If you are planning your first visit to Barcelona, deciding on where to eat can be a challenge. The city is bursting with literally thousands of bars, restaurants and cafes, all potentially offering the best food money can buy. Or not. I found a saviour in The Barcelona Taste Tour.
The choice of where to eat in Barcelona is overwhelming, and as a tourist in an unfamiliar city there is a tendency to either follow your Lonely Planet Guide to the letter, probably ensuring a pleasant trip, alongside your fellow panicked tourists who followed exactly the same recommendations.
Or the bolder, yet riskier approach, is to wander around aimlessly hoping to stumble on a hidden treasure, which, if successful can reap rich culinary rewards – but is fraught with dangers like ending up paying over the odds for frozen calamares and inedible paella. Somewhere in between these two extremes you will find the happy medium of The Barcelona Taste Tour.
Know Before You Go to Barcelona
Before travelling to Barcelona, make sure you book accommodation and popular attractions ASAP as hotels and tickets can sell out.
🛌 MY FAVOURITE HOTELS IN BARCELONA:
$$: Sercotel Hotel Rosellon - stunning view of Sagrada Familia from some rooms and roof terrace
$: Chic & Basic Lemon Boutique Hotel - great value hotel near Plaça Catalunya
$: Fabrizzio's Petit Hostel - clean and friendly hostel with private rooms and shared dorms
⭐ TOP 3 BARCELONA ACTIVITIES TO BOOK IN ADVANCE:
1: Park Guell Admission Ticket - colourful mosaic terraces and gorgeous views
2: Sagrada Familia Skip the Line Ticket - a must-see in Barcelona!
3: Casa Batlló Entry with Self-Audioguide Tour - stunning Modernist Building & rooftop terrace
❗BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS❗
Although Barcelona is a safe city, pickpockets are a problem here, particularly in popular tourist areas and on the metro. Use a theft-proof backpack and consider getting some hidden-pocket clothing to keep your belongings safe.
Not a ‘usual’ tour, this isn’t about following around a guide who lectures you for several hours on the history of the Boqueria Market while vigorously waving their umbrella to make sure the 30 tourists trailing behind don’t get lost. Instead, the Barcelona Taste Tour offers intimate tours for 6 people, which showcase the very best of Spanish & Catalan cuisine just like the Girona Tapas Tour in nearby beautiful Girona.
More like dining with friends than joining a tour, the food is clearly their focus, and the guide explained each dish with humour and enthusiasm, without shoving it down your throat. They allow time for you to taste each mouthful, and if you show interest, they will happily regale you with more stories and histories of food, Barcelona, and Catalan culture.
We visited four spots in the Gothic Quarter – three of which I had never been into before, so it was an eye opener for even a seasoned ‘local’ like me. I loved everything I tasted – all the food was delicious, and the accompanying drinks equally so. The variety of dishes was also impressive, so even if you weren’t keen on one thing, there was plenty more to choose from.
I won’t spoil the surprise and let on where we went on the Barcelona Taste Tour, but suffice to say I was impressed by every stop and ended the tour feeling thoroughly satisfied, and full to the brim of cheese, tapas and heavenly desserts. I drank red wine, vermouth, white wine, and cava – although all in moderation so thankfully avoided a hangover – and it was wonderful to sample all the options available.
Want More Barcelona Articles?
Check out these blog posts for more inspiration for your Barcelona vacation, or click here to read all of my Spain posts.I also learned more about the history of Barcelona & its food – although not a historical tour, the snippets of trivia were mostly new to me, and so I imagine thoroughly enlightening for my fellow tour members. The tours are conducted in English, and their key market seems to be primarily Americans, Australians & Canadians, although presumably they will get some of my countryfolk as well.
This isn’t the cheapest food tour you can go on, however, the small group size, well-selected venues and delicious food do make it worthwhile; especially for first time visitors to Barcelona who want to sample a the best variety of what the city has to offer. I’d also suggest doing this tour early in your visit, even on the first night, as the guides provide you with personalised recommendations of where else to try during the rest of your stay. They also give you a map with the locations of the places you visited, so you won’t need to wander the streets of the Gotico for hours searching for them!
Overall, highly recommended, and delicious! You can also try the Barcelona Taste tour in Gracia too, although I have yet to try that, if it is anything like the Gothic Quarter tour you’re in for a treat! The tours do book up pretty quickly so plan as early as you can to ensure a place on your preferred date.
Contact Details:
www.thebarcelonataste.com
contact@thebarcelonataste.com
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Barcelona definitely has some amazing options when it comes to food. My fav is definitely Cerveceria Catalan. Have you tried it?
I love food tours! It took me a long time to realize how fun they are! Cheese + tapas + drinks sounds absolutely perfect! thanks for sharing about your experience, but leaving a surprise! Cheers!
It has always been my dream to go to Barcelona because of the sights but not it made me more excited to experience their yummy food as well.
I avoid the taste tours, due to the large groups and hassle. Group size of six is a much better option! Sounds fun.
This sounds amazing! I wish I had done something like this when I went to Barcelona. I was a poor student abroad + it was my first weekend trip in Spain with about 8 other friends! I specifically remember us being duped at one of those cheap 8 euro deal places, but I can’t remember how now (4 years later haha). I do remember we weren’t even satisfied! This would have been so fun, and I’m definitely keeping it in mind when I go back!
I’d actually really love this food tour. I have visited Barcelona twice and been totally overwhelmed bu the food and bar options. Most times, I have just chosen blindly and ended up at a tourist restaurant. This tour would really help to find the best places to eat and drink in this amazing city.
This sounds like a great option. Last time I went to Barcelona we got totally ripped off in a tapas place on the main square at the top of the Ramblas. Definitely a tourist trap so would be good to know where the locals recommend.
The last time I was in Barcelona I was still backpacking on $20/day, so I was totally hitting up the markets and cooking with my CouchSurfing hosts. I’ll have to keep this in mind when I make it back.
Ooh yes, it certainly is tasty! 🙂
I love Spanish food. Last time I went to Spain I ate way too much. The cuisine of the Catalan region can be a little on the heavy side but it sure is tasty.
Ah, I guess you mean Barcelona, Spain – not Brazil? 😉 either way if she does come to Barcelona she should definitely try it!
oh this is great. one of my friends is going to Barcelona soon and she is french and loves winetasting. so this is the perfect thing for her.