Barcelona Food, Drink, & Nightlife Recommendations

Barcelona Recs 🍽️☀️🥩🥂🥗

Curated by John Griffin

After living in Barcelona for almost 6 years, I acquired the knacks for delicious snacks. Visitors would frequently ask me "where should we go?" so I crafted this handpicked list in my Notes app to make it easier for me to share all of my favorite spots in the city! From high-end restaurants to hole-in-the-wall sandwich shops I curated the list so there's something for everyone! Whether you’re a budget traveler or on your honeymoon you’re guaranteed to have great food and a top-shelf nightlife experience. 

Oh, and I’ve hyperlinked each place directly to Google Maps for your wandering pleasure. These are the exact locations I hit up—because if I’m going out, I’m doing it right.  ¡Buen provecho, amigos!

Spanish Food 🥘

1. La Pepita - €€ - Reservation necessary - Amazing tapas with a twist. Fried chicken is a favorite.  You can sign your name on the wall and find it years later. Perfect for groups of 8 or fewer.
2. Bastaix - €€ - Amazing food! Great location with a cool downstairs cave-like room. Highly recommended! Get the eggplant, burrata, bao, jamón. 
3. Tantarantana - €€ - Great all-around tapas and some specials, located in El Born, nice outside seating, a decent amount of vegetarian options. 
4. Cañeta - €€€ - Need a reservation 2 weeks in advance - Amazing tapas. Bright and vibrant mood! 
5. Cera 23 - €€ - Very rich food. Reasonably priced for how good it is. Must get the ceviche, beef molosso, burrata, and risotto. 
6. The Sopa Boba - €€ - Eixample dereta neighborhood - Like La Pepita, they have their own twist on traditional tapas. One of my go-to’s whenever someone comes to visit! They also have yummy cocktails! 
7. Cervezaria Catalana - €€ - They don’t take reservations but have very fast service. I’ve never waited longer than 20 minutes to be seated. Really good authentic Catalan/Spanish tapas. They’re very affordable. Same owners as Vinitus. 
8. Arcano - €€€ - Great steaks and wine. Pretty dark inside. Cool arched ceilings. 
9. Cal pep - €€ - no reservations if less than 4 people - traditional tapas,  White tablecloth vibe. 
10. El Nacional - €€ - €€€ - several restaurants. The back left with the fish sculptor is great! Get the salt-baked fish. 
11. Peix Vela - €€€ - Great Paella and beautiful views of Barcelona’s coast. It’s under the Hotel W on the beach (Paella contains nuts FYI)
12. Can Fisher - €€€ - on the beach, beautiful views, all the food was great!, Not very walkable though. 
13. Bar Rosalis - €€ - Cute bar filled with marble tables, wooden decór, and fresh flowers spread throughout. Great spot for a date night. 

Budgeted Traveler 🧳

1. Bo de B - € - Cash only!! - Giant cheap super delicious sandwiches made fresh in front of you Chipotle style. Bravas are good too! I always ask for all of the sauces! 
2. Parking Pita - € - Best pita I’ve ever had! Tandoori chicken is my go-to. They also have great appetizers like labneh, sweet potato latkes, and shakshuka. Parkin Pita is the same owner as Parking Pita but it's a different restaurant inside. The pizza is also fantastic!
3. Nap pizza - € - It used to be 6 euros for a full-sized personal delicious pizza now a Margherita is 7.90€
4. Carabela café - € - Really good and cheap Mexican. Split the nachos and get a burrito. Super fun vibes and it’s near the port. Lots of good cocktails and freshly squeezed juices. They also have a very good secret spicy sauce!
5. La Caravana - € - really good Arabic food, I get the durum kebab shawarma or xix tuwok, and they also have great appetizers to split 

Fancy Dinner 🍽 

1. Boca Chica/Boca Grande - €€€ - Old school posh bar and restaurant with Great Gatsby vibes. The food is delicious! Expect to pay €18 for an old fashion. The bathroom is one of the cooler ones I’ve seen and it turns into a nightclub! 
2. Botafumeiro - €€€€ - one of the most famous and iconic seafood restaurants in Barcelona. When you walk in you’re greeted by a large lobster tank and then an array of pictures lines the walls of all the famous people who have eaten there. Extravagant seafood platters and great paella (The paella contains nuts)
3. Arcano Restaurant - Catalan dishes. Lots of meats wines and seafood 
4. Mantis - €€€ - An incredible dining experience with Asian fusions and fresh seafood. 
5. YAKUMANKA - €€ - Most amazing Peruvian food! All of the ceviches were great we also had the causa.
6. Boa-Bao - €€ -  Amazing Thai food! Great green curry. 
7. Harry’s Restaurant - €€€ - Very nice Italian. Must reserve ahead of time. 

Brunch 🥂 The food is actually good, not just photogenic like a lot of “Influencer Brunch” spots in Barcelona

1. Fireburg - € - Near the Arc de Triumph. Has outdoor seating. (Great Huevos Rancheros) 
2. Caravella - € - No reservations. Awesome eggs benedict and great craft beer that they brew on-site. 
3. Milk - €  - Also great Huevos Rancheros (see a theme?)
4. Picnic Restaurant - € - Everything’s good. Usually get the smoked braised short ribs or … Huevos Rancharos!

Lunch 🥪

1. The Quick Greek - Really good gyros and pita to go! No seating. Best French fries in town. Ask for garlic Mayo and salsa picante. I get the grande pita menu con pollo y cerdo. It’s messy so Plato is also a good option
2. La Pachuca - € - Cash only! Some of the best Mexican food in town! Amazing nachos and quesadillas. Tasty Michelada’s if you’re into spicy drinks. 
3. Tonkatsu - Ramen - Pretty standard but very good quality. 
4. Honest Greens - Healthy dishes in a cool rainforest ambience. Build your own plates, and add proteins. It's high quality and very tasty. Lots of good and healthy juices too. 

American Style Comfort Food: 🍔 Yes, my stomach gets homesick too, sometimes. 

1. Cocovail - €-€€ - Most American restaurant in Barcelona. They have college football flags all over the walls, and Monday is 0.50 cent chicken wing night. They’re one of the few places that has ranch dressing and it's very good! They also have over 30 craft beers! Cheers! 
2. Fast Eddy’s - € - (Original in El Born) -  Best burger joint in town! Eddie started out of his house and got a nice hole in the wall in Born. They just opened their second location in Raval. Must try!
3. Rooq - Best fried chicken sandwich in town (get it with raclette and crispy onions, ask for a side of lime yogurt sauce for the fries, great homemade fizzy limeade) 
4. Henry’s - € -  (Poble Nou) - Greasy bar food but it's incredible!! I get the Kimchi croquettes and they are to die for! Sometimes they have live music, and the staff are always friendly! Outdoor seating is available. They do a lot of collabs with food trucks too. 
5. Nikkis Kitchen - € - Traditional Canadian food! Poutine, spicy chicken sandwiches, spicy fried fish sandwiches. Sunday roasts! 

Sushi 🍣

1. Kibuka Goya - €€ - Creative rolls but also Americanized rolls. My favorite sushi in BCN, the Mexican roll is amazing!  
2. Seikou sushi - €€ - Brazilian infused sushi, lots of salmon and cream cheese with maracuyá. Really good! I’ve only ever ordered through their app but it's worth the effort!
3. Koyo - € - Best all-you-can-eat sushi in town! I’ve tried them all…  19.95€ for dinner and 15€ for lunch. They have way more than just sushi on the all-you-can-eat menu including beef carpaccio, noodles, meat skewers, oysters, dumplings, and of course amazing rolls. 
4. Monster sushi - €€ - Pretty standard stuff but good quality soosh. 

Bars 🍻

1. Bar Savauge - (El Born) - Usually a wait to get in. Dive bar vibes when you walk in, Club vibes downstairs. Order a Dark and Horny if you need a jimmy. 
2. Space Cowboy - They have events during the week like comedy and karaoke. Easy to meet people and dance here. Fun neon signs and cowboy hats. #Yeehaw!
3. Espit Chupitos - Crazy shot bar with over 300 shots to choose from. Get a Monica Lewinsky if you’re ready for the experience of a lifetime! The Espit Potter is fire (literally)
4. 45/33 - Fun skater vibe crowd. They also have 33/45 which is equally as fun and 1 block away. Reasonable prices and easy to mingle and meet new people. 
5. La Farola - (El Born) Great cocktails. Best Espresso Martini in BCN. I always get the Orient Express. All cocktails come with a snack before 11 pm. Located in a fun area to bar hop on Rambla del Born.  
6. La Oveja Negra - There are 2 - one in Gotico has a cool old cave-like vibe that takes you back to the 1800s. The one in Marina is a renovated factory that has more of a beer hall vibe with pool tables and foosball. Great for watching games on the projectors. If it's a big game you should get a reservation ahead of time. 
7. George Paynes - Touristy Irish bar - Beer pong some nights - Order a “Black Out Tray” for 20€ and you’re set for the night…
8. Nevermind Bar - The one in Raval has a half-pipe skate ramp inside and foosball. Dark grungy skater vibes. Free popcorn! 
9. Two Schmucks - (Raval) ranked top 50 bars worldwide. funky infused cocktails if you want to try something new. They have 3 bars on Joaquín Costa. Lucky Schmucks has Karaoke.
10. Mr. Robinson - Fun yachty atmosphere. They move the tables and make a big dance floor. 

Cocktail Lounge 🍸

1. Pipa Club - Located on Plaza Reial. This hard-to-find second-story club is an old apartment converted to a cocktail bar. Pool table and sometimes live music
2. Boca Chica - Luxurious cocktail bar and restaurant. Think ivory, gold, wood and leather decor with a bathroom party like you’ve never seen before! 
3. 1881 Per Sagardi  - Rooftop restaurant overlooking the port and Montjuic! Great for sunset drinks. Make a reservation. Dress decent (they won’t let you take a skateboard upstairs) 
4. Bobby’s Free - Speakeasy - look up the monthly password on their IG or FB page. Live music sometimes. They only do cocktails so if you’re a beer drinker be warned.  
5. Dry Martini - Served over 1,000,000 Martinis since opening over 30 years ago. The Dry Martini By Javier de las Muelas has remained on the list of the 50 best bars in the world for seven consecutive years.
6. PATRÓN - Beautiful bar with high-eng ambiance. Great cocktails.
7. La Whiskeria - Classy whiskey bar. Their whiskey menu is 17 pages long! 
8. Restaurant Salvaje - The food is eh, but the atmosphere is cool. They put on a show and the drinks are delicious. 

Venues & Clubs 🪩

1. La Terrrazza - See if they have an event on the app Resident Advisor. Super cool venue outside in an old castle-like village.
2. Razzmatazz - Classic staple in BCN - Go to l’Ovella Negra in Marina beforehand, it’s close by and it’s a fun place to pregame with pool, foosball, and projectors.  
3. Sala Apolo - Awesome club! Less touristy than the beach clubs. All techno upstairs. There’s usually some rap downstairs, but it changes depending on the night.
4. Input - Techno club in poblé espanyol (Montjuic) 
5. Bus Terrassa - kinda far from the city center but awesome outdoor DJ in the sun vibes.  

Karaoke Bars: 🎤

1. Touch Music Karaoke - By far the best Karaoke. Protruding stage and costumes. You’ll feel like a real rockstar! 
2. A Viva Voz - 3 locations - Aribau, Rockafort, Muntaner. You can reserve ahead of time.

Hope you enjoy your time in beautiful Barcelona. Leave a comment and let us know how your experience was! 

Keep it Chill!