Barcelona Tapas- Top 5 Tapas to try!

Spain is famous for tapas! While originally from Andalucia, there are many Barcelona tapas bars and Barcelona tapas tours out there. These can spice up your visit to Spain and give you a flavor of the culture. Originally tapas were small snacks served on top (‘tapado’) of a glass of beer. Now they have evolved in many directions…

After a hard day of tours in Barcelona, you definitely deserve a good plate (or five) of delicious Barcelona tapas! Here’s a quick taste of my favorite five tapas in Barcelona!

1. Pan con tomate

Pan con tomate

Okay, yes- this is literally bread with tomato smeared over it. (There’s also olive oil and salt, but still). It’s very simple, but it’s the staple of Catalan tapas. It’s super traditional and I couldn’t believe it at first, how much the locals loved it.

2. Croquetas

Croquetas are often made with ham, fish, chicken or spinach. They are made from a sort of béchamel sauce, breaded and deep fried. To be honest, the quality varies a lot. A dodgy hole-in-the-wall bar may simply heat up frozen croquetas. On the other hand, a top quality bar specialising in tapas in Barcelona will make these fresh. That’s when they taste amazing! Any good tapas tour should include these on the menu.

3. La Bomba (The Bomb)

La Bomba

This is a hearty beef meatball, encased in a sphere of mashed potato, covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried. If you’re feeling hungry, this is like a rock in the stomach. Combined with patatas bravas, you will soon be full.

4. Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas

Spain’s version of French Fries. These are small, deep fried cubes of potatoes. They are typically served with two sauces- alioli (garlic mayonaisse) and a spicy tomato sauce. The joke is that you need to be ‘brave’ to handle these strong flavors!

5. Tortilla de Patatas (Potato omelette)

I know- it sounds like this should be served for breakfast. Sometimes it is. But it also goes down well at nighttime, amidst other tapas and in between drinks. While the French omelette is simply with eggs, the Spanish style includes chunks of potato and sometimes onion. (Yes, the Spanish love potatoes!)

Who doesn’t like some good brinner? (Breakfast for dinner!)

What to drink with tapas?

While you can drink anything you want, wine is not traditional. The wine flavors can overload the taste buds and take attention away from the main event. In the Basque country, people will typically drink cider.Catalans may drink vermouth, or cava if they’re feeling celebratory. But in the end, I always prefer the original and classic tapa accompaniment, beer. Just as they serve it in Andalucia.

Wine does go incredibly well with Paella though.

Take a Tapas Tour in Barcelona

While you can wander the city hoping to encounter authentic and delicious tapas, all too often visitors end up in tourist traps. This means they pay double and don’t experience the real Barcelona tapas.

To avoid this, you can take a Barcelona tapas tour. This allows you to get a feel for the real thing before you venture out on your own.

There is a cool tour in the quaint village of Gracia. This Vermouth and Tapas tour takes you through four local bars in the neighbourhood of Gracia, to taste the vermouth, wine and tapas they have on offer. You also learn about the history of this unique village that has been swallowed up within the city of Barcelona.

How to eat tapas?

Step 1, fight your way through the crowd to the bar to make your order! Step 2, share the plates of tapas with your friends. But don’t be too polite now. Just dig in!!! Yes, use your hands. And don’t be afraid to eat the last one on the plate- you can always order another small plate if you’re all still hungry.

Tapas are kind of like baseball cards- you want to collect them all. So get out there and enjoy!

If you’re looking for the ultimate tapas experience, why not try Sailing, Wine and Tapas? Now that’s a real taste of the Mediterranean!