Tapas Bars in Barcelona

We enjoyed Taps, a bar/restaurant in Poble Sec neighborhood.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d7707574-Reviews-Taps-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Cute little place, English is spoken but most of the clientele were Spanish. Food is excellent and the prices are reasonable. Highly recommended.

Avoid any cafes/tapas bars or restaurants along the Ramblas - those will almost exclusively be overpriced tourist traps. Beyond that, it depends on what your definition of "tourist trap" is. Most any place in the center will be filled with tourists, but that doesn't mean they are really good. I'm a fan of La Tramoia (about a block from Placa Catalunya) as it is a nice interior, spacious and has a long bar filled with cold tapas. You can sit at the bar and look at the options to choose (almost overwhelming). Hot tapas are ordered from a menu. A really good way to try lots of things and see them before ordering.

Tapas 24 just off of Passeig de Gracia is a really busy place with excellent tapas. Long waits but worth it.

You should also know that most "bars" will serve some tapas in the evening - a little something to eat while drinking. But that is different for a restaurant or cafe that serves tapas and you can of course also get a drink. Those are great for early dinners and often have really, really good food. My two suggestions are the latter.

My personal favorite is Orio, a small chain serving Basque-style tapas, which are technically not tapas. There's one near the Palau de la Musica, opposite the entrance to the Santa Caterina market. For a treat, order a glass of cider and have your camera ready when the waiter pours it.

Some brief notes about "tapas"

"tapas", originally used in Southern Spain, is a term that has evolved -so to speak- from its original meaning and also the place of origin into a more complex yet vague concept used in a multitude of places all over the world. These days, a "tapa" simply refers to "an appetizer or a snack" which might take many forms: something simple to nibble, a properly cooked dish, etc... and sizes also range from a small one-bite to a decent "ració" as we say here in Catalonia (a small plate, enough for two people nibbling). This all depends on the place, there isn't a rule or even a defined custom anymore.

Tapas are obviously nothing new nor unique to the Spanish, many cultures around the world have had the same concept for ages: a sample of different small dishes. Here in Catalonia historically we've used the term "platets", the French even claim that it could have its origin in the French term "tappo" (cf. French "tapon" or "tampon"), in the Basque Country they have "pintxos", in Northern Portugal they have "petiscos", or "cicchetti" in Northen Italy -especially Venezia, then "meze" in Turkey and also in Greece, etc. Obviously, everybody tries to "separate" his term from "the others", often remarking the subtle differences either on the content, the presentation, the ingredients, etc... but roughly speaking it all revolves around the same concept.

If anything, the Spanish have succeeded in putting a more colorful and novelesque story behind their version: to summarize, back in the Middle Ages, when there were no windows as we know them today and, in the hot climate of Southern Spain preventing dust (and flies!) entering everywhere was a nightmare, bartenders in the "posadas" used to cover the small jars of wine that were served to the customers with a small plate, usually with a couple of olives, a piece of cheese or cured meat, to nibble while drinking. This "cover" which translates into Spanish as "tapa" popularly became the term to refer to these small portions of food served in the posadas when ordering a drink.

We Catalans here in Catalonia have historically enjoyed "platets" instead (literally, small dishes) up until a few decades ago, in which the term "tapa" became a better way to brand this way of presenting food, giving it "more clout". Nowadays one can find the word "tapas" being used in many restaurants and bars in many big cities around the world, especially in Europe, and not necessarily referred to Spain nor even any Spanish cuisine -like this "Indian tapas" in Sutherland :)

Aaanyway.... note that "tapas" refers now to "appetizers" and that size can vary, from a simple bite-size to a small plate -and even beyond that in certain cultures. Here in Catalonia you'll find that "platets" (where available) are slightly bigger than "tapas". Yet most eateries these days will offer you "tapas" instead. For info: "platets", pronounced "plah-tets" with stress in the last syllable.

As per which type of food, one can summarize them into three main groups:

• deep-fry, like croquettes, fries, battered (sardines, cod, squid), filled turnovers, green peppers...
• raw/natural, like olives, chorizo and other cured sausages, smoked salmon, ham, vegetables' salad, prawns, octopus, marinated pork and/or fish, mushrooms, scallops, anchovies, chips...
• cooked, like omelet, stews, meatballs...

Obviously, this is just a very small sample of possible tapas and then some have a bunch of variations (boiled, with sauces, grilled, roasted...).

In a city like Barcelona there are literally hundreds of eateries offering tapas so recommending "the best" is something entirely subjective -I personally don't think it's a good term as it depends on "what are you in the mood for"- and, frankly, everybody has his own preferences so it's unlikely you'll find a definitive list of "preferred ones" by the majority. Many of us Barcelonians use the TimeOut Magazine as a sort of non-official bible to be "in the loop" when going out, so I rather point you to some of their articles instead:

• https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/restaurants/barcelonas-best-tapas-bars
• https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/restaurants/barcelonas-best-cheap-eats-1
• https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/food-and-drink/pintxos-in-barcelona

Also, if you prefer to venture outside the most touristy area (the Old City) and explore say, for example, Poblenou -which is just a few metro stops away-, I would recommend a little cosy place named Can Recasens -located in the beautiful Rambla del Poblenou- where you can sample a bit of the typical way many Catalans go out with friends for a light meal on Friday or Saturday night. Note that it's quite popular and on Fri and Sat you should pre-book. Their main dishes are "taulas" (Catalan for "tables") of cheeses, pates, and cured meat, which you must accompany, of course, with "pa amb tomàquet" and a good bottle of cava. Again, I could be recommending dozens of places and, frankly, I wouldn't know where to start, sorry!

Enjoy!

PS. But whatever you do, please avoid the tourist traps in Les Rambles, off Plaça Catalunya!

Hey! when we went to Barcelona for a studierejser with Venga Travel we went to so many nice Tapas bars around El Born. Best one I remember is Bar Del Pla but I'm sure there are plenty more ;)

My 2 favorite and both amazing and fresh and a little different....not to be missed

1. La Flauta/ carrer d'aribau 23. open all day. excellent tapas

2. Cerveceria Catalana/ carrer de Mallorca. open all day.. go at lunch wait times are long. tapas are amazing. don't skip dessert they have pastry station with chefs cooking to order try the bread pudding its out of this world.... amazing place.......

Tapeo by the Picasso Museum is a favourite of mine.
http://www.tapeoborn.cat/tapeo-del-born.html