Barcelona is considered a cultural melting pot because there are so many people from so many different backgrounds. It is such a vibrant, lively city that has so much history and beauty in everything. From the architecture to the cuisine, you can taste and see how amazing the city truly is. While I was in Barcelona studying abroad this past spring, I tried so many different foods and restaurants. Honestly, I am a picky eater and I’m not too hip on trying new things, especially when it comes to food, but I had to since I was in another country. Here’s everything I ate while studying abroad in Barcelona.
Markets
One of my favorite things to do in Barcelona was to visit their various markets. There was a market on almost every corner. The most popular one is Mercat de la Boqueria. This market is right on La Rambla and is near my school. They offered a variety of fresh foods at amazing prices. I had fruit juices, chocolate-covered strawberries, empanadas, fruit cups, and candy. They also offer fresh fish and meats. My roommate and I went to this market one of our first nights and then again one of our last nights. It was a full circle moment. I also got to bring my family there when they visited me. Other markets I checked out were Mercat de Sant Antoni and Mercat de Santa Caterina. I loved just being able to walk around and smell the fresh foods. It was also so cool to see many locals shop at the markets for weekly groceries instead of using their grocery stores.
Restaurants
I was in Barcelona for four months so I can’t give the rundown of each restaurant I ever set foot in, but I can talk about the top four restaurants you should eat at and why.
Macchina Pasta Bar
I ate at Macchina several times and even took my family when they visited. My favorite dishes were the beef ravioli with sauce and pepper and bacon as well as the tagliatelle noodles with their alfredo sauce and chicken. Their carbonara sauce is also amazing. It’s crazy how this place became a favorite of mine. That very first time I ate there, I had no idea how many times I’d visit the different locations around the city.
Il Mulino Pizza Bakery
I discovered this restaurant through DoorDash first. I loved the pizza and dessert so much, I kept getting it. My favorite pizza was the spicy salami and cheese pizza. I also loved the nutella dessert. It was bread rolled up with nutella in the middle, so delicious when fresh.
Billy Brunch
I still dream about the hazelnut cappuccino and acai bowl. I first went to Billy Brunch in Seville with some friends and didn’t realize we had one in Barcelona. Once we did find out, I went a couple of different times. I took my family once and even recommended it to a college friend visiting Barcelona. My favorite things to get were the acai bowl, chocolate and strawberry pancake stack, and the hazelnut cappuccino.
Las Muns
Las Muns is a small shop that serves empanadas. They serve sweet ones and savory ones. My favorites were the picante chicken and apple cinnamon. You can buy them for super cheap as you are walking to your destination and they are served hot and fresh.
Overall Barcelona has amazing food, I don’t think I tried anything that tastes bad. Some things weren’t my favorite because I don’t like tomatoes or didn’t love the texture but nothing was simply disgusting. I’m not saying go to Barcelona just for the amazing food even though you should definitely eat as much as you can when you visit, I’m just highlighting some of my favorite things about Barcelona’s cuisine.