Barcelona is a city of bright lights, bustling nightlife, world-class beaches and stunning architecture. Bu the food here really shouldn’t be overlooked. You can spend ages sampling the many restaurants serving up all sorts of mouth-watering treats. But which food options should be at the top of your list during your visit? Where to find out with five dishes you should try in Barcelona.
1) Esqueixada
The Mediterranean sea isn’t just handy for arriving in Barcelona by boat after booking your trip with Ferryscanner. The proximity to the ocean means plenty of restaurants serve up world-class seafood. Try some esqueixada at one of the many spots featuring this delicious dish on the menu. This salt cod was once the staple of Spanish diets and is often cooked differently to add a unique taste each time. The Catalonian dish is made with a mix of peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes, a dose of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and, of course, salt cod. It’s served as a salad and is a great, light dish, whether you’re having a lunchtime munch or evening meal.
2) Cua De Bou
Cua De Bou, or Spanish style oxtails, is a hit with the tapas bars in Barcelona. It’s slow-cooked with a mix of sofrito and aromatic herbs to give it a savoury taste and is designed to satisfy the taste buds of meat lovers, especially if you’re ordering it as part of a more extensive set of tapas options. And don’t forget to order a side of bread to go with your Cua De Bou, as you’ll want to soak up the delicious sauce surrounding the oxtails. Many Catalonians enjoy this particular dish as a mid-morning, brunch-style snack.
3) Fideua
Paella might be a Spanish national dish, but Fideua is a favourite of many and one of the cuisines you should try in Barcelona. It’s cooked in the same style as paella, replacing the rice with pasta. The rest of the ingredients vary depending on the restaurant, but you can expect a range of delights, including fish and meats. The pasta used in the dish is usually short-cut and first toasted in the pan to create more flavour. Then it’s cooked together in the oven with seafood or other ingredients to give it a crispy texture.
4) Tortilla De Patatas
Tortilla De Patatas travels much further than the Catalonia region and is the go-to meal across the country. It’s also one of the dishes you should try in Barcelona and is the kind of meal you can enjoy throughout any time of the day. Plus, it’s effortless to make. Enjoy it in a restaurant or cook up your own if you stay in an Airbnb. Tortilla De Patatas combines slowly cooked potato and onion in olive oil and is whipped together with eggs, and transformed into an omelette-type dish. Sometimes restaurants serve a variety of this classic tortilla, including ingredients like chorizo, cheese and more.
5) Pan Tomaquet
Pan Tomaquet is a Catalonian style bread with tomato. As the Catalonians say, “why waste bread when you can revive it with a bit of heat and tomatoes”? This dish is about as simple as they come, yet it’s also likely to make your taste buds tingle. To make it, you just need to rub a local variety of tomato on toasted bread and add some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a smattering of salt. Add garlic for a bit more zing. Pan Tomaquet is the ideal starter dish, with most restaurants offering it before you tuck into the main course.
Tasting the delights of Barcelona
You could spend your entire holiday tasting the local food in Barcelona – the food is that good. So the next time you’re wandering the city and snapping pics of Gaudi or lazing on the beach, don’t forget to save some time to sample the wonderful food on offer.