The city lives up to its Mediterranean setting with its Catalan cuisine, one of the most auspicious expressions of the Mediterranean diet. The interest in gastronomy in Barcelona is reflected in a long and varied list of restaurants, some of them awarded Michelin stars, that suit the most varied tastes: local Catalan cuisine, international cuisine, exotic food, not to mention tapas and appetisers −the quintessence of Spanish cuisine−, or the world-famous cava. All the local know-how and flavours, all the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, come together in this culinary speciality, which also includes prestigious wines. We invite you to try it: the table is laid.
TIME TO EAT
Barcelona is the perfect place to get a great bite to eat. In our city you will find culinary delights which combine tradition and cutting-edge cuisine.
Tourists only have to look at their watches to make sure they’re not missing out on any meals, although that precision device, the alarm-clock in their stomachs, lets them know when it’s time to eat. Whether they have a watch or not, tourists should take note of what to eat and where to eat during a great culinary day out in Barcelona, that edible and digestible city.
From 8 to 10 am: breakfast
The Boqueria, the city’s main food market, features a mouth-watering array of produce. At the entrance to the Boqueria is the counter of the Bar Pinotxo, where Juanito will engage you in some of the liveliest conversation in town and his nephews serve you food that will really hit the spot. Cod dishes to revive you, capipota (brawn) with a new twist, or fish which is so fresh you’d think it was still swimming. A hearty breakfast for diners who like to try something a bit different. If tourists, with or without a watch, shy away from of this kind of wake-up call, they can make do with a more frugal repast at the nearby patisserie Escribà, where the croissants have a French accent.
From 12 noon to 1 pm: aperitif time
La Vinya del Senyor is the place in Barcelona where you’ll be closest to heaven. The gates to the Gothic paradise of Santa Maria del Mar open up before you. Regardless of whether they’re wearing a watch or not, tourists should sit opposite this stunning façade, order a glass of wine (or open a special bottle if the occasion so demands), some walnut bread with foie gras, a small serving of peas from Llavaneres, some secallonas (cured sausages) made exclusively by a doctor in microbiology... It is only then, as you eat, drink and, in short, commune, that you become convinced that God does exist.
After your snack, it’s just a short walk to La Botifarreria where you can stock up on its unique range of local cured sausages, and just a few strides further to fill your basket with the memorable wines of the Viniteca.
1.30 to 4 pm: lunch
You have two options, both taking you on a journey of discovery and involving the expertise of young chefs. The first: Barcelona has reinvented the tapa. This is perhaps the only cultural revolution the city has
experienced over the past hundred years.
A three pronged fork: Estrella de Plata, Santa Maria and Comerç 24. Casual dining on small servings which will keep those hunger pangs at bay.
The second option: a foray into the world of the most cutting-edge, outstanding and serious restaurants. A generation of cooks, or a regeneration, who will secure Barcelona’s position as a gastronomic capital. The city’s restaurants are well worth noting down in any gourmet’s diary and underlining in chilli pepper red: Hisop, Saüc, Alkimia, Valentí, Ot, Colibrí... Catalan cuisine brought up to date, degreased and demystified.
5.30 to 6 pm: a snack
In the belly of the Liceu –on the ground floor– there is a coffee shop which is the perfect showcase for the products of Sacha, a business which has made cake-making into one of the fine arts. A dazzling cast list of cakes, a complete repertoire of sandwiches, a symphony of pastries...
9 to 11 pm: dinner
A gastronomic gala evening. The three stars of the Michelin Guide light up the city. After a day’s jogging with your culinary body in good shape, now is the time to finish off with a long-distance run.
Six restaurants which will leave you floating on air: Gaig (with the chef Carles Gaig), Neichel (with Jean Louis Neichel), Jean Luc Figueras (with Jean Luc Figueras), Drolma (with Fermí Puig), Àbac (with Xavier Pellicer) and El Racó d’en Freixa (with Ramon Freixa).
Gaig’s truffle cannelloni. Neichel’s lobster tartare. Figueras’ crispy suckling pig. Puig’s sea cucumbers with laurel-perfumed potatoes. Pellicer’s steamed foie gras. Freixa’s pea soup with pancetta.
Whether they have a watch or not, tourists can go to bed safe in the knowledge that they have made the most of the day.
Restaurant Guide for Tourists
Tourists who are interested in cuisine have at their disposal a new tool to help them enjoy their visit to the city. Turisme de Barcelona has published the Tourist guide to restaurants, gourmet shops & food markets, which gives tourists suggestions about the most interesting places to eat in Barcelona.
The guide features a selection of Barcelona’s 304 major culinary outlets (11 markets, 31 shops and 262 restaurants). The experts from the Catalan Culinary Academy have made this selection, which gives priority to the quality, uniqueness and interest of each establishment.
