Barcelona for Foodies

Make way, Paris. Barcelona is the new foodie’s paradise. Beyond Spanish kitchen classics like paella and potato omelet, there’s a wealth of traditional dishes to try in the Catalan capital. A multitude of eateries scattered throughout the city plate up regional Spanish, World, and interesting modern and fusion cuisine. Then there are the city’s gourmet specialty shops and massive open markets. With so much on tap around town, foodies may appreciate a few tips on how to make the most of Barcelona’s edible offerings, so, here goes.

1.     Stay in a fully-equipped holiday apartment (think GowithOh, AirBnb or Flipkey) so you can buy locally sourced raw ingredients and prepare your own gourmet meals. Even if you’re not much of a cook, a nice bottle of wine paired with freshly baked bread, cheese and charcuterie makes for a lovely spread, and is much cheaper to prep in your holiday rental, than order at a bar. Save splurges for complicated traditional or fusion cuisine that you don’t want to mess with preparing on vacation.

2.     Shop at open markets and neighborhood shops for the best possible groceries.  Open markets like La Boqueria, Santa Caterina, and El Ninot are the place to buy freshly caught seafood, and high quality fruits and vegetables from Spain and abroad, as well as artisanal cheeses and charcuterie. Another great option is finding small neighborhood shops like bakeries, fruit stands and butcher-shops near where you’re staying.

3.     Have a drink and a snack at one of Barcelona’s bars de sempre. Bars de sempre are hole-in-the-wall bars/restaurants that have been around forever, or at least have a coat of dust on the liquor bottles that would make you think they have.  While they’re generally not the prettiest places, they’re a truly local experience and more often than not an inexpensive option for strong drinks and tasty tapas of the deep-fried variety.

4.     Enjoy traditional dishes in historic restaurants. Where better to try seasonal favorites like snails or spring onions than at Barcelona’s oldest restaurants? Fill up on the hearty but inexpensive lunch menu at Can Culleretes, Barcelona’s oldest eatery, or select and savor pricier a la carte dishes at Los Caracoles and 7 Portes.

5.    Try something new and different. Elsewhere this could be difficult, but in Barcelona, exciting proposals by up-and-coming, as well as world-famous chefs abound. Whether you prefer unique tapas by the Adrià Brothers at Tickets Bar or creative Catalan cuisine at Michelin-star-rated restaurants like Cinc Sentits and Moments, Barcelona’s “new” cuisine is sure to surprise.

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