Cheapo Guide: Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter
Dotted with Roman architecture and medieval buildings, Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter should be at the top of your “must visit” list when visiting the city. Boutiques, restaurants, bars and museums abound in this central neighborhood, which is always bustling with tourists and locals.
The city’s most famous drag, La Rambla, divides the Gothic Quarter and El Raval. If you stand at the top of La Rambla and look down towards the sea, the Gothic Quarter is on your left and El Raval is on your right.
Because it’s so popular with tourists, the Gothic Quarter (known locally as “Barri Gòtic”) can be a challenge to explore on a budget. Fortunately, we have some tips below to keep your spending in check!
Get around on foot
The only way to really explore the Gothic Quarter is by walking. Though the Metro stops Jaume I, Pl. Catalunya, Liceu and Urquinaona will put you at the perimeter of the neighborhood, much of the Gothic Quarter is closed to car traffic, making it a haven for pedestrians who are ogling the cathedral’s gargoyles or stopping to window shop.
Make sure to get a good, detailed map of the area as it can be very confusing to find your way from point to point without any direction. But that’s part of the fun! While the Eixample is laid out in a simple grid pattern, the Gothic Quarter is a mess of winding alleyways and dead ends. Getting lost in the Gothic Quarter is common even for the locals, so don’t worry too much if you get turned around.
Barcelona Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter dates back to the 1300s. Photo: Catalan Art
What to see
While the neighborhood demands to simply be wandered, there are a number of sights you shouldn’t miss. These include:
• The Barcelona Cathedral and the plaza just in front of it are both required visits. You will have to pay a small fee (€3) to enter the cathedral unless you go for mass, but it’s also fascinating to walk around its huge outside perimeter and admire the architecture.
• Seek out Pl. Sant Felip Neri near the cathedral for a respite from the Gothic Quarter’s bustle. The plaza has a sad history (look for evidence of the bombing during the civil war on the plaza’s walls) but it’s currently one of the prettiest spots in the city to have a coffee or just sit and listen to the trickling fountain.
• Roman sites: Visiting the numerous Roman sites scattered throughout the Gothic Quarter is free and interesting. Get information and a map showing where each site is located from the tourist information office in Pl. Catalunya.
• More ancient history: If you want to dive deeper into Barcelona’s Roman era then seek out the MUHBA (Barcelona City History Museum) on Plaça del Rei, which holds artifacts from the 1st century BC to the early Middle Ages (€7).
• La Rambla: Of course, you should take a stroll along La Rambla, which lines the western edge of the Gothic Quarter all the way down to the port. Check out the flower stands, human statues, and opera house as you walk. (Related: Is the Rambla a tourist trap? Not necessarily.)
• Plaça Reial is also a lively square worth your time, surrounded by restaurants, bars and once-glamorous apartments. Some good jazz clubs and live music venues are found around Plaça Reial, too.
• Organized tour: If you feel like splurging, book the Secrets and Legends Tour with Ciempies. This is the best tour I’ve been on in Barcelona, and maybe in my entire life. The tour focuses on the history of the Gothic area as well as local tales passed down from generation to generation.
• Nightlife savings: You can also save money on shows when buying tickets in advance. Jamboree sells tickets online for slightly less than at the door. Atrapalo also has daily deals on concerts, shows, food, tours, and classes in the city.
Finding affordable food & drink
Because the Gothic Quarter is so popular with tourists, some restauranteurs feel they can charge more and serve substandard eats. Skip these places. You’ll know them by the photos of their dishes taped up next to a menu that has been translated into 10 languages.
Luckily, there are still some wonderful, old-timey bars and traditional restaurants sit near the more touristy places. These include:
• For cheap breakfast or lunch options, try El Mos (Carrer Comtal, 12), a cafe serving a wide array of pastries, plus sandwiches and simple daily specials. You can eat a meal at El Mos for about €6.
• Another inexpensive choice is Buenas Migas, which serves salads, focaccia, pastries, cakes and breakfast items such as freshly-squeezed OJ and yogurt with granola.
• For beers and cocktails try Ginger (Carrer de la Palma de Sant Just, 1) or Polaroid (Carrer dels Còdols, 29) which draws a young crowd.
Related: 4 local dishes to try when visiting Barcelona | Favorite bars (including Gothic Quarter)
Supermarket savings: You can cut down on what you spend on food by buying some of your meals at the supermarket. Carrefour and El Corte Inglés have large selections of pre-made dishes (pasta salad, roasted chicken, sandwiches) plus all the snack and drink options you’d expect from a European supermarket. Try getting breakfast and lunch from Carrefour and then going out for dinner and drinks. (Here are some picnic tips for Barcelona.)
More restaurant advice: We have much more to say on the subject of saving on Barcelona’s restaurant and bars. Check out these articles for more tips.
Best budget hotels in the Gothic Quarter
If you choose to stay in the Gothic Quarter, you’ll save bucks on transportation, as you’ll be within walking distance from just about everything, including the beach, Gaudí sights, shopping, restaurants and the major train and bus stations. Cheapos will love the convenient location.
Check out all of our accommodations in Barri Gòtic, and take note of this stand out:
Hostal Levante: This friendly stay offers an unbeatable location at great prices. All of the accommodations are spic-and-span, and a few rooms have balconies overlooking the cobblestoned streets. Doubles from under $100.
About the author
This is a fantastic list! We usually go through these and find errors or just downright foolish claims, but everything you’ve said is spot on! Well done. You’re an excellent writer. We like the recommendation for Buenas Migas, Carrefour and El Cortes Ingles. They aren’t the classic haunts you’d find in Barrio Gotic, but they’ve got tasty fresh food at reasonable prices.
These are great tips. We just visited and quite enjoyed the outdoor food market La Bouqueria is in the Gothic Quarter, off la Rambla. It can be very busy, but has a great selection of fruit, veggies, restaurants, snacks, juices, seafood, meat and speciality food retailers.
Also, we meant to pick up some staples at the grocery stores, but left it late. We found at least one of the supermarkets wasn’t letting people in up to half an hour before closing at 10:00. So if you want to grocery shop, go at least an hour before closing.