We are a party of 8 with youngest age 17. We are going to two nights to Barcelona. We want to have lunch at a good restaurant where locals go, then go for tapas in the evenings. Looking for very good on a budget. Please share your experiences recently as the posts on here are pre-pandemic, so some of those places may be closed now. Thanks in advance.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Tapas is a bar scene so is everyone comfortable with being in a bar setting?
Posted by
NY
20 posts
We enjoyed Bilbao for tapas in Barcelona. But you can find good tapas in many other restaurants.
Posted by
nyc
82 posts
Was there in June. Had a great breakfast and best quiche of my life at Patisseria Tartela
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eSEPBaDewU7Uo1uM6
Delicious paella for lunch at El Nou Cafeti (takes 25 minutes) and other small bites. Great lomo samdwich. Restaurant El Nou Cafeti
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEdfPrxYBNMb4Pdp7
If anyone wants Mexican food, Quixote is great Quiote Mezcalería
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Sfqi3yARyPQyyPJ96
The above places should have room for 8.
La granja cafeteria for you're croissant and cafe con leche if you are in the area. Not suitable for 8 to visit sitting down, but yes for grab and go.
La Granja Cafeteria
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sdpmEe1TK5mbkBkc8
And probably not a locals place due to proximity to Sagrada familia but I had a nice lunch at Chill bar Chill Bar
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FRpVqbsehD58sqqW8
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
Tapas is a bar scene so is everyone comfortable with being in a bar setting?
That is a misconception, Tapas bars in Spain are nothing like drinking bars in the US. The main draw for Tapas bars are the food not the alcohol. Every Tapas bar has a different ambiance but the majority are family friendly. The closest thing in the US would be a Gastropub.
Please share your experiences recently as the posts on here are pre-pandemic, so some of those places may be closed now.
Actually you will be surprised, most restaurants in Spain survived due to government subsidization and local patronage. When I was back in Barcelona this April it only seemed like some of the tourist traps closed down. all of the old favorites were still around.
Posted by
NM, USA
911 posts
You might also want to watch the Spain Revealed youtube videos of Barcelona. He has several. The guy who does them is a co-founder of the Devour Food tours. I've considered them for a tapas tour for our trip.
Posted by
TX, USA
4840 posts
I can’t help with lunch but there are many great tapas places. Most if not all will serve drinks but most look just like any other restaurant. Smaller space, smaller menu - but certainly not always.
I went to a cute place that is actually a bookstore. I can’t say it was the best tapas I had, but it may have been the cutest. https://www.espaiquera.com. I also really liked http://www.elmercatrestaurant.com, but it had the advantage of being close to our apartment: on the larger side, airy, and variety. Make a reservation.
Edit: I was there mid-March.