You know that I love food and discovering the local specialties in every destination that I visit. This occasion is no exception and in this eating guide, I’ll share with you my favorite spots to eat and drink in Barcelona, including the regional specialties, bars, cafeterias and patisseries, markets, restaurants and much more. At the end of this post, you will also find a map with every location mentioned here. Ready to start this mouthwatering tour?

Typical Catalan cuisine

Barcelona is a Spanish city located in the region of Cataluña.

The traditional Catalan cuisine is known for its ‘mar i muntanya‘ recipes, meaning that it mixes sea and mountain ingredients such as chicken and prawns. Chefs like Ferran Adrià or Jordi Cruz have contributed to putting the new Catalan cuisine (nova cuina catalana) in the global spotlight.

When it comes to the foodie experience, here are some of the regional typical products that you should definitely try when in Barcelona:

• Butifarra (sausage)
• Calçots amb salsa romesco (a type of grilled local scallion that comes with a sauce; they are typically in season between the months of November and April and locals like to gather during ‘calçotadas‘ to taste them with other people)
• Escalivada (smoky grilled vegetables, typically eggplant, peppers, onions and tomatoes)
• Pa amb tomàquet (toasted bread with tomato, usually served as a starter with garlic and olive oil; sometimes you may see it written on menus as ‘pan tumaca‘)

In terms of local drinks, cava is the king. This sparkling wine is similar to champagne but is made with grapes from the Penedès area. Cava can be white or rosé.

My favorite spots to eat and drink in Barcelona

In this section, I’ve rounded up for you my preferred bars, cafeterias and patisseries, markets, restaurants, and places to have a drink in Barcelona.

Bars

Below is a list with some bars in Barcelona, where you may try mouthwatering food. Note that in Spain, we use the term ‘bars’ to refer either to places where you can eat small portions (‘tapas‘ or ‘raciones‘), or where you can have a drink. For the latter, scroll down to the section dedicated to drinks and clubs.

• Alice’s Secret Garden: this fantastic themed café features an oasis-like patio, serving cakes, pastries, brunch and cocktails. When we visited, we had beers and shared ‘patatas bravas‘. You can also enjoy live music on certain days of the week. Fun!
• Bar El Tomás in Sarriá is supposedly the best spot for trying patatas bravas (spicy potatoes). It seems that its fried artichokes, anchovies and other tapas are also worth trying with a cold beer.
• Casa Ñidro: although technically it is not in Barcelona, this spot located in Mercantic in nearby Sant Cugat del Vallès is great for drinking a vermouth while eating homemade chips after browsing vintage finds.
• Mantequerías Pirenaicas: popular spot for breakfast, so you’d better come here early if you want to be seated indoor or in the outdoor terrace. We had a glorious start of day including fresh orange juice, a caffè latte, a sandwich (‘flauta‘) with Iberian ham, tomato and melted brie and a gigantic side of Spanish tortilla (‘pintxo de tortilla de patatas‘). In addition to their colorful location in carrer Muntaner featuring old photos, you can find another branch inside Mercado Galvany.
• Quimet i Quimet: this historic bar in Poble Sec is known for its tapas, montaditos (small sandwiches) and wine.

Cafeterias and patisseries

I can’t deny that I have a sweet tooth and I’m always down for a good pastry or piece of cake. Here are my favorite cafeterias and patisseries in Barcelona:

• Baluard Barceloneta: this bakery scattered around various locations in the city of Barcelona offers homemade bread for all tastes, from baguettes to whole-grain breads. They also sell good sandwiches (we tried the one with olive oil, arugula and dry tomatoes, and another one with mortadella, parmesan cheese and arugula).
• Caelum: steps away from the Barcelona Cathedral, this cafeteria houses a surprise underground. Its lower floor, known as the Crypt, featured Jewish baths back in the 14th century. Nowadays, you can book the space to host private events or simply enjoy its delicious cakes and pastries in a cozy environment. We had rooibos tea, apple crumble and almond tart with apricot jam and walnuts. Everything was yummy, especially the tart!
• Cafè de l’Òpera: lying right on the famous Rambla, this cafeteria has been serving hot chocolate, coffee and sangría for almost 200 years.
• Foix de Sarrià: founded in 1886, this traditional patisserie in the Sarrià neighborhood by the church of San Vicente specializes in anything sweet, from cakes to nougats or even ice creams, although you can also try some salty products such as ‘coca‘ with anchovies in their tiny cafeteria. Their raspberry cake is to die for, and so are their famous ‘petxines‘ (tea pastries covered in chocolate)! You can find another branch nearby, along Carrer Major de Sarrià.
• Granja Petitbò: hipster cafeteria with a nice atmosphere that I visited with a local friend. They have a couple more branches in town.
• Granja Viader: locals have been flocking to this old-style cafeteria since 1870 for the hot chocolate served with whipped cream (known as ‘suís‘). In 1931, the Viader family invented ‘Cacaolat‘, a bottled chocolate milk drink. The atmosphere here is always lively. In addition to buying sweets and desserts, you can also purchase cold meats (similarly to an Italian ‘salumeria‘).

Markets

Barcelona is a vast city and as such, it features countless markets. Many neighborhoods in town house their own market, with their peculiar charm and specificities.

Out of all the markets in Barcelona, Mercado de la Boquería stands out as the most popular option for locals and visitors alike. Located right off La Rambla, in this market you will find any fresh product that you can think of, be it fish and seafood, poultry and eggs or fruits and vegetables. Considered the best European food market, a popular spot in Mercat de la Boqueria is El Quim de la Boqueria, serving traditional tapas, seafood and wine. The market is typically open all day long, but I suggest you visit it early in the day or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.

Other markets in Barcelona worth visiting include Mercat de Santa Caterina, Mercat de Sant Antoni or Mercat de Sants.

Restaurants

As in any cosmopolitan city, the food scene of Barcelona is vibrant and you won’t fall short of delicious options. Here are some good restaurants I’ve tried:

• Can Culleretes: said to be the oldest restaurant in Barcelona and operating since the 18th century, it offers Catalan dishes in an interior decorated with tiles and murals.
• El Árbol: I brunched with a local friend in the terrace at their location in carrer d’Aribau. They have another spot in Passeig de Sant Joan. I asked for the eggs Benedict with salmon along with a fresh orange juice.
• El Nacional: this multi-gastronomic space located at the heart of Paseo de Gràcia could be considered a ‘restaurant of restaurants’ as it houses 4 bars and 4 restaurants under its modernist roof. Ranging from grilled meats and tapas, to Spanish fish and seafood, this large establishment has it all.
• Insólita Gea: located right next to the magnificent Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, this restaurant with an outdoor terrace offers great food. We tried their spicy sausage (butifarra), artichoke chips, and bread toasts with tomato (pa amb tomàquet).
• Honest Greens: if you follow a plant-based diet, you’ll thank eating here given their healthy dishes promoting the real food movement. When I visited, we ordered the sweet potato fries, the homemade falafel with tahini sauce and the forbidden coconut rice. I had dinner at their Tuset location, but in addition to being in Barcelona, you will also find Honest Greens restaurants in Madrid, Lisbon and Oporto.
• Restaurante ABaC: this 3 Michelin-star food temple is led by chef Jordi Cruz.
• Restaurant Cèntric: this tiny restaurant located in the Raval neighborhood and steps away from the famous Ramblas is a hidden gem. I’ve been here twice and I’ve ordered various tapas, including aceitunas Gordal -giant olives-, calamares a la andaluza -fried calamari-, buñuelos de espinacas con miel de caña -spinach beignets with honey-, hamburguesa Cèntric -burger- , pulpo – octopus, and tarta de queso -cheese cake. The food is really mouthwatering, especially the beignets. Note that the property is very small, so you might have to wait in line or come in early to get a table. Otherwise you can stand by the bar.
• Restaurante Mirabé: located at the foothills of the Collserola mountains and steps away from the Tibidabo cable car, this chic restaurant serves Mediterranean dishes paired with panoramic vistas over Barcelona. Perfect for a cocktail night! Next door lies its sister restaurant Mirablau, which also functions as a club.
• Salero: this modern restaurant in the Gràcia neighborhood offers brunch, creative vegetarian dishes, salads and Asian fusion cuisine in a cozy atmopshere. For lunch, I tried the carrot and thyme soup, the turkey with grilled vegetables and the banana cake. Yum!
• Tangana: I really enjoyed my dinner with friends at this restaurant in Gràcia. We ordered the following to share: pan con tomate (toasted bread with tomato), croqueta de jamón and croquetón de fricandó (ham and meat croquettes), berenjenas con miel (fried eggplant with honey), gírgola con castaño (mushrooms with chestnuts), tortilla vaga de boletus con cansalada (omelette with mushrooms and bacon), calamar a la plancha (grilled calamari), bomba tangana (profiterole filled with Catalan cream). Everything was truly delicious!
• Vivanda: this restaurant in Sarriá serves Catalan recipes in a garden all-year round.

Drinks and clubs

One of the most famous streets to party in Barcelona is carrer de Tuset. Along this street you can find the exclusive Sutton club and other bars such as La Pícara.

Other well-known clubs in the city of Barcelona include Razzmatazz in the Bogatell area and Sala Apolo.

Map with my favorite spots to eat and drink in Barcelona

Would you like to read more about Barcelona? Below you will find my posts devoted to this fascinating Spanish city:

Barcelona travel guide

How did you enjoy reading this post about where to eat and drink in Barcelona? Would you suggest any other places? Feel free to leave your questions and comments below.