The Best Cheap Eats in Barcelona
Compared to most of Western Europe Barcelona, Spain is fairly affordable to travelers. But unlike the likes of Poland or Romania, it’s very easy to drop $75 or more on a meal, too. With amazing food and drink, Barcelona is a foodie city well worth some splurging. But splurging on delicious meals every day is certainly going to put a damper on your budget. Remember, Barcelona cheap eats are easy to find and will save you a lot of money.
Happy travels to Spain!
Visit the local markets
Though there are plenty of affordable restaurants, markets are a great place to find cheap eats in Barcelona. There are two local markets within walking distance of the touristy, hotel districts: La Boqueria and Sant Antonio. La Boqueria certainly is the more touristy market option but both are worth a visit.
La Boqueria Start your day with a the 1€ fruit cup or 3€ smoothie from one of the many stands. Be warned, these fruits are super tasty but not authentic and made solely for the tourists. Doesn’t make them not good, just don’t expect to see them everywhere else you go in town. Here you can also find 3€ meat and cheese cones perfect for a snack. Enjoy one of the many tapas stalls for lunch or dinner. Since La Boqueria is more touristy, you’ll find higher prices on the tapas however, you can still find traditional flavors. Save money by ordering pan con tomate, olives and papayas fritas.
Sant Antonio A more local experience with less fruit cups and more fresh produce, Sant Antonio has some amazing tapas stalls. You’ll find locals drinking a beer and coffee at 10:00a here while doing their shopping. The market is about a mile walk from the Gothic Quarter, close to the Picasso Museum, so consider visiting the museum and the market together. Overall, the food here is cheaper than La Boqueria and you’ll surely have a local experience.
My favorite market to visit is Sant Antonio. Come during lunch for some amazing pastas, fresh seafood, and tapas stalls, too. I love watching the locals come for a quick bite to eat before returning to work.
Enjoy the cafes
Cafes are on basically every block in Europe and Barcelona is no different. Here you’ll have 2€ lattes but you can also find baguettes filled with cheese and ham for around 3€. Here are a few cafes worthy of a visit:
Eat the Menu del Dia
Local restaurants will have a meal of the day displayed on a sandwich board (or similar) outside their restaurant daily. These meals are made for locals but anyone is able to order them. As lunch is usually the large meal of the day, tey’ll be hearty portions of a main with side.
If the restaurant you’re visiting doesn’t have the menu of the day listed, just ask if they have one. Sometimes even tourist restaurants will have a menu of the day for local workers in the area.
Pinchos are a must!
Pinchos are basically small-bite buffets where you pay for each item you take. Different items are different prices (typically between 1-3€) based on the toothpick style on top. They are usually items served on a slice of baguette – meats and cheeses, fish, fried croquettes, etc. It’s really an anything goes experience that allows you to try something new for just a couple bucks.
El Drac de Sant Jordi Located with views of the Basilica de Santa Maria, the El Drac Gothic Quarter location is a favorite with locals and tourists alike. Their menu features 80 different pinchos with a variety of styles. Be sure to try the crab salad and cheese with anchovies.
Bilbao Berria Barcelona Bilbao pinchos are 2 and 3€ a piece. The restaurant also has a tapas menu you can order small plates from. Many people recommend the sangria but be warned… sangria is largely a tourist drink.
Tapas (by locals)
Tapas are the pride and joy of the Spanish culinary experience and Barcelona has some incredible tapas bars. Depending on where you go these tapas bars can get pretty pricey. Because tapas are so important to the Spanish culture, locals enjoy quick tapas meals at affordable prices every day. You just need to know where to find them. Here are a couple cheap, local favorites:
Looking for something to do? I joined this tapas tour on our trip to Barcelona and loved it!
What tapas are best on a budget?
Tapas can range widely in price and depending on what you order you’ll find you need to eat more or less. Here are some of my favorite tapas to order when you’re on a budget.
- Pan con tomate | Literally bread with tomato this is usually the cheapest menu on the item and pretty filling. I always recommend adding this to your tapas order.
- Olives | You usually get an entire cup of olives when you order this tapa, which is just as cheap at the pan con tomate and keeps you entertained eating for some time over good conversation, too.
- Patatas bravas | These are my favorite tapa because there is just nothing better than crispy potatoes with a good sauce on top.
- Pimientos de padrón | These tiny peppers are friend and served with olive oil and flaky salt on top. They are super tasty and an easy way to add some greens to your tapas order on a budget.
- Tortilla española | AKA the Spanish omelette is usually one of the cheaper options on the tapas menu and it’s a huge portion.
- Calamares Fritos | Fried calamari is usually the cheapest seafood option on the menu at tapas bars.
Follow the weekly deals
Barcelona is a metropolitan city and though Spanish food clearly is the favorite, there are many deals that transcend cuisines throughout the city, too. Here are a couple cheap eat deals to try:
The Quick Greek 7€ pita, fries and a drink everyday
La Fabrica Del Taco 1€ tacos daily
365 (mentioned previously) Coffee and croissant for 2€
The Good Burger 2 for 1 burgers every Thursday
100 Montaditos Everything 1€ on Wednesdays
Consider a food tour
I love joining food tours in other countries because I travel mouth first. And the worst part is you can’t spend all the money in world buying 6 dishes at each restaurant you visit. (Do you feel my pain?) That’s what food tours are for. I love this tour that’s less than $70 for 3-hours of entertainment and food that’s enough to be one meal for the entire day.
More Barcelona Tips + Inspiration
I hope you enjoyed finding some great cheap eats for your trip to Barcelona! Here are some other posts to help you plan your trip to Spain:
- Need help with flights? I’ve put together the best ways to travel to Spain on a budget
- Check out my complete budget itinerary in Barcelona
- And if you want some more money-saving tips – I’ve compiled 5 of the best ways to save money in Barcelona, too
