You are in Barcelona and you love food so we are off to a good start.
It may not be the focal point of the usual routes, but the great gastronomic pilgrimage that the city has put within our reach with the market of La Boqueria you can not lose.
The only problem, a little silly, wants your money.
So how do you do it?
With my guide, of course. Let's sit down in the best restaurants on the market, find the best quality products on the stalls and go like locals without being ripped off!
Information about the Boquería market in Barcelona
- The largest food market in Barcelona with 40 visitors a day.
- Previously, in 1217, it was a meat market, in the same place.
- From the name of boc ("goat" in Catalan) which means "place where the goat is sold".
- Chosen as the best food market in the world by CNN.
- Home to a wide variety of food, crafts, and farmer's shops.
- Most of the stands are owned by fourth and fifth generation heirs.
- Popular for seafood tapas, ham, and smoothies.
The best restaurants in La Boqueria
The Boquería market has many places to sample high-quality Catalan cuisine. However, keep in mind that most are not restaurants, but small bars to sit in. Space is extremely limited.
For this reason, it is bettergo there asap for breakfast.
No no reservations. If you want to sit down, you need some skill. You will have to hover around people who seem to be about to finish eating and then jump on their chairs when they pay.
Wait about 25-30 minutes.
The Quim de la Boqueria
Au bear 582Look at the yellow corrugated sheet metal and distinctive egg-shaped "Q" logo.
This La Boquería restaurant that is praised by all the locals started in 1987 as a small bar with 5 stools. Is now a 16 meter counter It is crowded with people from dusk till dawn. most of Traditional spanish dishes they are served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The specialty of the house that you must try? Fried eggs with squid.
Grilled garlic shrimp, foie gras with caramelized onion and wild mushrooms, and oxtail risotto are also favorites. Try them all! With wine / sangria, expect to pay around € 25 per person.
Hours: Monday from 12 pm to 00 pm, Tuesday to Thursday from 16 am to 00 pm, Friday to Saturday from 07 am to 00 pm (closed on Sundays).
More information about El Quim de La Boqueria.
Pinocchio bar
Forget about the restaurants in La Boqueria. People tell me that stands 466-470 They house the best current tapas restaurant in Barcelona.
This small family business it's a relief to the loud staff in other bars trying to attract tourists. Here they let their food do the talking. If you want an explosion of flavor no frills, this is the place.
Nobody leaves this restaurant without having tried chickpeas with blood sausage. You also can't go wrong with the beef cheek stew or the eggplant omelette. Expect to pay € 20-25 per person with coffee / wine.
Hours: Monday to Saturday 06:30 am-16:00pm (Sunday closed).
More info at Bar Pinotxo.
Universal Kiosk
Au bear 691You will find a restaurant that has nothing to envy to other tapas.
This accountant is specialized in grilled seafood directly from the market. There is a freshness that you won't find anywhere else. If you love to cook, it's fascinating to watch cooks work. There is decent portions, so 2-3 tapas should be enough for two people.
The specialties here are grilled sardines, Galician octopus and squid. If you're feeling gluttonous, go for it mer fruit plateau grilled try a little of everything. Expect to pay around € 20-25 per person.
You don't have to hide in this restaurant: they take your name and put you in line.
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. M. A 00 p. M. (Closed on Sundays).
Shopping in La Boqueria
Cooking is never a bad idea if you're staying in a self-catering vacation rental, and there's no better place than La Boqueria market to get the best quality ingredients.
So how do I know which media are the best?
I took a food market tour with famous chef Iker Erauzkin, who for years ran the famous La Boqueria culinary school. If you don't know the best positions, nobody knows them.
ham
Spain produces 40 million hams a year and some of the best are found here.
Here we are not so concerned with the stalls but with the quality of the cut of the ham. If you want to win, you will avoid the cheap cones stuffed with ham that you see on sale, but you will choose quality products.
We are looking for Acorn-fed Iberian Ham.
These black leg pigs raised on the border between Spain and Portugal roam freely through primary forests and eat plants, grass and, most importantly, acorns (acorns).
The result is a beautifully marbled beef jerky that melts in your mouth.
It is unlikely that you will get it for less in other Barcelona markets, but an elite brand to watch out for is Cinco Jotas: be prepared to pay € 10,00 or more for 100 grams.
Fruits and vegetables
The fruit and vegetable stalls are without a doubt the most colorful and fascinating on the market. You will find everything there exotic fruits from different types of hot peppers to edible flowers.
Make sure you get a fruit bowl or smoothie on my way.
Among many options, I find the best quality / price ratio at Fruites y Verdures Soley Roser at bear 509.
Mushroom lovers should head to Bolets Petras, in bear 867.
Red meat
Of all the food markets in Barcelona, this is the go-to place for some high-quality cuts, but be careful, they come with the price tag!
For all your juicy meat dishes I recommend Carnisseria Soler Ferran Capella at bear 992. The specialty here is a piece of meat called the queen's head.
Poultry, game and terrines
In the Boqueria market you can also find good game meats and organically raised chickens.
One trick to recognize organic chickens is that their skin is yellow. Stay away from whitish skin and keep your eco conscience at ease.
For the best chicken and game, head to Avinova in the bear 689.
Fish
Lovers of good fish won't be able to resist taking on all the fresh tuna, salmon, and seafood!
Freshly caught crabs, shrimp, sea urchins, mussels and clams of all sizes will move before your eyes. We recommend Eva Peix Pepi in bear 801.
Tip: a not so fresh fish has a gray veil on the eyes.
Hours of the boqueria
The market is open from Monday to Saturday from 8:00 am to 20:30 pm (closed on Sundays).
Some stops close at 14pm, so it's best to arrive earlier. Usually the best time to visit the market is between 10 am and 12 pm, when it is fully installed, but not yet full.
For more information on visiting hours, see the official website.
Get to La Boqueria
The Boquería market is located in 91 La Rambla and it is accessible from the Liceu metro station by the green line (L3).
You will find it approximately in the middle of the most famous street in Barcelona.
From the Plaza de CatalunyaIt will take about 8 minutes to walk and you will find it on your right. Since then Christopher Columbus statue and the cruise port will take you 5 minutes on foot and you will find it on your left.
The two closest Tourist Bus stops are Plaça de Catalunya and Museu Maritim.
Guided visits to the Boqueria market
Chef's visit + Cooking workshop
Wouldn't it be a waste to see all these ingredients without a chef to put them together?
During this informative visit in small groups, you learn the secrets of the market collecting the ingredients to prepare a traditional spanish lunch under the direction of a trained local chief.
Roll up your sleeves and go! There is a lot of wine to cheer you up. When you leave, you will know how to cook (and have eaten) Spanish classics such as seafood paella, gazpacho, Spanish omelette, and Catalan cream.
Price: € 78,00 (€ 39,00 for children).
Duration: 4 hours (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to XNUMX:XNUMX).
The guided tour of Iker Erauzkin
The famous Basque chef Iker Erauzkin offers you a guided tour of the Boquería market and then prepares you a personalized lunch or dinner according to your tastes at his home / kitchen in the Sants district of Barcelona.
It is a unique and relaxing experience in which you will feel at home; You can even go to the kitchen, open his fridge, and help yourself while he cooks for you.
On request (with the necessary compensation, of course) the chef can even cook in his apartment.
For more information, reach out to him on his Facebook page.
Tips for the Boqueria Market
- Prices generally fall as you enter the market.
- Sangria is for tourists! The locals drink vermouth or tinto de verano (a cold wine drink).
- Cans of Spanish paprika are much cheaper in supermarkets.
- As closing approaches (20:30 pm), you can find bargains on just about anything.
- Don't go too early! It really starts at 10 am
- Fruit smoothies should cost € 1,50 or € 2 for € 2 (if the mix seems separate, they've been here for a while).
- The entrance facing the La Rambla has a great place to relax in the sun.
- Bring cash, as many providers do not have bank card machines.
- Parents: just behind this square to the right is a playground.
- These delicious tapas on bread are 50% cheaper on the famous Calle Blai.
- There are decent public toilets if you have 50 cents (exact change).
- Try not to touch the products - ask for help first.
Learn more about the boquería in the comments
If there's anything I missed or if you have any more questions about Barcelona's La Boquería market, feel free to write me in the comments below.
And for those who have visited, has it lived up to all the hype or is it overrated? I am curious to know?
Also, don't be afraid to join the discussion about Barcelona attractions on my new Facebook group called “For City Lovers”. Here you can ask questions, voice your complaints, chat with other travelers and more - anything goes!
