Budget Friendly Eats
in Barcelona

My take: Walk past the juice and fruit stalls at the front, they’re the tourist trap, and head deep into the market to the counter bars. We grabbed stools at El Quim for the fried eggs with baby squid. Also stopped Bar Pinotxo for the chickpeas with blood sausage. There are only a handful of seats at each. It’s right on La Rambla, an easy first stop before walking down toward the Gothic Quarter.

My take: A bakery that’s been family-run since 1879 which naturally draws a line of locals. Get the ensaimada, the sugar-dusted spiral pastry, and a few of the mini chocolate croissants. The café side gets busy, so grab your pastries from the bakery counter and take them to go. It’s near Plaça Universitat and the Sant Antoni market, a good first stop before the morning gets going.

My take: A small bakery-café in the Eixample where we went mostly for the croissants, which were as good as everyone says. We grabbed a plain one and a ham and cheese, plus a fresh orange juice. Seating inside is tight, so we took a table on the sidewalk. It’s a block off Passeig de Gràcia, so it worked as a breakfast stop before walking over to Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

My take: This is the pintxos-street move in Poble-sec. You grab the little skewered bites off the counter yourself, most around a euro or two, and they count up your toothpicks at the end to work out the bill. We loaded a plate, had a couple of drinks, and it barely cost anything. Grab a table out on Carrer de Blai if you can, then keep bar-hopping down the street, that’s the whole point of the block.

My take: A tiny standing-room bodega in the Gothic Quarter that’s done the same four things since 1945. Get the pescaditos, the little fried fish, with the tomato and onion salad, and drink the vermouth poured straight from the barrel. It’s a couple of euros a plate, so we stood at the marble counter, ate, and were out for almost nothing. There are only a few tables and it fills fast, so go early. It’s a short walk from Port Vell if you want the water after.

My take: A Barceloneta seafood bar that’s been around since 1955, busy and loud with locals. Get the bomba, the spicy meat-stuffed potato ball, the fried baby squid or the padrón peppers. We did five or six plates with a couple of vermouths and it came out cheap. There are two of them a few doors apart on the same street, so if one’s packed try the other. The beach is a couple of blocks away for a walk after.

My take: A neighborhood lunch spot near Parc de la Ciutadella built around the menú del día, three courses with a drink for around fourteen euros. We had the warm fried-brie salad and a tuna teriyaki, both better than the price suggested. It’s a colorful little room with a sidewalk terrace and it can fill up quick so there might be a little wait, but it goes quick. The Ciutadella park is right there for a walk after to sit off the meal.

My take: An old neighborhood bodega in Sants where the vermouth comes straight from the barrel and the crowd is mostly local. We did a spread of tapas, the fricandó, the spicy Montferry potatoes, the croquettes, then the cheesecake, which is a must. It’s tiny and cheap and fills up fast, so get there early for the vermouth hour. Sants is residential and off the tourist track, worth seeing a quieter side of the city after.

My take: A vintage Catalan spot on a quiet Poble-sec square, white marble tables and old photos on the walls, with a terrace out on the plaza. The cooking is traditional with a few turns, and we had the patatas bravas, the fideuà, and the dessert of bread with olive oil, sea salt, and chocolate ice cream, which sounds odd, but works. It’s a relaxed sit-down meal at a fair price. The square out front is calm, and you’re a short walk from Montjuïc and the Joan Miró museum if you want to climb the hill after.