If there’s one thing you can do well in Barcelona, it’s good food. Everywhere in the city you will find nice tapas and pintxos bars, cozy restaurants and lovely terraces. I have been to this nice city many times and I have already tested many restaurants and tapas shops. Now I have listed my absolute favorites for cheap and tasty foods in Barcelona for you.
Cerveceria Catalana
Cervecería Catalana is my favorite place to eat tapas in Barcelona. I’ve been there four times now and the food is just as good every time. Unfortunately, more people think that way and it is now one of the most popular tapas places in the city. It is therefore often quite busy, but trust me, it is worth waiting for a seat. Many people wait for a table, by the way, but a place at the bar is often available more quickly and is actually much more pleasant. In addition to a large menu with tapas and small sandwiches, they also have a number of tapas of the day. If you can’t decide, try the patatas bravas and the fried camembert. Make sure you also have room for dessert. The crema catalana and the chocolate cake with 6 structures are very tasty. You can’t beat the price either. All dishes are very affordable. If you can only visit one restaurant in Barcelona due to time constraints, I recommend going to Cervecería Catalana.
Carrer de Mallorca 236, 08008 Barcelona
Bilbao Berria
Besides tapas, Barcelona is also known for its delicious pintxos. Pintxos are originally from the Basque Country and are similar to small tapas on a sandwich. My favorite place to eat pintxos in Barcelona is Bilbao Berria. There are several branches in the city, but the one on Plaça Nova is my favorite. The whole bar here is packed with cold and hot pintxos. You can grab as many pintxos from this as you want. There is a stick in every pintxo and afterwards all sticks are counted and you pay. You pay € 1.85 per pintxo. Besides pintxos they also have small desserts on the bar. Despite the fact that they don’t taste bad, I would still recommend going elsewhere for dessert and especially enjoy the delicious pintxos here. By the way, in the evening Bilbao Berria changes from a pintxos bar into a restaurant, so for the real pintxos experience it is best to go around lunchtime.
Placa Nova 3, 08002 Barcelona
Bormuth
Tapas bar Bormuth is located in the middle of the trendy El Born district. You can often recognize it immediately by the line in front of the door. There are a lot of other restaurants on the same street, but this is the one place that always seems to be full. A good sign. I’ve had delicious meals here several times. My favorite tapas are the grilled peppers with goat cheese from the oven and the Serrano ham croquettes, but everything here is really tasty. An evening at Bormuth is also very affordable. Together we lost around 25 euros for all tapas and drinks.
Placa Comercial 1, 08003 Barcelona
Mercat de la Boqueria
Mercat de la Boqueria is the most famous market in Barcelona. Despite being located on the touristy Ramblas, the prices on this market are not too bad. Even locals do their shopping here. Stroll through all the stalls and stock up on some tasty fresh fruit, sandwiches, olives, cheese and serrano ham. From la Boqueria you can walk to the cozy Plaça Reial in a few minutes, an attractive square where you can enjoy your freshly bought lunch in the sun. You can also walk a little further to the harbor or the beach of Barcelona, which is perfect for a picnic.
Les Rambles 91, 08001 Barcelona
Jai-ca
At Jai-ca you will still find the authentic Spanish tapas. This business has been around since 1955 and has hardly changed since then. It is located in the middle of a residential area in Barceloneta and it is packed with locals. The service is a bit slower and less professional than other restaurants in town, but that has its charm somehow. So don’t go here if you’re in a hurry, but if you’re looking for a real Spanish experience. The tapas here are very tasty and cheap. We lost about 12 euros per person including two drinks. That weird dish on the top left of the olives is fried artichokes, by the way. It doesn’t look very appetizing, but it really is very tasty.
Carrer de Ginebra 13, 08003 Barcelona
Brunch & Cake by the sea
After all the tapas you often feel the need for something healthy. Brunch & Cake is the perfect place to replenish your vitamins. You will find delicious smoothies, breakfasts, salads and sandwiches here. Brunch & Cake is a very popular branch and there are regular long lines at the main location near Plaça de Catalunya. Brunch & Cake by the sea is actually in a much better location, just next to the harbor in popular Barceloneta. Fortunately, it is a lot less crowded than at the main location. It is difficult to choose a menu with so many delicious dishes. Everything is also made with so much love and detail that it is almost a shame to eat it. Very Instagram-worthy, but above all very tasty and healthy. A nice change from the tapas and pintxos. The portions are huge by the way, so make sure you’re hungry.
Passeig de Joan de Borbo 5, 08003 Barcelona
In addition to the photos of the delicious food, do you need some extra persuasion to persuade your boyfriend or girlfriend to come to Barcelona? Check out our 10 reasons to visit Barcelona!
Have you ever been to Barcelona and what did you think of the food in this city?
