(English) Barcelona’s tapas trail, an exhilarating culinary journey

Barcelona is a multicultural and cosmopolitan city, brought together as one thanks to the hard work of the millions of people who have lived here over time, along with the strong traditions and customs that have helped shape the city’s unique personality. This melting pot of diverse cultures can truly be seen in the city’s gastronomy, giving rise to an enormous range of restaurants and bars that do their very best to win over the tastebuds of each and every visitor with their high-quality creations. Andalusian, Basque, French ‘nouvelle cuisine’ and, of course, Mediterranean and Catalan influences all converge in Barcelona, making the city’s food scene very appealing indeed.

Beyond the world-class restaurants and a cuisine based on that famously healthy Mediterranean diet, Spain is also known the world over for its fantastic tapas bars. And Barcelona is certainly no exception to this, providing plenty of brilliant spaces to enjoy some carefully crafted miniature culinary art. As time has gone by, Barcelona has witnessed the emergence of several districts almost exclusively devoted to providing great tapas, thanks to their warm hospitality and great selections.

One of these great tapas neighbourhoods in Barcelona is Mercado del Borne, found next to Ciudadela Park and just fifteen minutes from the HCC Montblanchotel. Better known simply as the Born, this neighbourhood perfectly mixes classic and authentic restaurants with other more modern venues, who have opened their doors little by little over the years. Here, you’ll find bars that pay tribute to Basque food, offering the best pintxos money can buy, taking their inspiration directly from San Sebastián and Bilbao, while in others you’ll be able to savour classic montaditos, or perhaps enjoy a twist on the traditional stew, alongside wonderful meatballs, sausage and fideuá.

Over the years, the Born district has merged with the Gothic Quarter, where lots of fantastic tapas bars have opened for business to add to the many tourist attractions in this magical part of Barcelona. The most classic of wine bars with bundles of tradition share the streets with the most daring, most modern spaces that are constantly innovating.

Just like in lots of big cities, Barcelona’s tapas bars are a huge draw for tourists exploring the city. But another great place to try is Las Ramblas, where you’ll find a further fantastic selection of worthy places to grab a bite to eat. We highly recommend you try the area around Mercado de la Boquería if you want to sample the best homemade fare in all of Barcelona, made with great attention to detail.

And no tapas tour of the city would be complete without heading down to the Gracia neighbourhood. This is another key location on your gastronomic trip. Gracia offers a mixture of great cuisine from every corner of the planet, with highly creative eateries presenting beautiful tapas in well-designed spaces.

Another area that has emerged in recent times is the district of Ensanche. In the very same neighbourhood where you’ll find the HCC Regente, Taber and St. Moritz hotels, the tapas here takes on a more alternative, sophisticated form, thanks to a series of great restaurants that work hard to set themselves apart from the rest of Barcelona, all contributing to this neighbourhood’s unique character and charm. It’s a great place to escape from the usual circuit and try some new and daring options, perfectly rounding off your journey of culinary discovery through Barcelona’s tapas scene.

Categories: barcelona