In the old fishing village of Barcelona, tapas is a way of life, the local people gather together in the tapas bars whenever they have the chance, to eat, drink and enjoy sobremesa (we’ll come to that). This small district named ‘La Barceloneta’ or ‘little Barcelona’ is home to some of the best tapas bars in Barcelona, which means, if you go at the right time, you are certain to get that local eating experience.
La Bombeta
That is the perfect summary of the type of restaurant that La Bombeta is, it doesn’t matter if you don’t speak Spanish (or Catalan), it doesn’t matter if you’ve never had tapas before, you will be surrounded by locals and treated like a local while eating some of the fine food they have to offer.
The next slogan on the bar I love; “no tenemos wifi, hablen entre ustedes” or “We don’t have WiFi, talk to each other’. Not that you’ll be thinking of WiFi with food like this around you.
Oh, and the Bomba, in the image, it’s a deep-fried potato ball with meat in the middle and a spicy (bravas) sauce on top. They’re delicious.
Where to find it: Calle de la Maquinista, 3, 08003 Barcelona (closed Wednesdays)
El Vaso De Oro
In summary, it is brilliant. The beer is cold, the food is top-notch tapas-bar style and the staff are friendly. But the best thing about this place, for me at least, is that at peak times, in the one metre or so between the outer doors and the bar, the locals will be packed in, occupying every last bit of space available, and the atmosphere is brilliant.
It is the type of Spanish-bar atmosphere that just makes you happy… or is that just me?
Where to find it: Calle de Balboa, 6, 08003 Barcelona
Jai-Ca
Jai-Ca
is in the same category as La Bombeta, a locals tapas bar which is more
like a restaurant, but, it might just be even better. A wide selection
of beautifully cooked tapas is on offer, and the seafood is especially
good. Try the Chipirones (deep-fried baby squid) and the Bacalao (salt
cod) fritters for a small snack.
In
contrast to La Bombeta, where you are likely to be surrounded by local
families of multiple generations enjoying a meal, Jai-Ca is more likely
to be the place where groups of young friends gather for a few snacks, a
couple of beers or some wine and spend the whole afternoon chatting.
This socialising of friends and families has an importance in itself, as
it is valuable part of Spanish (and Barcelona) culture, and Jai-Ca is
definitely one of the places in Barcelona to be immersed in this
culture.
Where to find it: Carrer de Ginebra, 13, 08003 Barcelona (closed Mondays)La Cova Fumada
As simple and down-to-earth as tapas gets, the tiny La Cova Fumada,
in the Barceloneta, does tapas, and does it very well. This rustic bar
doesn’t have as varied a menu as the other bars on this list, but it is
probably better for it. A small wall-menu displays what the chefs have
on offer to cook for you that day. The hole-in-the-wall nature of this
bar makes it less likely that tourists are going to wander in, not that
they wouldn’t be welcome.
The
simple menu has everything that you would want for a small snack or
even an indulging meal, but unlike the other bars I have mentioned here,
they don’t offer a translated menu, it is written purely in Catalan. In
spite of that, if you have a basic understanding of typical tapas (or
just know how to google the place and translate in advance) the staff
are more than welcoming to non-natives, and you will be rewarded with a
true local eating experience.
Where to find it: Carrer del Baluart, 56, 08003 Barcelona (closed Sundays)Tapas… and Sobremesa
So,
now you know where to go for some local-style tapas in Barcelona, now
you just need to know how to do tapas, and that’s the trickier part.
Although there is no exact science to it, the locals in Barcelona have
their own way of eating and it is good to try to fit in.
If
you were to attempt to get a table at any of these tapas hot-spots at
12pm, you may be very surprised to find them virtually empty, whereas an
hour or two later you may be queueing down the street to wait for a
table. This is the nature of eating in Barcelona, lunch is typically
1-3pm, although at weekends this is likely to go on for significantly
longer.
The
reason for this, is the topic I said I would come back to… Sobremesa.
Literally translated, it means ‘over the table’, but to give an idea of
what this truly means is difficult, as it doesn’t really have an
equivalent in many other cultures.
Sobremesa
is simply the time spent together after the eating has finished, it is
the time spent chatting (that important Spanish, and Catalan, pastime),
laughing, drinking slowly and generally enjoying your friends’ company.
This is to the locals of Barcelona, as important as the food itself, and
on weekends can go on for hours at either lunch or dinner time.
I
will be back in Barcelona again next month, so I’m already thinking of
the exceptional food and brilliant atmosphere this incredible city
provides. Are you going to Barcelona soon? Go and try the locals’ food
and tell me what you think, if you think you know other tapas bars that
should be added here, let me know, and I’ll be sure to give them a try
if I haven’t already.
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