Barcelona Tapas Guide: What, where, and when to eat tapas
Tapas are a celebrated and essential part of eating in Spain, and Barcelona is no exception. These snack-sized foods can be eaten hot or cold and can range from a serving of Serrano ham to a dish of codfish croquettes. They are usually eaten before the main meal accompanied by a glass of wine or beer, but it is becoming more and more popular to turn tapas into a full dinner by ordering a number of different dishes.
Free Tapas?
In many parts of the country (most famously in Granada), the tapas are free when you buy a drink such as a beer, wine or even a soda. Place your beverage order and a small tapa magically appears before you eyes.
However, don’t expect any small skillets or free tapas in Barcelona. While there are plenty of excellent eateries serving up small plates of Mediterranean nosh, they will cost you a few euros. Luckily, they are still very cheap, and prices hover around €3 and up for them. Nearly all restaurants serving Spanish-style food in Barcelona will have tapas on the menu, and some bars and restaurants only serve tapas.
Razor clams, pimientos de Padrón and olives are typical tapas you’ll find in Barcelona. Photo: Jeremy Keith
Defining exactly what a “tapa” is always causes great debate in Spain. But you can think of them as small portions or appetizers. In the north of Spain, especially in the Basque Country, tapas are called pintxos and are often served on tiny slices of bread. In Andalusia tapas can also be served as larger portions that are called raciones. In Barcelona you can find a wide range of all types of tapas, especially of the seafood variety, so it’s a great place to explore the culture of tapas from all regions of the country.
On your next trip to Barcelona keep these tips in mind when searching out an afternoon or evening snack:
Pintxos and a beer in Barcelona. Photo: Regina W. Bryan
When to eat tapas
Locals start with appetizers before lunch around noon (especially on the weekends), and from midday onwards, tapas can be found around the city. Usually this pre-lunch snack is called having a “vermut,” which means having a drink (often alcoholic or vermouth on ice) and something small, such as potato chips, olives, a few white sardines, and maybe a bit of cheese.
Later on in the day you’ll find tapas available almost everywhere. It’s a wonderful and smart Spanish tradition to have abundant trays of tapas displayed along bars around 6 PM in the evening, when it is still too early for dinner (which starts typically at 9 or 10 PM), but your stomach is starting to rumble. This is the time of day I frequently end up ordering a tapa while washing it down with a glass of wine or a beer.
There are also many restaurants that make whole meals of tapas, and in fact it makes good sense to go for a dinner of several tapas, because people eat so late in Spain. Trust us, ordering a few mini-dishes instead of a plate of heavy pasta or rice is easier on the stomach at 11 PM. While it is common to have tapas for dinner, few locals would order only tapas for lunch, which is the largest meal of the day.
A spicy potato croquette at La Cova Fumada in Barceloneta. Photo: Craig Nelson
Recommended tapas
This can depend on your taste buds, but many visitors will want to nibble on a bit of acorn-fed Spanish ham and embotits (embotits = charcuterie and cured meats). Embotits are a Catalan specialty, so make sure to ask for the locally-made varieties.
Similarly, you cannot go wrong with a tray of Catalan and Spanish cheeses, which are strong, rich and often served with dried fruit.
Also, I recommend ordering any seafood dish that’s on the menu. Barcelona is on the Mediterranean Sea, and most local cooks know their way around a fresh clam and a prawn. Opt for a tapa of grilled razor clams drizzled with olive oil or a plate of shrimp smothered in a garlic and white wine sauce.
Whatever you decide to sample, make sure to also get “pa amb tomàquet,” which is nothing more than bread with olive oil, tomato, and garlic, but is an essential dish in any Barcelona tapas spread.
Tapas prices
Tapas in Barcelona can add up fast, so expect to spend at least €20 a person if you’re making a formal dinner out of it. To save a little money, those on a budget can eat a few tapas as an afternoon snack, and then have a more traditional meal with a filling main course for dinner.
Related: Barcelona cheap eats under €6.
Where to eat tapas
Try out any bar or restaurant that calls to you, but try to avoid restaurants serving tapas on the lower portion of La Rambla (the excessively touristy bit). In addition, use common sense when perusing the many tapas on display at a hole-in-the-wall bar. Does the ensaladilla rusa (potato salad with tuna) look like it’s been unrefrigerated for ten hours? Do the cod fritters look overly greasy? Then they probably are, and you would be wise to move on. Choose a place with fresh tapas and a nice ambiance.
Here are a few of our favorites spots to order tapas:
El Vaso de Oro
Seafood tapas and a good selection of craft beer.
Street address: C/ de Balboa 6 (La Barceloneta)
Metro Stop: Barceloneta
Telephone: (+34) 933-193-098
Website
Betlem Miscelánea Gastronómica
Creative, Mediterranean tapas and long wine list.
Street address: C/ de Girona 70 (L’Eixample Dreta)
Telephone: (+34) 932-655-105
Metro Stop: Girona
Website
Casa Mariol Wine Bar
Small, local bar serving cold snacks, vermouth and wine.
Street address: C/ del Rosselló 442 (Sagrada Família)
Metro Stop: Sagrada Família
Telephone: (+ 34) 934-367-628
Website
La Cova Fumada
Old-school hang out famous for La Bomba, a spicy potato croquette.
Street address: Baluard, 56 (Barceloneta)
Metro Stop: Barceloneta
Telephone: (+ 34) 932-214-061
Final note: My husband and I wrote a guidebook on food in Barcelona, and we offer many additional listings for restaurants serving tapas at Eat-Guides.com.
About the author
Tapas are always wonderful ideas for eating or for some appetizers. I will recommend ham croquettes or only some iberian ham. Delicious!
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