One of the first things people want to know when visiting Barcelona is about the best tapas bars in Barcelona. There are so many Barcelona tapas spots that you will be spoiled for choice in any part of the city! This type of meal is one of the most authentic Spanish or Catalan dishes, so you would be missing out if you didn’t try some tapas while you’re here.
When I first moved here, one of my goals was to investigate the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona… which just so happens to be one of my favorite kinds of ‘research’ 😉
I was able to make it to quite a few of them.. and counting! Here are the best tapas bars all over the city, what is great about each one, what to try there, and what makes each unique!
More from my time living in Barcelona:
- The best rooftop bars in Barcelona for some amazing city views
- The best coffee in Barcelona for a pick-me-up
- The best brunch + breakfast in Barcelona tried and tested
- Once you’ve eaten too much, try some adventurous outdoor activities in Barcelona
- or hike to some Barcelona viewpoints!
Check out my Tiktok Video of the Best Tapas Bars in Barcelona
But first, if you are looking for some of the best tapas in Barcelona to order, here are my top 10:
- Iberian Ham/Jamon Iberico: Like Spain’s version of ham/prosciutto. Delicious.
- Cheese/Queso: Most restaurants will have queso manchego (manchego cheese) but some have other varieties. A must to go with the Iberian ham.
- Croquettes: My personal FAVORITE tapa in Spain. You can get ham croquettes, chicken croquettes, mushroom croquettes, and everything in between. They are ALWAYS creamy AF and delicious whether you are vegetarian or not. Yum.
- Patatas Bravas: These are fried sliced potatoes with sauce – usually a spicy sauce or creamy mayo (or a combo of the two). You can find them nearly everywhere in Barcelona, and they are a staple dish.
- Meatballs/Abondigas: Personally, I am a HUGE fan of meatballs – especially Spanish ones. Meatballs here usually come with 4-5 in a delicious tomato sauce.
- Baked/Fried Cambenbert: This tapa isn’t available everywhere, but you will find it often – and when you find it, ORDER IT! It usually comes with the creamiest cheese baked in a crunchy shell with some jam on top.
- Padron Peppers/Pimientos de Padron: These are delicious green peppers cooked in salt and oil. They aren’t too spicy, but if they are cooked right they have a perfect little crisp to them and provide the exemplary veggie to a tapas meal of mostly protein and carbs.
- Russian Salad/Ensalada Rusa: A popular dish from Eastern Europe, this dish doesn’t sound great on paper (in my opinion)… but I love it. It’s a salad comprised of tuna, egg, potato, pickle, and veggies like carrot and onion. It’s its own version of potato salad.
- Chorizo: This tapa will be available almost everywhere and presented in different ways – with tiny chorizo sausages, sliced sausage, and more. If you like this style of sausage it’s a great choice.
- Bread with Tomato/Pan con Tomate: This is one of the most well-known Barcelona tapas, and you can usually get a side of it for free at most restaurants. Some places will ask you if you want bread with your food – and it will usually be this: Delicious baguettes with a smear of olive oil and tomato.
And now, some of the best places to try these delicious Barcelona tapas!
Best Barcelona Tapas Bars + Restaurants Map
This will make it easier to find the places listed. They are in order on the map below.
Cervecería Catalana Tapas Restaurant – Eixample
Price: $
Cervecería Catalana is a very authentic Catalunyan tapas restaurant in the heart of the Eixample neighborhood of Barcelona – just off the Rambla de Catalunya.
You’ll want to arrive earlier to this one, because is gets VERY crowded later in the evening (although that is around 9pm with Barcelona dinner times).
They have plenty of space for seating, however, with generous space both outside on the terrace and inside the restaurant.
They have different menus each day and have lists of MANY different types of tapas – and I mean a LOT. This Barcelona tapas spot has some of the widest selections of tapas on this list! My favorites were the camembert and the eggplant chips.
Tosca Tapas Bar – El Born
Price: $
This authentic tapas joint is quite well-known for a reason. It’s tucked into an old building in El Born that almost has an old pub feeling – the walls, bar, and tables are all adorned with dark wood. It has a dim and cozy vibe inside and you can tell it has been there for a WHILE.
I loved my brie toast with jam, goat’s cheese salad (to die for – with a generous slice of cheese), and chorizo and I wished I could have fit more in my stomach. Every dish was impeccable so I’d say that anything you order here will be top-notch.
Guell Tapas Restaurant – El Raval
Price: $$
Guell Tapas restaurant has an unassuming entrance in the heart of El Raval, but opens up into a long restaurant that extends all the way back to the end of the building. They have tables in the hallway, a huge back room, and even a sunlit courtyard covered in glass. It’s inside an old stone building dating back many years.
They have tons of classic tapas dishes and paella as well, and you can snag a bottle of house wine for €10. It’s a perfect spot for a classic Spanish meal! Grab some Iberian ham and cheese, delicious patatas bravas, meatballs, croquettes, and more.
Calle Blai + Restaurant La Tasqueta de Blai
Price: $
Calle Blai is a really unique place to get tapas in Barcelona. It’s not a restaurant but a whole street known for having over a dozen restaurants serving more of a finger food style of tapas. You will see different little ‘pintxos’ style tapas – usually with different ingredients on a baguette slice with a long toothpick – for €1-2 each.
Wander down this street on a Sunday and it will be absolutely bursting with people enjoying sangrias on tap and little snack tapas bites, both within these restaurants and on plenty of outdoor tables on the street. Pintxos are native to the Basque Country of northern Spain and this is a wonderful place to try them in Barcelona.
This street is a must-visit and classic Barcelona experience, perhaps after a trip up Montjuic mountain overlooking the city. Most of the restaurants here are great, but we adored Restaurant La Tasqueta de Blai – one of the best rated in the area for a good reason!!
Bar La Parra – El Raval Tapas Bar
Price: $
This is a smaller local spot that we love. It was super close to our house – which is how we discovered it. Although it’s not on all the ‘top 10’ lists of the best Barcelona tapas bars, I wanted to recommend it because it’s super small, cute, and local and is often filled with locals themselves.
Make sure to try their creamy croquettes and freshly sliced Iberian ham and cheese. Their house red wine is also fantastic. They display quite a few of their tapas right in the window so you can see for yourself what you would like to eat!
El Xampanyet Barcelona Tapas Bar
Price: $
An icon in El Born since 1929, El Xampanyet is one of the best tapas bars in Barcelona. You can really feel the authenticity of this tapas restaurant, with meat and cheese hanging from the door, old alcohol bottles lining the inside, and beautiful old tile walls.
This is another place you will want to arrive at nice and early as it is tiny and gets crowded too. Start here for a night of bar/terrace-hopping in El Born and exploring gorgeous old alleyways. El Xampanyet is tucked away in some of the tniest alleys of El Born, and will provide a super authentic Barcelona experience.
Boqueria Market
Price: $
The Boqueria market in Barcelona is one of the top tourist destinations just off La Rambla. In this market, you can find everything from fresh fruit juices to meats and cheeses to all kinds of local produce.
But, if you go to the back of the market (earlier in the day – shoot for before 6) you can pick up some authentic Barcelona tapas.
There are a few restaurants in here that you can actually sit down at, or you can wander the stalls and pick up croquettes in one place, a fresh €2-3 oyster in another, and move along trying different things.
If you want to sit down at a restaurant, check out El Quim de la Boqueria for some of the best tapas in the market (and in town).
Mosquito Tapas Bar
Price: $$
Mosquito is another one of the best tapas bars in Barcelona – a super fun yet tiny one where you actually mark all your tapas down on a little piece of paper that they give you. You’d also want to arrive here early, because it’s quite a small restaurant (albeit with a back room packing more tables in), with no outdoor seating.
The fun part about Mosquito is that it is an Asian-fusion tapas bar! That’s right – VERY different than most of these Barcelona tapas on the list. You can choose from things like thai fish cakes, kimchi, bao buns, and dumplings – some spun-off classic Catalan tapas classics too. Check this one out for a more unique tapas experience.
Other Best Tapas Bars in Barcelona You should Check Out:
Ziryab Tapas Fusion Bar
This is a popular tapas joint in El Born – in some cute alleyways that will give you an authentic experience.
La Alcoba Azul Tapas Bar
This is a staple in the small alleyways of the Gothic Quarter. It’s very popular among locals and tourists alike – see what you think!
That’s all FOR NOW with the best tapas restaurants in Barcelona, but I am continually trying more! Is there somewhere I should add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!
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Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.