Essential Tapas Tour of Barcelona

Renting an apartment in Barcelona means great things for your culinary experiences. The Spanish tradition of gathering around small, communal plates feels like one of the best inventions in modern society, and in Barcelona, where the mountains meet the Mediterranean, tapas are dialed up to a whole new degree. For an extended stay in the Catalan capital be prepared for the classics—the patatas bravas, the tortilla, pimientos del padrón, the pan con tomate—and come ready to try local offerings such as fuet, a cured sausage, and garrotxa, a goat cheese from the region that shares the same name.

Here’s a list of some of our tried and true favorite spots to eat tapas like a local.

Bar La Plata

Unchanged since it opened its doors in 1945, this small corner bar in Ciutat Vella excels in its simplicity. The menu here is small —think 4 items small— but everything is done to such perfection that you’ll lack for nothing. Take turns trying your hand at drinking wine from a porrón to eating the salted and fried pescadito.

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El Xampanyet

Sitting in front of the Museo Picasso in El Born, Xampanyet is beloved by visitors and locals alike. The menu is extensive and vegetable friendly, the staff helpful, and dishes like the eggs “ferrats,” tortilla, and white beans with squid are all knockouts. Order a jet cold bottle of cava and make sure to leave room for dessert.

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La Xampanyeria

Easy to miss and were it not for the crowds packed outside during its opening hours, Xampanyeria feels like the Spain of bygone days. This is a place where entering used to mean using your elbows to fight your way in, and where you join crews of dock workers downing lunch (and a few copas) before getting back on the job. Though Covid-19 has halted the packing in of patrons like sardines, the raucous and convivial feelings still remain in this Barceloneta establishment. Take your pick of cheeses and sausages from the bar, or choose from any of the sandwich combinations, taking note that pink cava is the drink to order.

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Quimet i Quimet

Nestled off of Parallel in the Poble Sec neighborhood, this tiny tapas bar specializes in montaditos—tapas and conservas on crusty bread. The family-run establishment has been around since 1914 and serves up some of the most outrageous and amazing combinations, like soft white cheese and anchovy nestled into a preserved loquat, or sheets of salmon on top of thick greek yogurt, drizzled with truffle honey. It’s standup only and things get crowded, but rubbing shoulders over the din of plates hitting a table top and the murmur of approval is what eating in Barcelona is all about.

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La Cova Fumada

Unmarked and tucked off of Barceloneta’s main plaza, La Cova Fumada is where to go for seafood. You can’t go wrong with an order of sardines, octopus, or calamari, cooked a la plancha and dusted with parsley and garlic. The claim to fame here is for creating the bomba—a tapa of potato and meat rolled into a ball and deep fried. Whichever direction you choose to order, you’ll be sure to leave satisfied, and feeling like a local.

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Morro Fi

Vermut, the fortified wine, had a resurgence in recent years, and went from being an old-timey drink to part of contemporary social culture, and a veritable scene at that. Morro Fi was born from this revival, and has come to make the best vermouth in the city, perfectly paired with offerings of small, salty snacks. With locations in Eixample Dreta and Sant Gervasi, Morro Fi strikes the perfect balance of respecting tradition in a modern atmosphere. Pull up on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to experience la hora del vermut.

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Eat well close to home. Take the time to explore all the tapas that Barcelona has to offer and its restaurants, with an extended stay in a rental nearby.