It’s impossible to talk about food in Barcelona and not mention tapas. Of course, it isn’t easy to define what exactly tapas are. On top of that you have pintxos, which are basically little snacks, and bocadillos, which are usually little sandwiches. All of which can usually be found at bars, some at restaurants, and all comprising different ingredients. In this post I’ll touch on all of those things, or at least the best ones I had while in Barcelona, as well as paella. I should point out that La Rambla, Barcelona’s main tourist thoroughfare, is lined with “tapas” places, but you should avoid those at all costs. The one really terrible meal I had was at a tapas place in a very touristy area, and it put me off of tapas for a few days afterward.
Food Rundown
Nou Celler
I passed by the restaurant Nou Celler almost every day, and I knew that when I was ready to go back to tapas I would try there first. Mostly because they had the daily specials piled up in the window, as you see at the top of this post. I tasted a few of the traditional tapas, including this delicious tortilla — an omelet stuffed with potatoes. I also enjoyed the patatas bravas here, crispy fried potatoes topped with spicy sauce and mayonnaise. The pan con tomate, another Barcelona tapas staple, was not great here.
Lonja de Tapas
The pan con tomate at Lonja de Tapas was great. Maybe it was the splash of olive oil. And a lot of salt. When it comes to tapas I think the trick is to find the best dishes at different restaurants and to just go from place to place eating only the best.
Quimet i Quimet
I stopped for a drink and some snacks at Quimet i Quimet, where I ran into a fellow Brooklyn-ite. Here I had some of the best olives I’ve ever eaten, as well as some artichoke hearts and a few pieces of bread slathered in a soft white cheese.
El Xampanyet
I didn’t get anything to eat, but I highly recommend stopping by El Xampanyet for something to drink at least. A small cava cost less than $2, and there are plenty of little pinxtos to choose from, like olives and oysters, if you are so inclined. The place was packed with both tourists and locals, something you don’t often see in Barcelona.
Paella
In addition to tapas, paella abounds in Barcelona. I caved on my last day in the city and got this vegetarian paella (at a place whose name I can’t remember now). It was made to order, and full of fresh asparagus and canned artichoke hearts. The lemon was a nice touch, though this wasn’t any more than just ordinary.
Bubo
That same night, I stopped by Bubo for some fancy dessert “tapas”. I got two excellent desserts, and had a nice chat in my rudimentary Spanish with the server. He even was kind enough to open up the case for me to take some more photos of the desserts.
