What to eat and drink in Barcelona 

Eat | Drink | 

Bread, soup and noodles

The foundation of rustic Catalan cuisine is pa amb tomàquet – slices of rustic bread rubbed with garlic and halves of beautifully fresh tomatoes, doused with olive oil, and sprinkled with coarse salt. Another typical Catalan dish is espinacs a la catalana, spinach prepared with pine nuts, raisins and garlic. Others include escudella (a thick tasty Catalan soup); suquet de peix (fish and shellfish soup); fuet (long, salami-type sausage); and fideus (long, thin noodles served with pork, sausage and red pepper).

Tortilla and fish

You might be fooled by the Catalan word for a Spanish tortilla (omelette), which is truita, but translates as both omelette and trout. Bacallà, the lowly salt cod, is now served in the most distinguished restaurants in various guises and is not cheap. A sarsuela is a stew of fish cooked in its own juices; a graellada de peix is a mixed grill of fish.

Sausages and salad

Barcelona’s all-purpose sausage is the hearty botifarra, often served (in spring) with faves a la catalana (young broad beans stewed with bacon, onion and garlic in an earthenware casserole). Xató (pronounced sha-toe) is the endive and olive salad of Sitges, fortified with tuna or cod, and has an especially good sauce made of red pepper, anchovies, garlic and ground almonds. The word for salad of any kind is amanida.

Paella

Although it originates in rice-growing Valencia, the classic seafood paella is high on many visitors’ lists of dishes to sample in Barcelona. And there’s nothing like tucking into paella to know you’re in Spain. Try the restaurants in Barceloneta for a paella of fresh mussels, clams, shrimp and several kinds of fish. It will take about 20 minutes to prepare. Just do your tastebuds a favour and treat them to something better than ready made paellas flouted by tourist-trap restaurants, especially on La Rambla.

Sweet treats

When it comes to dessert, flan is ubiquitous, but there’s a home-made version, the more liquid crema catalana (egg custard with caramelised sugar on top). If they say it’s casera (home-made) then get stuck in. Mel i mato is a treat made with honey and creamy cheese. But here’s a tip – the best sweet things are the delightful delicacies sold in pastry shops.

All about tapas

Tapas – the snacks for which Spanish bars and cafés are world-famous – come in dozens of delicious varieties, from appetisers such as olives and salted almonds, to vegetable salads, fried squid, garlicky shrimps, lobster mayonnaise, meatballs, spiced potatoes, wedges of omelette, sliced sausage and cheese. The list is virtually endless, and can be surprisinglycreative, especially at the now extremely popular Basque tapas joints. Head to Tapeo in El Born or El Quim de la Boqueria in the Boqueria market for creative, moreish choices.

Vegetarian and vegan food

Traditionally, it was hard to be a vegetarian in Spain – let alone a vegan – as meat stock and garnishes were just a fact of cooking. But in the last few years, this trendiest of cities has been responding to the meat-free and plant-based needs of an increasing number of people, so happily, not only are there more places that everyone can eat well, but they are also often among the most fashionable joints in town. Try Aguaribay in Poblenou or Rasoterra in the Barri Gòtic for cutting-edge style and flavours.