A city like Barcelona is always going to be a popular trip for travel all year round. Whether it’s for a mid-week break, a weekend stay, or an extended visit, Barcelona is like a revolving door for travel. In between the exquisite cuisine that you can find in McDonald’s and Lidl, below are 13 places to eat and drink in Barcelona. I hope that these will give you some ideas for your trip or if you’re already living in Barcelona.
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links which I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links help keep this site up and running. Thank you for your support!
1. Tapeo – Carrer de Montcada, 29, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Nearest Metro Exit: Barceloneta.
This tapas restaurant is a great introduction to Barcelona and Spanish food, including some local Barcelona delicacies. I tried the Iberian ham croquettes along with broken eggs with black pudding sausage and fried potatoes. In addition there was a dish with grilled squid, onion juice and Iberian bacon. Everything was delicious, food was cooked for you to see and staff are friendly. A great spot for couples and solo travellers with the space provided.
2. Quiosc Modern at Mercat de la Boqueria – La Rambla, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
Nearest Metro Exit: Liceu
Nice mixture of tapas located right in the centre of Mercat de la Boqueria. The fried squid was really good and they provided a garlic sauce with it. Also, the patatas bravas were served hot with a nice mildly spicy sauce. In addition, I tried the padrĂłn pepper which is really nice with the sea salt seasoning and squid ink croquettes had an interesting texture but were worth trying.
3. The Coffee – C/ de Girona, 76, L’Eixample, 08009 Barcelona, Spain.
Nearest metro: Girona
This was my first time trying this cafe chain which has a minimalist interior with chilled out music and when I was there a concert projected onto the wall. I tried the ichigo cafe which is a cold strawberry and matcha drink. It’s very on trend at the moment and I would recommend it for sure!
4. El Xampanyet – Ça l’Esteve e. 1929 Barcelona
Nearest Metro Exit: Barceloneta
Head’s up, you’ll most likely be queuing to get in here, but it’ll be worth the wait. This restaurant has plenty of traditional Spanish dishes but their seafood is the winner in my opinion. I tried the razor clams, St. Pau beans with little squid, garlic shrimps as well as bread with tomato. Portions are all delicious but you’ll wish they were bigger because they taste so good. Waiting staff have a lot of energy and character and make a true Barcelona experience. It’s also across from Tapeo.
5. Guell Tapas – C/ Nou de la Rambla, 20, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona
Nearest Metro Exit: Drassanes
Located not too far from La Rambla, this is a great spot if you’re looking to eat some local food. I got the chicken paella and it was cooked fresh and served hot. The staff were very friendly and they also had coffee for €1.50 which they ended up giving me for free at the end.
6. Brunch and Cake – Carrer del RossellĂł, 189, Eixample, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Nearest Exit – Diagonal or Hospital ClĂnic
Very Instagrammable and maybe even a little bit too much as there was a table of unfinished dishes when I arrived. This was a big pity because the food was amazing. They serve a mixture of sweet and savory brunch dishes. Personally I loved the pancakes with peaches and strawberries which were an additional €2 on top of the price. There is seating both inside and outside. Brunch and Cake also have a few locations around Barcelona.
7. CervecerĂa Condal – Rambla de Catalunya, 18, Eixample, 08007 Barcelona
Nearest Metro Exit – Passeig de GrĂ cia
This restaurant is very well-known by visitors for Barcelona and in a prime location. There’s seating both inside and outside and a fine selection of dishes. I tried the razor clams, beef tenderloin with foie gras, Iberian Secreto with asparagus and grilled prawn skewers. Menus are available in English and Spanish. There wasn’t one bad thing on the table! Customers were a mixture of tourists and locals.
8. Rodrigo’s Bar – C. de l’Argenteria, 67, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona
Nearest Metro Exit – Barceloneta
I came here as most places you needed a reservation and it was still pretty good. A mixture of tapas and a nice atmosphere as the football was on. I ate fried squid, bombas, shrimp, octopus (get bread to dip into the sauce, the chef’s recommendation) and it was all delicious. The razor clams were a bit peculiar, as if tiny stones hadn’t been cleaned out so maybe avoid those of you want to mind your teeth.
9. Lucciano’s – Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 601, L’Eixample, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Nearest Metro Exit – Passeig de GrĂ cia or Urqinaona
I was influenced to visit here when I saw the queue going out the door. Lucciano’s is an ice-cream chain which is very popular with locals and tourists in Barcelona. There’s a wide selection of ice-cream flavours available as well as ice-lollipops. There was a bit of a mix-up and it definitely wasn’t the best ice-cream I had in the world but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
10. Noor Coffee – Plaça de la Llana, 16, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Nearest Metro Exit – Barceloneta or Urqinaona
Noor Coffee was another pleasant surprised I came across while walking around Barcelona. This small vegan cafe serves a great flat white and I also enjoyed their vegan brownie. The real stand out here though was how friendly the staff were. They were willing to give plenty of Catalan restaurant recommendations and directions on to get there. Noor Coffee now have three locations across Barcelona. Check them out on Instagram here.
11. Funky Bakers – Pg. del Born, 10, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Nearest Metro Exit – Barceloneta
Funky Bakers is a nice spot for classic brunch dishes such as pancakes, bread, porridge, French toast, etc. They cater for a variety styles (Spanish, Turkish, and Nordic). It also has two parts: a cafe and a bakery to check out. This place is busy during peak times so expect a bit of a wait but it cleared out very quickly afterwards. I’d recommend a visit if you’re in the area.
12. Jon Cake – Carrer dels Assaonadors, 29, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Nearest Metro Exit – Barceloneta
Jon Cake is well worth a visit in Barcelona. When I visited, there was a queue out the door. However, you can order online and skip waiting if you like. They have a selection of different cheesecakes to choose from and you pay by weight you so can mix and match. The staff here spoke Catalan, Spanish and English and were all very friendly but hardworking. There are other gifts on offer which you can browse while you wait. I don’t think I could recommend a particular cheesecake as I loved them all! The blue cheese cheesecake is definitely very unique, though.
13. Buenos Aires Grill – Carrer de València, 189, L’Eixample, 08011 Barcelona, Spain
Argentinian steaks are unmatched when it comes to quality. If you’re looking for one in Barcelona, make sure to check out Buenos Aires Grill. I was also a big fan of their morcilla and this was served with side dishes. It was quiet in the afternoon when I visited in the early afternoon but service was fast and the staff were friendly.
Thanks for Reading!
So there you go! I hope that this post gives you some ideas and inspiration of some places to eat if you’re in Barcelona. If you enjoyed reading this, please consider sharing it with a friend or let me know which places you try in the comments.
You may like some of my other posts (sorted by country) here:
