Flats in Barcelona

Eating and drinking is an important part of Spanish and Catalan cultures. A lot of time and effort is spent on preparing and eating food and drink in Spain, particularly in Barcelona. Going out for a drink or a meal is a very social event in Barcelona, and can last hours longer than in other parts of the world.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Eating in Barcelona, and Spain in general, is done differently than in most other places in the world. Breakfast usually consists of not much more than a coffee accompanied by a pastry or piece of toast. This, however, is compensated by lunch, which is the biggest and most important meal of the day. In Barcelona lunch begins for most people at around 2pm and often continues until 4pm, or even later. Lunch usually consists of a number of courses, and will often be had with wine. The menu del día (menu of the day) is usually the best, and cheapest, option for lunch.

Many restaurants will close after lunch and not re-open until 8pm or later for dinner. However, most people will not eat dinner before 9pm, and often not until 10pm. So do not worry if you find yourself in a restaurant alone at around 8pm: the lack of people dining in the restaurant is not necessarily a reflection on the quality of the restaurant!

Where To Eat

Although many restaurants close after lunch, there are always restaurants and cafés in the city centre that serve food all day and late into the night. Since these restaurants generally cater to tourists, they are generally more expensive than the local and traditional restaurants. Furthermore, the menus will often not be typical authentic Spanish or Catalan menus, and the serving sizes will generally be smaller.

It is a great experience to get out of the city centre, away from any tourist attractions (and tourists for that matter), and to have a meal at a traditional restaurant. Such restaurants are often family-owned and have been run by the family for many years. At these restaurants, the serving sizes are considerably bigger, and the prices considerably lower.

Something to keep in mind is that although a restaurant may not look like the best or nicest place to eat, and it may not be much more than a hole in the wall, this type of place often offers fantastic food at the best prices. Do not let the appearance of a restaurant put you off (unless you see cockroaches, of course!)

Barcelona caters to everybody´s tastes, with every type of cuisine available in the city. Barcelona boasts some of the best restaurants in the world.

Special mention must go to Barcelona´s La Boqueria, situated just off Las Ramblas. You must take time to visit this fresh food market, considered to be one of the best in the world. It covers a massive area, and you can find just about anything here at cheap prices.

Drinking

Coffee is very popular in Barcelona, and is typically served strong. Tea is always available and there are a number of tea houses in Barcelona that specialise in teas from around the world.

Beer and wine are a large part of drinking life in Barcelona. Locals can always be seen drinking beers at all hours of the day, and Spain is well known for its cheap yet great quality wine. It is very hard to find a bad bottle of wine in Barcelona!

Sherry and Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) are also very popular in Barcelona.

There are countless bars and restaurants all around the city that offer an amazing variety of food and drink. Lovers of food and drink will truly be in heaven here!