Barcelona has been ranked among the top 5 cities with the most bars on earth. Not bad for a place home to 2 million people. But how does one choose the best of all the bars and restaurants with so many options? Well, if you want to go “De Tapas” or “Taperar” (a casual way for Spaniards to say “go out for lunch/dinner”) we recommend checking out some of our favorite places with under-the-radar tapas in Barcelona to enjoy wine, vermut, wine, or beer:
Bodega Gelida
Warning: this place can be extremely addictive!
Bodega Gelida is a down-to-earth family-run restaurant full of character. Not far away from the city center, they have been serving locals and fellow tourists since 1946. Some of their delicious tapas include “patatas bravas” (spicy potatoes), “calamares a la romana” (deep-fried squid) and our favorite “conejo escabechado” (pickled rabbit) in the city. Their Spanish tortilla is also worthy of a standing ovation.
Celler Cal Marino
Strolling through the leafy streets of the Poble-Sec neighborhood, there exists a small, uncompromising door that opens to a big and welcoming bodega (a bar with active wine barrels). This is Celler Cal Marino, a bar with excellent cheese platters, croquettes, and cold cuts (such as the Cecina de León featured in the photo below).
But the most important part is that they have one of the best wine lists by the glass in the city. Go early, get your table, and have fun the Spanish way!
Bar Omar
This bar is named after Chef Omar, who after years of working in Michelin-starred restaurants, felt there was something missing. So, he started his own bar to have fun cooking what he likes the most: tapas and small dishes. He’s always there and loves sharing his personal story!
Everything we tried at Bar Omar is excellent, but one of the dishes we liked the most was the eggplant with smoked eels and Stracciatella cheese.
Bodega Carol
Bodega Carol is more than a bar, it’s a lifesaver. Located in the up-and-coming El Clot neighborhood, this small place has a great wine selection and pays homage to old-school tapas, such as Zaragozan-style lamb and cured yellow-fin tuna belly that you can’t miss!
If you can’t resist the delicious Zaragozan-style lamb dish (pictured above) and many others, get yourself booked for our popular Authentic Tapas tour, where we’ve hand-picked some of the best places and bites that you can only try at locals-only bars in the “El Clot” neighborhood of Barcelona. You’ll not only learn about the local food culture, but also get to try some of the tastiest tapas that the city of Barcelona has to offer.