Where are the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona? We’re glad you asked!
Spain and Tapas are as synonymous as Italy and pasta. It’s like a national dish, only better. Better because it’s not just one single dish, but rather a collection of the best food Spain has to offer. And where better to find great tapas than in the foodie heaven that is Barcelona?
Barcelona is one of our very favorite cities in Europe, if not in the world, and exploring it can be an absolute joy. When visiting Barcelona we recommend that you do so during the off-season months between October and April, as Barcelona has become an extremely popular summer destination.
We also recommend taking at least one of these amazing day trips from Barcelona during your visit. Each one of these fantastic destinations will show you a fascinating bit of Catalonia, and each one is well worth your time.
Now, back to tapas…
Table of Contents
The Best Tapas Restaurants in Barcelona
The thing all visitors want to know above everything else is where they can find the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona. So, we’re going to help you discover some of Barcelona’s hidden gems. By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have all of the information you need to satisfy your craving for delicious bite-sized food.
But first…
Things to avoid when looking for the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona
There are a few telltale signs to look out for that, more often than not, mean a tapas bar should be avoided. Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in the world, and lots of tourists mean lots of tourist traps.
We’re going to help you avoid them.
The first way to avoid the bad tapas restaurants in Barcelona is by never (and we mean never) eating in one of the places on Las Ramblas. While the touts might make it seem like a good deal, the food is often reheated from the freezer and the drinks are extortionately expensive. You are better off ordering a Donner Kebab or something from a street vendor than blowing chunks of your Barcelona travel budget on such low-quality, tourist-trap, food.
The second big no-no is the ‘buffet’ style tapas restaurants in Barcelona, the ones where you pay a fixed price for an all-you-can-eat arrangement of things they call “tapas”. You will never see a self-respecting Spanish person eating in one of these places. They are completely overpriced and offer food that barely resembles tapas. AVOID these at all costs.
Signs you’ve found a good tapas place
While any one of these signs alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve stumbled across a good place to start filling up on tortilla, they do mean you’re looking in the right direction.
Is the main language being spoken Spanish or Catalan? It’s common sense really but if a place is full of locals, then the chances are it’s good.
Can you order hot tapas from a menu? Some places will only offer a limited selection of cold tapas that sit on the bar. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we are looking for the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona after all. The best places will have a selection of hot and cold tapas.
And finally, do they have good wine and cold beer? What’s tapas without a nice glass of something nice to wash it down with, right?
Now that you’ve been armed with some tips on finding great places to eat in Barcelona, let’s go one step further. Below you will find our picks for five of the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona. These aren’t the only great places to get high-quality tapas, but all five are guaranteed to satisfy even the most demanding of foodies. You can’t go wrong with any of these choices.
El Xampanyet
- Neighborhood: El Born
- Address: Carrer de Montcada, 22
Personally, we think El Xampanyet is one of the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona, if not the best. We absolutely love it and it’s the one we recommend people visit if they can only visit one.
Just take note that it’s closed on Sunday afternoons and the whole day on Monday. The menu changes slightly depending on the season but one of our favorite dishes is Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus). But there are plenty of great tapas dishes to try.
Aside from having amazing tapas, El Xampanyet is famous for its Cava. Cava is a sparkling wine from Catalonia and is registered as a Designation of Origin (DO) product. That means nowhere else in the world apart from Catalonia can produce it and call it Cava. El Xampanyet produces its own and, not only is it delicious, it’s also pretty cheap!
Local food and local wine, does it get any better? Bon apetit!
Bodega Biarritz
- Neighborhood: Gòtico
- Address: Carrer del Vidre, 8
Bodega Biarritz is located on the edge of the Barri Gòtic (the Gothic Quarter). Its rustic yet stylish interior is in perfect keeping with its surroundings in one of the most beautiful areas of Barcelona.
While you may find a few more tourists here than you would in El Xampanyet, that’s not without good reason. Bodega Biarritz has a quirky system of ordering which we think is great, especially for people who like trying new things.
If you are traveling with another person we highly recommend that you order a surprise sharing menu for two people.
The menu consists of 8 different tapas dishes which will be chosen for you by the waiters. They will bring each tapa one by one so you get the chance to enjoy each while it’s still fresh. If you don’t like a particular dish, you can say no and they’ll bring you a different one until you’ve had 8.
In our opinion, you should at least try everything they bring. That’s why we love Bodega Biarritz so much, you can really explore new flavors and discover new things that you might otherwise not have tried.
We recommend you get the surprise sharing menu with Jamón Ibérico (Iberian ham) to start.
Jamón Ibérico is one of Spain’s most famous exports, but if you want to try one of the best you need to visit Bodega Biarritz.
Cervecería Catalana
- Neighborhood: Eixample
- Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 236
Cervecería Catalana truly is one of the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona. And you can tell that by how many locals pack the place out after work. It’s not always easy to get a seat right away, especially if your group consists of more than 3 or 4 people, but the wait is worth it.
At Cervecería Catalana the Calçots are prepared the traditional way, by roasting them on an open fire until the outside is charred, almost burnt. You then pull the inside of the onion out which is perfectly caramelized and sweet. Dip it in salsa romesco (romesco sauce), which is another typical Catalan product, and enjoy its smokey, sweet taste.
Like all of the places on this list, Cervecería Catalana has a huge selection of tapas to choose from. The solomillo con foie (sirloin steak and foie gras) is a very popular choice, you’ll see a lot of people eating it.
But our favorite things to order are Calçots. They are a type of scallion, or green onion, that is extremely traditional in Catalonia. Like cava, they are a Designation of Origin (DO) product and can only be grown in this region.
Ciudad Condal
- Neighborhood: Eixample
- Address: Rambla de Catalunya, 18
Just a few blocks down from Cervecería Catalana you’ll find Ciudad Condal. It’s another hot spot for locals after the working day is over, and well into the evening hours.
Like all of the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona Ciudad Condal can get really busy, so be prepared to wait to be seated. As we said before, if a place is busy with locals the chances are it’s going to be good.
A lot of the tapas you’ll find here are quite traditional, which is one of the reasons it made this list. While new, more upmarket tapas restaurants have their place, it’s nice to have something more traditional sometimes.
The Pimientos del Padrón (Padrón peppers) are outstanding.
It’s such a simple dish but is just perfect as a light snack with a cold beer. The peppers are fried and dressed with olive oil and salt. Nothing more, and yet there is an elegant perfection in the simplicity of this tapas dish. The peppers are a perfect balance between smokey, salty, sweet and bitter.
They aren’t spicy, however, they do say that every once in a while you’ll find one that is as spicy as a jalapeño pepper. We’re yet to find a spicy one though. Myth or fact? Who knows, but it’s worth finding out!
Carrer de Blai
- Neighborhood: El Poble-Sec
- Address: Carrer de Blai
Carrer de Blai isn’t really a single tapas restaurant. It’s more a collection of bars and restaurants.
There is a street that runs through the neighborhood of Poble Sec called Carrer de Blai, otherwise known as the “pinchos street”.
Pinchos are slightly different from tapas. They are pieces of bread with different toppings. It’s a tradition in the north of Spain, particularly the Basque Country, but they have recently become popular all over the country.
You’ll find a lot of places on Carrer de Blai with large selections of pinchos sitting on the bar, each with a toothpick or cocktail stick in them. The idea is to help yourself and save the sticks. At the end, when you want to pay, a waiter will count how many sticks you have and charge you accordingly.
The whole street turns into one big bar with everyone outside drinking, eating and chatting with friends. You’ll find a younger crowd on Carrer de Blai, often made up of students.
Our recommendation here is to hop from one bar to the next and eat/drink your way from one end of the street to the other until you can barely move. Something a little different but worth mentioning when talking about the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona, we think!
Barcelona Tapas Tour Experiences
If you’re heading to Barcelona and want a truly local experience, there are some great tours available. Everything from small private group tours, to wine and tapas pairing, and even hitting the town with a local are great ways to explore the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona.
Here are a few awesome options!
1881 per Sagardi
- Neighborhood: Barceloneta
- Address: Plaça de Pau Vila, 3
1881 per Sagardi is a bar with a view. It sits atop the Museu d’Historia de Catalunya (History Museum of Catalonia) and is a bit of a hidden gem.
You could walk right past it below and never know it was there.
The views stretch over Barcelona’s port, where only the biggest luxury yachts are moored, right to Montjuic. There isn’t a huge variety of tapas available but what there is, is absolutely delicious. It’s a bar that focuses on a few things but does them extremely well.
There is also a restaurant inside if you feel like eating more than just a few tapas, but it’s the terrace bar that we really love!
We recommend their modern take on traditional patatas bravas.
Head to the Museu d’Historia de Catalunya and once inside (admission is free) you’ll see an elevator at the far end of the entrance hall. Take it to the top floor and you’ll find the bar on your left.
La Pepita
- Neighborhood: Gràcia
- Address: Carrer de Còrsega, 343
The perfect mix of traditional and modern, La Pepita is one of the best tapas bars in Barcelona.
Located in the trendy neighborhood of Gràcia, a more refined crowd than what you’d find in bars along Las Ramblas hang out here. They offer a good selection of both hot and cold tapas as well as great local beer.
A testament to La Pepita’s hipster style is the writing on the walls, literally. People have written messages on the tiled walls in permanent marker pen, the majority of which are confessing their love for this great little tapas bar.
Just make sure you either arrive early or are prepared to wait for a seat, it’s an extremely popular place!
Try the smoked aubergine fritters with goat cheese cream, honey and apple for something totally different but out-of-this-world tasty.
Bar Ramon
- Neighborhood: Eixample
- Address: Carrer del Comte Borrell, 81
Bar Ramon is where you’ll find traditional, no-frills tapas served every day. It truly is a local haunt, the bar staff speak limited English but don’t let that put you off! It’s one of the most welcoming bars in the city.
If you aren’t sure what to choose the waiters are always more than happy to guide you through the menu (in Spanish or Catalan of course), but their specialty is octopus.
The overwhelming feeling you get from Bar Ramon is that of friendliness and being treated like a local. If you’re looking to really immerse yourself in Catalan culture, then this is the place for you.
Whole roasted artichokes are also on the menu. They’re very traditional in Catalonia and something you won’t find in a lot of other tapas bars.
While this tapas bar’s address is technically Carrer del Comte Borrell, 81 you’ll actually find it on the crossroad between Carrer del Comte Borrell and Carrer Tamarit.
Bar del Pla
- Neighborhood: El Born
- Address: Carrer de Montcada, 2
Like most of the really outstanding tapas bars, Bar del Pla gets busy, very busy. They serve a mix of traditional tapas and more modern creations in a bar that resembles an old wine cellar with a low, concave ceiling.
It’s quite fitting that it feels like an old wine cellar since their extensive wine list is one of the things they’re best known for.
If you’re a wine lover then you will love this place. The wine list is crafted by their own sommelier who is always on hand to help you pair the best wine with what you’re eating.
While you might think you know what you like when it comes to wine, things always step up a notch when a professional who knows what they are doing introduces you to new flavors you might not have otherwise tried.
Our suggestion is to eat the croquetas. They do them with squid ink and with ham/roast chicken, both are delicious. It’s incredible how they can pack so much flavor into something as simple as a croqueta.
Bubita Sangria Bar
- Neighborhood: Barceloneta
- Address: Carrer de Sevilla, 70
This Barcelona tapas restaurant is something very different from the rest of the places on this list.
Bubita Sangria Bar serves vegetarian and vegan tapas, not traditional at all but well worth visiting, even for meat eaters. The food is superb and anyone would appreciate it.
As far as we know Bubita is the only place in Barcelona where you can get a vegan paella. That alone makes it worthy of a spot on our list.
As the name suggests, they specialize in sangria. As well as the traditional version, you will be able to order different variations of Spain’s most famous drink.
We highly recommend the vegan paella because vegans shouldn’t miss out on a true taste of Spain when in Barcelona.
El 58
- Neighborhood: Poblenou
- Address: Rambla del Poblenou, 58
Ask a group of locals where their favorite tapas bars are and you’ll hear one answer over and over.
El 58 is regarded as one of the best tapas bars in Barcelona by so many people in the city. The food doesn’t just taste like a flavor bomb has gone off in your mouth, it looks like it has been presented by an artist.
The tapas you get at El 58 stimulate every sense.
Surprisingly for a popular place that serves such a high standard of food, it’s very reasonably priced. Tapas bars in Barcelona are known for being quite expensive but El 58 goes against that trend.
While it’s not traditionally Spanish at all, we absolutely love the tuna tataki. As soon as the dish arrives at your table you’ll be blown away before you even take a bite. Simply amazing.
Celler de Tapes Edar
- Neighborhood: Eixample
- Address: Carrer de Sardenya, 211
Celler de Tapes Edar is another no-frills, wooden-barrels-for-tables kind of place. As soon as you walk in you will see a big selection of tapas sitting on the bar. They also have a menu from which you can order hot dishes.
It’s the kind of place where you grab a beer or a glass of wine, stand at the bar and slowly order one tapa at a time.
They are famous for their croquetas. They make so many different kinds and they change from day to day, so you’ll need to see what they have when you arrive.
We can vouch for the traditional jamon (ham) croquetas but if you’re feeling more adventurous the morcilla y manzana (blood sausage and apple) ones are great too.
Cañete
- Neighborhood: El Raval
- Address: Carrer de la Unió, 17
Cañete is one of the few places in Barcelona, surprisingly, where you can actually get a very good traditional paella. We’re not sure whether it has something to do with the time it takes to prepare one, or simply that most tourists don’t know what a good paella should taste like, but finding a good one isn’t so easy.
The chefs at Cañete prepare authentic paellas the way they should be prepared, not with fluorescent yellow food dye. The rice is more of a natural brownish-yellow color, the way it should be. The flavors are perfectly balanced and the rice is a perfect consistency.
This is also the only bar on this list in El Raval, a great up and coming neighborhood that’s sometimes underrated in our opinion. There are so many great cocktail bars dotted around to enjoy after you’ve filled up on tapas.
El Bosc de Les Fades
- Neighborhood: Gòtico
- Address: Passatge de la Banca, 7
El Bosc de Les Fades is probably the most unique bar we have talked about so far. Its name translates to ‘the forest of the fairies’ in English and you’ll understand why as soon as you walk through the door.
The bar is full of artificial trees, plants and vines. The bars and tables are made out of them and it really does make you feel as if you are sitting in a forest. There are also rainforest sounds played through speakers as well as a real waterfall hidden away at the end of a pathway.
The decorations are weird and wonderful, sometimes a little strange, but it makes this bar what it is.
The tapas menu is limited and the quality of the food isn’t bad, but it’s better elsewhere. It’s the experience of this tapas bar that makes it so special though.
Gata Mala
- Neighborhood: Gràcia
- Address: Carrer de Rabassa, 37
Gata Mala (bad cat in English) is a very trendy bar located in the heart of Gràcia. With a laid back vibe and an alternative style, it’s perfectly in keeping with the sounding trendy neighborhood.
The walls are covered in abstract artwork, photography and blackboards with the menu written on them in chalk.
The bar itself is quite small but that gives it a cozy feel and encourages people to talk to each other. It’s a great place to make new friends as well as catch up with old ones.
Something that sets this bar apart from the rest is that they follow the tradition of giving you a free tapa with every drink. A practice most other bars in Barcelona have long abandoned.
We recommend that you try their ‘gatamala’ style patatas bravas. They also do full dishes which are awesome, particularly the entrecote, so make sure you have a good appetite before you go!
Free tapas in a sociable bar, what more could you ask for?
Final words on Barcelona Tapas
Barcelona is full of great tapas bars and restaurants, we’ve named just a few. If you keep what we said at the beginning of this article about avoiding the tourist traps in mind, you’ll have an amazing time exploring the city and discovering what it has to offer.
Which places are you going to visit? Let us know in the comments below.
And likewise, if you think you know where the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona are, let us know!
Like This Article? Pin It!
Disclaimer – We have included a few handy little affiliate links in case any of our readers want to book a tour. We receive a small commission for any sales made, without any additional cost to you, our dear reader.
Everything You Need to Know to Visit Prague!
Comments