Visiting Spain: 6 of Barcelona’s Best Bodegas and Tapas Bars
Family-run bodegas and tapas bars are an important part of the Spanish way of life
Published in
4 min readDec 17, 2019
What is a “bodega”? To a New Yorker it might mean a convenience store or deli (or some combination of the two) but here in Spain, a bodega is a sacred watering hole that has been part of the Spanish tradition for many years. A bodega is different from a traditional wine shop in that it sells wine but also offers customers the chance to taste it first, and usually with food.
- Bodega Quimet
Carrer de Vic, 23, 08006 Barcelona
+34 932 184 189
My favorite bar in all of Barcelona, located in the neighborhood of Gràcia. Bodega Quimet has been around since 1954. If only its walls could talk… You can come in and taste a few of their wines alongside some of the most delicious tapas, ranging from charcuterie to fish and seafood. At the end, you’re welcome to purchase some of their wine by the bottle, or even by the liter, directly from one of the big barrels sitting behind the bar. Go on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night to experience an authentic Spanish bar atmosphere, with patrons standing shoulder to shoulder having a good old time. - Lo Pinyol
Carrer del Torrent de l’Olla, 7, 08012 Barcelona
+34 932 176 690
http://www.lopinyol.com/
Lo Pinyol is another one of Gràcia’s foodie hideaways. It’s a cozy, lively tapas bar that serves a slew of different pintxos — little bite-size pieces of bread topped with a delicious combination of flavors. The staff are warm and welcoming. And, delightfully, for 3 euros you’ll get a vermut and a pintxo. (Vermut is one of Barcelona’s signature drinks, you have to try it while you’re here!) - Can Codina
Carrer del Torrent de l’Olla, 20, 08012 Barcelona
+34 935 161 584
This bar has been around since before the Spanish Civil War. It’s still serving up some of Gràcia’s best traditional tapas and drinks: for a taste of Catalan cuisine try the patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and mayonnaise), homemade croquettes, and sardines. - Bodega Marín
Carrer de Milà i Fontanals, 72, 08012 Barcelona
+34 932 133 079
Another local favorite in Gràcia. No-frills. Try the fuet (Catalan sausage, similar to salami), llonganissa (sausage), or berberechos (cockles). - Xarcuteria La Pineda
Carrer del Pi, 16, 08002 Barcelona
+34 933 024 393
xarcuterialapineda.com
Nearly a century old, this charcuterie is in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter (the “x” makes a “cha” sound in Catalan). It’s so underground, it even made it onto Vice:
“La Pineda smells like salt. Two-dozen varieties of cured meats — sourced from all over Spain — hang from butcher’s twine looped around hooks on cast iron rails that run along an arched and tiled ceiling. Below it, a display case holds cheese and cured meats that are turned into sandwiches throughout the day. A silver cooler across from this is full of white wine and foie gras and more cheese. Above it, stacks of small boxes and tins and jars tower toward the ceiling, where bota bags and a dozen jamón legs protrude like stalactites.” - Bar Joan
Carrer d’En Giralt el Pellicer, 2, 08003 Barcelona
+34 933 106 150
This bar-restaurant is tucked away in the back of El Born’s Santa Caterina Market. It boasts great prices and a “menu del día” that will knock your socks off. Sit at the bar if you’d like to order off the tapas menu. You can also peruse the local market while you’re here: fresh seafood, fruits and veggies, butcher’s stands, you name it, they got it. If you’re feeling festive, try the Catalan “porrón,” a glass vehicle with a long spout for drinking wine in a fun albeit messy way.
Looking for a fun, foodie adventure in Barcelona? Book Mick’s tapas tour — The Ultimate Foodie Experience: Eat Your Way Through Barcelona.
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