Packed with extraordinary architecture, wonderful golden beaches, and world-beating art and culture, Barcelona also boasts an enviable food scene. Lying in northeast Spain, in the warm glow of the Mediterranean, the city has access to some of the freshest produce from land and sea.
Barcelona’s streets are crammed with sun-dappled squares and side alleys lined with buzzing restaurants, fresh food markets bursting with Catalan produce, and some of the best tapas bars on the planet. You’ll find hole-in-the-wall style joints serving cava and light bites next to Michelin-starred venues conjuring up haute cuisine.
So once you’ve worked up an appetite wandering the Park Guell, lost yourself in the tangle of the Gothic Quarter and marveled at the Sagrada Familia, settle down to try these Barcelona foods.
Here’s everything to know about what to eat in Barcelona on your next Spanish vacation.
Paella
Paella
It’s impossible to talk about Barcelona food and not mention paella. Though the fragrant rice-based dish doesn’t originate in Barcelona, but comes from Valencia, to the south, it is a staple on the city’s menus. Fragrant with paprika and saffron, and made in a large flat pan with rice, peas, stock, garlic, tomatoes, and sherry or white wine, paella is a must-try dish in Spain.
One of the best ways to enjoy paella in Barcelona is topped with seafood, including juicy shrimp, meaty squid, a delicious scattering of mussels, and slices of lemon. Try a paella cooking class to learn the secrets of making your own when you get back home. Many of the city’s culinary classes are combined with tours of the iconic Boqueria Market where you’ll be dazzled by the array of ingredients.
Croquettes
Croquettes
When deciding what to eat in Barcelona, do not overlook croquetas, or croquettes. This popular Barcelona food, served as part of an array of tapas, or as a larger dish, called raciones, is an appetizing blend of smooth bechamel sauce, ham, and mashed potato, coated in crispy breadcrumbs and deep-fried.
Garlic, onion, Dijon mustard, and even a dash of paprika add extra bite to an already tasty dish. Sometimes, you’ll come across shrimp-flavored croquetas, or ham, or vegetables.
Find a pint-sized tapas bar on the vibrant Carrer de Blai in the central El Poble-Sec—one of Barcelona’s best neighborhoods—to enjoy these savory bites, which go well alongside a chilled beer.
Patatas Bravas
Patatas Bravas
If you’re wondering what to eat in Barcelona, this potato-based tapas dish is a crowd-pleaser, consisting of twice-fried potato cubes served with a spicy bravas tomato-based sauce and a garlicky, lemony aioli. You’ve found a good-quality version of patatas bravas when the potatoes are soft and fluffy in the center and the edges are crispy, topped with a scattering of sea salt and rosemary.
A generous helping of flavorful bravas, combining tomatoes, sherry vinegar, onion, garlic, chilies, paprika, and fresh herbs, adds to the intensity of this umami-packed dish, with the aioli served on the side.
Jamon Iberico
Jamon Iberico
A satisfying platter of salty ruby-red Iberian ham, served in wafer-thin slithers and often eaten with slices of Manchego cheese, Jamon Iberico is a must-try Barcelona food.
Visit a specialist Jamon Iberico delicatessen, such as Reserva Ibérica, with two outlets in the center of Barcelona, one on Rambla de Catalunya and the other on Avinguda Diagonal, for some of the finest ham around.
Reserva Ibérica sells ham from 100 percent Iberian pure-bred, acorn-fed, free-roaming pigs. The mouthwatering cuts of ham are only served once they’ve spent 30 to 60 months slowly curing. Notice the almost marble effect of the meat, with translucent lines of fat running through it.
You’ll see some ham labeled as pata negra, or “black hoof”, a specific breed of Iberian pig regarded as the finest of all.
Read: What Is Spain Known for?
Potato Bombas
Potato Bombas
Another tasty potato-based dish that you’ll find concocted in kitchens across Barcelona, potato bombas literally means potato balls, and are similar to croquettes in that the potato is mashed and deep-fried in breadcrumbs until golden.
The mixture is stuffed with various fillings such as ham, cheese, and chorizo. You’ll find them seasoned with a mix of herbs and spices such as peppers and paprika and accompanied by a sauce. Bite into these crunchy, flavorsome balls after dipping them in smooth, garlicky aioli.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho
If you’re craving a cooling, wholesome appetizer, go for gazpacho, a sharp, ice-cold soup that is one of the best things to eat in Barcelona. Originating in southern Spain, gazpacho uses extra-ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic cloves, sherry vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil as a base.
Look out for different ways of serving gazpacho, for example in a shot glass as a palate cleanser or in a bowl filled to the brim as a lunchtime dish. Some versions of gazpacho include stale bread whizzed together with raw vegetables to create a thicker texture. If you prefer a smoother texture, opt for it without.
Escalivada
Escalivada
A simple Catalan dish of slow-roasted vegetables, often consumed as part of a selection of tapas, escalivada is a mix of bell peppers, onions, and eggplant, coated in olive oil and scattered with thyme and basil.
This Barcelona food is slow-roasted, with the market-fresh vegetables beautifully softened in the middle and charred on the outside. It’s eaten with fresh bread and can be served warm or cold. Escalivada is a great choice for vegans and vegetarians when visiting Barcelona.
Fideuà
Fideuà
Let your nose lead you to a steaming pan of fideuà near Barcelona’s seashore. Similar to paella, this one-pot dish replaces rice with noodles, combined with garlic, tomato, bell pepper, saffron, fish stock, paprika, and a marvelous selection of seafood such as squid, shrimp, clams, and mussels. Fideua is a feast for the senses, emitting rich and fragrant aromas presented with the shellfish on top.
Find a waterfront restaurant where you can feel the warm Mediterranean breeze to try fideuà. Restaurants may vary what type of shellfish they add to the dish, depending on what is brought in fresh each day.
Spanish Cheese
Manchego Cheese
Spanish cheeses are among the best in the world and you’ll find a variety of them on most menus in Barcelona. Choose slices of nutty Manchego from La Mancha; a smoky Idiazábal from the Basque Country; a soft and creamy Mahón from the Balearic Islands, and a rich Roncal from Navarre, near the French border.
The harder cheeses, like Manchego, can be served with a honey dip for a delicious sweet and savory combination. Wash your slices of cheese down with a glass of refreshing Godello, a white wine from Galicia. If you’re a fan of silky sweet wine paired with cheese, treat yourself to a glass of delightful Lustau Pedro Ximénez San Emilio from Andalusia, with its standout raisin and fig tang.
Pa Amb Tomaquet
Pa Amb Tomaquet
If you’ve finished sightseeing and are pondering what to eat in Barcelona, look to this rustic, savory dish, the humble pa amb tomaquet, or bread with tomato. This is a staple throughout the Balearic Islands as well as in Cataluña.
Fresh bread is toasted and then rubbed with raw garlic, which delivers a wonderful kick. It’s then topped with grated, juicy tomatoes, drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. It’s a simple, finger-licking dish loved by locals and tourists, alike.
Enjoy pa amb tomaquet any time of day as a meal on its own or part of a variety of tapas. You may find restaurants serve the ingredients on a platter, so you can assemble your own dish and enjoy the bread extra crunchy.
Padrón Peppers
Padrón Peppers
Sprinkled with salt, with a touch of olive oil drizzled over and blistered in the oven, these delicious, tangy morsels make a delightful tapas dish that is perfect for sharing. Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of extra-hot peppers. These green peppers from the Padrón region of northwest Spain don’t tend to be overly fiery.
If you’re feeling extra peckish, Padrón peppers pair wonderfully with fresh meaty fish dishes, such as swordfish and tuna.
Esqueixada
Esqueixada
Considered Catalan’s answer to ceviche, this traditional Barcelona food is a zingy salad of shredded salt cod (esqueixada translates as “shredded”), tomatoes, onions, black olives, and sometimes hard-boiled egg.
For a perfect summertime dish, order a refreshing plate of esqueixada with a thick wedge of bread and an ice-cold glass of wine. Salt cod pairs well with the Galician wines, such as an elegant Albariño from Rías Baixas.
Grilled Red Shrimp
Grilled Red Shrimp
Take a stool at one of the seafood bars inside Barcelona’s famous La Boqueria market off La Rambla and prepare yourself for gamba roja, heavenly morsels of prized crustacean, harvested off the coast of Cataluña.
Before you settle on one spot, though, browse the market vendors’ overflowing crates of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, cheeses, and preserves for gourmet gifts. Chains of dried chilies and hulking legs of Jamon Iberico hang from the stalls, adding to the atmosphere.
If you’re looking for an alternative spot away from the throngs of La Boqueria, Barcelona favorite Bar Cañete also serves a legendary portion of broiled red shrimp. Look out for the amusing name given to the dish on the menu: “Watch out for the red prawn that gets in at eight. Fresh from the sea to the plate.”
Do as the locals do and dine late at Bar Cañete, ordering plates of lobster croquette, spicy meatballs, and fried razor clams to accompany the sweet-tasting red shrimp.
Calçots
Calçots
This simple dish, pronounced “cal-sots”, is the Catalan name for scallions, also known as green onions and spring onions depending where you are in the world. The long, thin onions, milder than other types of onion, are char-grilled and served with a dip as a side dish with meat and fish.
Opt for a side of divine romesco sauce, a tomato-based dip featuring toasted almonds, garlic, smoked paprika, roasted bell pepper, and a dash of sherry vinegar.
So popular are calçots in Catalonia that many towns in the region celebrate the vegetable’s harvest, which occurs from December through March, with a festival, Calçotada. Some restaurants offer dedicated Calçotada menus during the harvest season.
Chipirones
Chipirones
There are few better vacation foods to eat when in Barcelona, or anywhere in the Mediterranean for that matter, than chipirones, a delicious portion of delicately deep-fried baby squid. Squeeze the juice of a slice of lemon over the top for a zesty finish. Graze this gorgeous seafood dish at El Quim, another long-standing outlet at La Boqueria market.
Crema Catalana
Crema Catalana
If you’re sweet-toothed, do not miss this satisfying dessert. Almost identical to France’s crème brûlée, crema Catalana consists of an egg and milk-based custard with a toasted sugar top. The pleasure of cracking through the crunchy caramelized topping is almost as gratifying as the first exquisite mouthful. Don’t share a portion of crema Catalana. Order one entirely for yourself.
Chorizo
Chorizo
A paprika-infused pork-based sausage packed with lard, chorizo is one of Spain’s most famous meat dishes and a popular Barcelona food. The deep red-colored sausage is often cured, smoked, and found hanging from bars and market stalls.
Eat slices or cubes of chorizo, paired with Manchego cheese, a glass of punchy Spanish wine. You’ll find chorizo used in tapas dishes, stews, paella, and filling hearty sandwiches.
Tortilla de Patatas
Tortilla de Patatas
If you’re craving comfort food, hunt down a tortilla de patatas, also known as a Spanish omelet or Spanish tortilla outside of Spanish-speaking regions.
This satisfying, uncomplicated dish is made with eggs, potatoes, and typically onion, olive oil, and sometimes a scattering of fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish. Eat a slice of tortilla de patatas hot or cold, as part of tapas or on its own.
Cava
Cava
When you’ve finished a busy day of exploring or an afternoon lazing on Barceloneta Beach—one of the best beaches in Barcelona—find a charming bar, such as Can Paixano near the port, and order a glass of fizzing cava, Spain’s treasured sparkling wine. Can Paixano has been in business since 1969 and specializes in cava, with a shop selling some of the region’s top brands.
Produced in Cataluña, cava is an elegant and easy-to-drink wine, typically dry and earthy in taste, though sweeter and semi-sweet varieties can also be found. Many sparkling wine drinkers even prefer cava to Champagne for its sharp effervescence. If you’re looking for fizz with more depth than a typical white, try a blush cava, such as Anna de Codorniu Rose Brut or Vilarnau Brut Reserva Rosé.
If your schedule allows, head to the Codorníu Cellars. A 40-minute drive from Barcelona, Codorníu Cellars is the revered home of one of the country’s oldest wineries. Codorníu offers experiences including tours of the ancient winery, wine pairings, and a cava tasting beginner’s course.
Barcelona
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