelaaati de Marco | I know this isn’t tapas, and therefore should be left out of the list , but I had to include this because it was possibly the best gelato I’ve had (even counting Italy).We had a scoop of peach and a scoop of strawberry cheesecake. Perfect for a hot summer day 😃
3 that are Merely 3 Stars
While the food scene is Barcelona is fire, there are a few that didn’t quite hit the mark:
- Inter Tapa | Located a 5 minute walk from Sagrada Familia, this was a pit stop for us prior to our schedule entrance time to the cathedral (which you should also totally make reservations for online ahead of time btw!) While not the best tapas I’ve ever had in my life, I will admit that it’s in a very convenient location. AND they were the only tapas restaurant I got to try prosciutto and melon at and they had a delicious white sangria, so cheers to that.
- Vinitus Barcelona | Quite a popular location a stone’s throw away from Plaza de Catalunya, tourists and locals alike flock to this restaurant (we put our names down around 8 pm and weren’t seated until 9 pm). While the octopus was masomenos , the abreaos eggs style fries stole the show (while the highly touted sangria unfortunately took a very backseat). While good, not a must in my books
- Bilbao Berria | Do it for the IG. Other than that, you can pass on this one.
Thanks for reading my tapas recommendations for Barcelona!
Are you planning your trip to Spain? Read about my other adventures through Spain below:
