When I first traveled to Spain back in 2016 one of the things that I was pleasantly surprise at and one that remained most memorable upon my arrival home, was the food. It was so good and so it became one of the things I was looking forward to most when I returned last month.
At the beginning of June when I headed back to Barcelona, it was again the food that I looked forward to the most! Once again it did not disappoint - if anything, it was even better this go around. With a little bit of luck & a little bit of research, we found some of the best spots with even better food. I always appreciate restaurant and bar recommendations when I head to a new destination, and I wanted to do the same for you guys! Below are my favorites for the lively city of Barcelona. Enjoy!
This was the first place we stopped for food after our red eye, and let me tell you, it set the bar high for the rest of the trip! I had first been introduced to this restaurant on no other than Instagram by a food blogger, and with it being in walking distance from our AirBnB, I figured it would be a good start. A good start it was! The menu was great - full of variety and a ton of choices. My guy friends had burgers that looked amazing, my girlfriend and I shared a salad and a side of mussels (some of the best mussels I had the entire trip & I had a lot), and my other friend had pasta. So there was definitely something for everyone & everyone was happy with their meals.
Europa Café is also known for their bagels & bagel sandwiches, which although we didn’t get the first go around, we made a promise we would make it back & that we did. Our last morning in Barcelona, my girlfriend Ashley and I made it back for brunch. As expected it was just as good as we thought it would be. The bagels weren’t quite as good as say a NYC bagel (sorry, we’re spoiled), but having a somewhat “american” breakfast was certainly a plus!
The restaurant is super instagramable and we were able to dine al fresco which was an added plus! It’s located in the heart of Barcelona on Avenue Diagonal and I definitely recommend it - even if it means going out of your way. Worth it!
If I had to pick (which is a hard choice) this just might have been my favorite spot of the trip. It was the tiniest restaurant, one that could have easily been overlooked, but I’m so glad we stopped in. It was packed - which is always a good sign - and we had to wait for a table, but it was well worth the wait. The tapas were to die for, and I ate a lot of tapas on this trip, so that is saying something! I had a nectarine gazpacho, which I’m still dreaming about, shrimp croquettes, and a watermelon, beet, and burrata salad. All around amazing food in a setting that had a charming yet authentic feel. A perfect spot for lunch and not far from the Sagrada Familia, if you want to make an afternoon of it!
p.s. I can’t remember the name for the life of me, but on the same block as Pepitas, just a few yards down is a tiny little place selling churros. Get the nutella filled churro. You can thank me later!
While leaving Europa Café, a business card for this restaurant just so happened to catch my eye, so I snagged it. I figured that it might come in handy to have some additional restaurants recs, and since Europa was so delicious, I thought we would have a similar experience at any place they were promoting. Come to find out they are owned by the same people, so when we ventured there for dinner on our last night, it came as no surprise that it was just as delicious as Europa. Patron is an upscale seafood place & oyster bar, so we all got some variation of seafood - bass, cod, salmon, oysters, seafood croquettes - all well plated & equally delicious. Barcelona is located right on the coast, so definitely take advantage of the fresh seafood!
My favorite part of this restaurant & night was the drinks we got after dinner at the bar. The drinks were well crafted, so tasty, and not one detail was spared. It was my kind of place! I think I had the best moscow mule I’ve ever had, & although I cannot remember all the drinks my friends indulged in, I can promise you they were so good.
While in Barcelona, it is almost an unspoken requirement that you have to get paella at some point. I had had it the last time I was in Spain and knew it was on my to-do list this go around. It is often served as a large portion, so it is perfect to share. Although I am by no means a paella expert, this was delicious! I’m sure you can’t go wrong anywhere you go, but the atmosphere of this restaurant is reason alone to go.. oh and the free shooters they gave us all! Also, we had delicious cava sangria - cava is Spanish champagne, so it was a bubbly sangria - a fun twist on the classic!
There are two Cachitos locations in Barcelona - Diagonal and Rambla. We went to the Diagonal location, which I definitely recommend! The Rambla de Catalunya is a popular strip in Barcelona, but it tends to be super touristy, so head to the Diagonal location!
If you're looking for a good rooftop bar in Barcelona, head to this one! It sits atop a beautiful hotel and has the best views of the city.
xo. G
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