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Number 17 of 20 in Barcelona

Tapas in Barcelona: an evening on foot

Barcelona eats late and in small plates. The way to taste the city is to walk from bar to bar in the early evening, with a vermouth, some bread rubbed with tomato and whatever the counter offers.

What it is
Walk
Time to allow
2.5 to 3.5 hours
Cost
A tour, or the bill
Best time
Early evening, the hour of vermouth

Barcelona this week

    Why a tapas walk is worth it

    Catalan cooking is its own, older than the tapas bar and different from the rest of Spain: pa amb tomàquet, bread rubbed with tomato, oil and salt, is at its heart.

    The tapas habit came from the south, and Barcelona made it its own with its vermouth bars, its anchovies from the Costa Brava and the bomba, a ball of potato and meat born in the Barceloneta.

    The old town, the Born and the Barceloneta have the oldest bars. A walk with a guide finds them and explains what to order.

    What to see

    1. Pa amb tomàquet

      Bread rubbed with ripe tomato, olive oil and salt, eaten with ham or alone.

    2. Bombas

      Balls of potato filled with meat, fried and served with a spicy sauce and allioli.

    3. Vermouth

      The aperitif of the Catalan weekend, served on ice with an olive and a slice of orange.

    4. La Boqueria's counters

      The bars inside the market, where you sit at the counter and eat what the stalls sell.

    How to do it well

    • Barcelona eats late: dinner starts at nine, so tapas are an early-evening thing.
    • Stand at the bar: it is cheaper and livelier than a table.
    • Avoid the cafés on La Rambla and look in the side streets.

    Where it is

    Address

    The old town, the Born and the Barceloneta

    Nearest station

    Jaume I (line 4), Liceu (line 3) or Barceloneta (line 4)

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Tapas and Catalan food

    Tapas and Catalan food: common questions

    What should you eat in Barcelona?
    Pa amb tomàquet, bombas, anchovies, patatas bravas, seafood and, in season, calçots, the long onions grilled over a fire.
    What time do people eat in Barcelona?
    Lunch from about two and dinner from about nine. Tapas and vermouth fill the early evening.
    Where are the best tapas in Barcelona?
    In the old town, the Born and the Barceloneta, away from La Rambla.
    How much time do you need for a tapas walk?
    Allow 2.5 to 3.5 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

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