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Barcelona food: The iconic dishes, drinks, and markets you must try
From a simple pa amb tomàquet to a reimagined version of crème brûlée, explore all of Barcelona's food and find out what to try on your next trip.
Visiting Barcelona means you get to try one of the most delicious foods in Spain, with its own identity and Mediterranean influences.
From tasty fideuà close to the beach to the local version of crème brûlée, there are lots of flavors waiting for visitors to discover, and our local Holaflyer, Isaac Carpio, has some recommendations for all visitors.
This guide covers the local Barcelona food flavors, where it’s best to try them, and what to know about the local food culture. Plus, find out how a Holafly eSIM for Spain can help you locate the perfect spots for a delicious meal in Barcelona.
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Activate your eSIM for Spain in a few simple steps and find where to eat like a local.
Top 10 Barcelona foods
Barcelona’s food culture has a bit of everything. You can try pa amb tomàquet as a traditional opener, followed by a refreshing vermouth before lunch.
But let’s dive into what each of these dishes really offers and why these are must-tries for all visitors.
Pa amb tomàquet
Whether you get it as an opener or as your companion for your first glass of wine, pa amb tomàquet is one of the most traditional dishes to get in Barcelona.
This dish is pretty simple: it only takes bread, olive oil, and rubbed garlic, topped with grated tomato. But “simple” still means one of the local favorites, as Isaac describes this to be locals’ holy grail.”
The idea is to taste the flavorful, fresh ingredients, with some locals adding an additional drizzle of olive oil and sea salt when serving.
Could you get a fancier opener? That’s right, but pa amb tomàquet is always a must-try in Barcelona.
Patatas bravas
Patatas bravas is a popular dish throughout Spain, but, as with many things, Barcelona has its own version.
These are potatoes fried into cubes, served with two sauces: a spicy salsa brava or simply spiced red oil, and a flavorful house-made allioli.
The version you get depends on where you eat, as some locals prefer a tomato-based salsa brava, while others prefer red oil with a heavier allioli. Luckily for you, you can get both.
Croquetas
Croquetas are one of the most popular dishes in all of Spain, and when visiting Barcelona, these remain a must-try for all visitors.
These are deep-fried fritters usually combined with small pieces of meat, fish, or ham. Croquetas also include a creamy béchamel sauce and breadcrumb coating to ensure a soft, melting result.
These are usually served as an appetizer, but some restaurants might offer them as a main course with a variety of fillings.
Esqueixada
Barcelona is near the beach, so some of its dishes include fish, such as esqueixada.
Esqueixada is a less popular local dish that’s still worth mentioning over tourist-preferred dishes, like croquetas or patatas bravas, which you can find in basically any Spanish city.
However, salt cod salad is a local staple. Locals have many versions, with the most popular one being salt cod, olives, fresh tomatoes, and onion in a vinaigrette.
These are perfect for those hot summer days, as the dish’s freshness will carry you through Barcelona’s heat.
Fideuà
Spanish food means trying the well-known paella, but when visiting Barcelona, Isaac tells us it’s better to try the fideuà.
The fideuà keeps the same flavorful recipe, packed with rockfish, cuttlefish, squid, and monkfish, but changes the rice to noodles and uses stock for cooking.
These are also served with shrimp, crayfish, and squilla mantis, resulting in a dish that every Barcelona visitor must try.
Carn d’olla
Barcelona’s food also means trying that comfort food that makes you feel at home, while you check out all the things to do in Barcelona related to Gaudí, beaches, and ancient castles.
The carn d’olla, also known as escudella, is a traditional Catalan stew made with meat (pilota), a large meatball with garlic and parsley, and lots of vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage, celery, and many others.
Plus, some restaurants might tweak the recipe a bit, adding bones, botifarra (local sausages), or a different type of meat, so feel free to choose your favorite version.
Crema Catalana
Switching to sweet foods, it’s time to talk about the most popular dessert in all of Barcelona: crema catalana.
Crema Catalana is the local version of crème brûlée, meaning it’s made with egg yolks, caramelized sugar, milk, and thickened with cornstarch rather than baked, which sets it apart from the original French version, according to Isaac.
These are usually flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, or lemon zest, resulting in the ideal dessert after some fideuà.
Vermouth (vermut)
In Barcelona, vermouth isn’t just a drink but part of its culture, and it’s even made into a small ritual before food.
This wine, fortified with flowers, seeds, spices, herbs, and more, is usually served as an apéritif before lunch and also makes a fine first drink of the night.
Vermouth culture is so popular in the city that the drink is actually one of the best Barcelona souvenirs travelers can get.
Bombas
Back to tapas, it’s time to talk about bombas, a meat-filled potato ball that’s pretty famous around the Barceloneta neighborhood and one of Isaac’s favorite tapas.
Bombas are pretty similar to croquetas, but they are made with mashed potatoes, spiced meat, and coated in breadcrumbs, unlike the creamy croquetas.
These also take some elements from patatas bravas, which are usually served with garlic aioli and spicy salsa, which, told by Isaac, were invented after the Spanish Civil War.
Cava
If you want to drink some traditional Barcelona wine, give cava a try. Even Isaac tells us that this is Barcelona’s pride.
This is a sparkling wine of denominación de origen status. While Cava can legally be produced in a handful of Spanish regions, roughly 95% of it comes from Catalonia’s Penedès region, right on Barcelona’s doorstep.
This wine is either white or rosé and is made with local grape varieties such as Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel·lo, with Chardonnay and Malvasia permitted as well.
Honorable mentions
Still craving Barcelona food? There’s more to try than what’s popular at plain sight.
- Butifarra: This is a traditional Catalan pork sausage, usually served with beans in dishes like butifarra amb seques. Visitors can either try butifarra cruda, negra, or blanca, depending on what they like.
- Escalivada: Made with vegetables, this dish brings out all of its flavor with a different cooking method: chargrilling until tender, with some vegetables, like onions, wrapped and buried on the coals to ensure a delicious umami flavor.
- Calcots: Mostly in the winter and spring, you’ll find these chargrilled green onions that come from the Valls region. These are cooked until blackened, then peeled so people can eat the tender onion, usually accompanied by a flavorful romesco sauce.
- Mató: For cheese lovers, Mató is a fresh, creamy, and soft cheese from Montserrat, usually served with honey and nuts, making it the perfect dessert after visiting the monastery up in the hills.
Barcelona food markets
If you want to eat like a local, you’ve got to avoid the tourist traps. Either paying too much or getting bland food isn’t the real deal when visiting Barcelona.
Instead, go to the Barcelona food markets and explore them; you’ll get to try the authentic local food at reasonable prices.
- La Boqueria: This traditional market is one of the best places to visit in Barcelona to try delicious local food. However, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, so avoid the entrance stalls and head into the market for better deals and flavors.
- Mercat de Santa Caterina: Located on Francesc Cambó Avenue, this market is the alternative locals rely on. It’s less touristy, has better prices, and it’s where locals go when craving real Barcelonan dishes.
- Mercat de l’Abaceria (Gràcia): If you want to escape the Barcelona hustle and bustle, head over to Mercat de l’Abaceria, where you’ll find a quieter place to eat with that neighborhood-like feel.4
Barcelona food culture: mealtimes, tipping, and dining out
Food culture in Barcelona, and Spain overall, isn’t what many people are used to, so keep these tips Isaac gave us in mind:
- Eating hours: Locals eat late. With el dinar, or lunch, taking place from 2 to 4 PM, while el sopar, or dinner, never happens before 9 PM.
- Tipping culture: Tipping isn’t common in Spain; locals sometimes leave a few loose coins, but tipping 10% to 15% is an American import, as waitstaff are paid monthly salaries and don’t rely on tips to survive.
- Best places to eat: For tapas, Bar Bitácora and Vinitus. For something fancier, Petra or Restaurant Mirablau. For a delicious paella, Restaurante Cheriff or Restaurant Envalira.
Stay connected while eating your way through Barcelona with Holafly
Visiting Barcelona means that people will explore Gaudí’s masterpieces, walk around beaches, and find the ideal place to eat like a local.
For such things, using an eSIM is a great way to move around the city and find the best places to eat, and Holafly makes it even easier.
With the Holafly eSIM for Spain, you get unlimited data at 5G speeds for up to 90 days. Simply choose how many days you’re staying and try all of Barcelona’s food for a full culinary experience.
Every Holafly eSIM also comes with Always On, a built-in 1GB monthly backup at no extra cost — handy if your trip takes you beyond Barcelona.
Connectivity made easy
Activate your eSIM for Spain in a few simple steps and find where to eat like a local.
FAQs
Famous foods in Barcelona include fideuà, esqueixada, and bombas, as well as less popular options like butifarra or mató.
Pa amb tomàquet is considered by many to be Barcelona’s signature dish and the city’s most famous tapa.
For dinner, fideuá with a side of pa amb tomáquet is a great option to eat like a local.
Croquetas, patatas bravas, fideuá, and tortilla de papas are great must-eats for everyone visiting Spain.
Plans that may interest you
I first started my content creation journey as a freelancer in 2019, before connecting with Holafly in 2021. At Holafly, my travel and tech interests come together in one place as I craft high-quality articles about the eSIM and related markets. My content aims to help travelers stay connected, wherever they are.
