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Eating tapas is essential when traveling anywhere in Spain, and especially in Barcelona. Join Barcelona resident, Claudia Cardia, as she shows us 5 must-eat tapas dishes you can only find in Barcelona, and local tips for ordering and eating tapas—without looking like a tourist.
Transcript
Hola. We’re in Barcelona, where I live, and I want to bring you around to eat santapa, specifically from Barcelona and Catalonia that you might not find in the rest of Spain. So join me as I show you how to eat and drink like a local.
Spanish tapas are now known globally. You can find them hot or cold, eat one as an appetizer or try lots of them and make it a full meal. There are classics you can get everywhere, like tortilla, potatoes bravas, fried calamari, and then the more regional ones that vary from city to city depending on what the local area has to offer.
But some of my favorite tapas to eat here in Barcelona are the ones you can’t find in the rest of Spain. You can choose from the menu, but make sure to take a look at the glass window where they show the daily preparations and you can tell the waiter what you’d like. These are the most typical tapas you should try in Barcelona.
This small dish was supposedly invented here at La Cueva formada in the neighborhood of Barcelona. It’s basically a big roqueta filled with potatoes and meat. It comes with aioli and some spicy sauce. Yes, they are snapes. These are a staple of Catalan cuisine, strongly influenced by their French neighbors. There is no better place to eat them than Tabernaca Margarit in the neighborhood of Poblasec.
Tonight we are at Taberna Camargarit in the neighborhood of Poblasec and when we wait for a table, they told us to get a small glass and choose between a selection of wine. We have some red and some white wine, so we’re drinking a bit while we wait.
It does sound like a strange combination, but eggplant and honey are a match made in heaven. You can find one of my favorites at Bodega Firmin in Barcelona. In this old school bodega, you can also try their own homemade vermouth.
This dish consists of the calf’s head and foot, cooked slowly for a very long time until they melt in your mouth and are absolutely full of flavor. I know that some of you might draw the line here, but trust me, you want to try this. Bodega de Rafael is the perfect place to try this dish. A rustic bodega that has probably served the same dishes for the past 50 years.
Tortilla is a classic in all of Spain, not only Barcelona, but this is an honorable mention I want to add to my list. El Champagne makes the most amazing tortilla de bacalao, a creative spin on a classic tortilla with cold and crispy fried potatoes.
Next time you go to a tapas bar in Barcelona, here are a few tips to keep in mind. The first thing to know is that in Barcelona, tapas do not come free with your drink order, which is pretty common in the rest of Spain. But do not worry, they are usually pretty cheap and you can keep ordering until you’re full or you’ve had too many drinks.
Drinks are an important part of the tapas ritual. Champagnette they’re famous for their cava, but you can never go wrong with a nice cold beer. You will notice Spanish people often order Akanya, the small beer because they know the heat is going to warm up their beer quickly, so they’ll rather keep ordering small ones than get a big one and drink it warm.
Lastly, do not expect the service to be prompt and quick, as in the US, tips are not expected here and staff won’t check your table every few minutes. Enjoy the calmer rhythm of life and the relaxed Spanish lifestyle. Take your time for a good meal.
