Without a doubt, the best way to participate in Barcelona’s incredibly vast culinary scene is through tapas. Indulging in these small plates not only allows you to experience a classic dining tradition (one that’s still very much a part of Spain’s cultural fabric) but also provides newcomers with the opportunity to sample many dishes with every meal. Barcelona’s streets (from its grand boulevards to its winding alleyways) are littered with great tapas bars, ranging from decades-old favorites that have mastered the classics to newer kitchens offering their modern interpretations. Everyone has their go-tos, but here are six that come with our recommendations.

Cervecería Catalana

This universally beloved restaurant in the trendy Eixample neighborhood is always buzzing (you’ll find locals and tourists crowding its nightly queues). They love it for the wide range of reasonably priced tapas on offer. Most of the menu options are your classics, which makes Cerveceria Catalana a great choice for just about any occasion. Some of the tastiest plates are the lightly grilled seafood options like prawns or razor clams, flavored with a generous portion of parsley and garlic. But grab a beer and indulge in the other dishes, too, like the fried artichokes, fried cuttlefish or fried Camembert cheese, which arrives covered with chopped peanuts and then drizzled with raspberry jam.

Bodega 1900


Spanish food icon Albert Adrià’s menu at Bodega pays homage to traditional local flavors while elevating them with modern surprises. Tucked inside a turn-of-the-century building, Adrià’s kitchen churns out the kind of dishes that comfort and amaze, like a crispy seaweed snack and the spicy squid sandwich, which is fried to perfection and made more dynamic with a delightful chipotle mayo. Bodega 1900 is dubbed a vermuteria and serves an in-house vermouth (plus many other varieties), which partners perfectly with tapas. Even the homemade potato chips are paired with a fabulous vermouth sauce.

Quimet i Quimet

The cramped quarters here should hint at the kind of reputation this classic tapas bar enjoys among the most discerning of foodies. So make sure to arrive early (whether for lunch or dinner) to avoid a patience-defying wait. Those who stick it out will be rewarded with some of the most highly lauded tapas in town. The montaditos (tapas served on small slice of bread) are particularly popular. There are truly unforgettable bites from that side of the menu such as the salmon with truffled honey, prawns topped with caviar or anchovies wrapped around sea urchin. The list could go on and on. Note that Quimet i Quimet is closed throughout August every year.

Tapas, 24

Celebrity chef and El Bulli alumCarles Abellán’s extensive restaurant empire includes Barcelona’s popular Comerç 24 and Tapas 24, plus a new Montreal outpost of the latter. The original Eixample Tapas 24restaurant is known for its gourmet transformation of classic tapas dishes. There are of course small-plates mainstays like fried anchovies and patatas bravas, but it’s the more whimsical items – like the McFoie Burger (a mini beef burger served with a foie gras ganache) and the Bikini Comerç 24, a treat of black truffles, cured Iberian ham and buffalo mozzarella stuffed into toasted white bread triangles — that separates this restaurant from the city’s bottomless collection of tapas bars.

Cañete

This small eatery in Raval is perfect for a midday sightseeing break. There are seats closer to the front of the restaurant that offer more privacy, but the bar that goes around the kitchen is fabulous if you want to see chefs in action. The menu here is not as extensive as other places, but there’s still plenty to choose from, like tuna tartare topped with mascarpone, or baby squid salad tossed with white Sant Pau beans. Adding croquettes to your tapas haul here is an absolute must, especially the ham. Cañete uses jamón ibérico, which is cured ham made from pigs reared mostly on acorns, which gives the meat a fabulous sweetness. Many places claim to use jamón ibérico in their croquettes, but you can really taste the difference at Cañete.

Bormuth


This split-level eatery in the hip El Born neighborhood is only two years old but already boasts a strong local following for its mix-and-match menu of classic tapas and inventive creations to go with the bar’s modern decor. Two of the most popular items here involve red peppers, one topped with a rich goat cheese and second paired with black pudding. Other favorites include the ham and manchego cheese plate and the cod fritters. Wash everything down with beer, wine and of course the house-made vermouth.