Being the foodie that I am, I love to be anywhere where the food offering is plentiful, tasty and appetizing, and Barcelona did not fall short.
Quick note: I cooked breakfast every day while I was there and in my quest around the neighborhood to find ingredients, I quickly realized the offerings were fresh.
I think one of the most exciting parts of the trip was walking to the bread shop, right around the corner from my AirBnB to get fresh bread. Fresh bread with fresh eggs and coffee made an amazing breakfast daily. Thanks to Vik, our AirBnB host, for the coffee! Also, the tangerines from the local market were so good, every single one had the taste I remembered a tangerine is supposed to taste like. I used to pick them from the tree when I was a child and those tangerines from Barcelona were so juicy. They had their stems, which made it seem like they were recently picked.
I think one of the most exciting parts of the trip was walking to the bread shop, right around the corner from my AirBnB to get fresh bread. Fresh bread with fresh eggs and coffee made an amazing breakfast daily. Thanks to Vik, our AirBnB host, for the coffee! Also, the tangerines from the local market were so good, every single one had the taste I remembered a tangerine is supposed to taste like. I used to pick them from the tree when I was a child and those tangerines from Barcelona were so juicy. They had their stems, which made it seem like they were recently picked.
 |
| Photo 1: My Paella and my sister’s Pizza |
But let’s get to some of the foods that Barcelona is known for, and paella is number one on the list. I have heard about it for years, from TV stations like Foodnetwork. It suffices me to say that the paella that I tried exceeded the zero expectation that I had, haha. I had the dish thrice, which is a sign of how much I liked it. The first time I tried it, it was mixed with chicken and seafood. But my last two plates of paella definitely topped the first, maybe because they were all seafood. It was the crawfish in the paella that I loved the most, it was so good!
 |
| Photo 2: Regular Sangria |
Sangria, oh Sangria! They are everywhere and cheap, but you definitely have to try the Cava sangria. Cava is a wine, but it cannot be called champagne since champagne is the trademark of France. Cava sangria reminded me of mimosa without orange juice. However, make sure that you try both types because they are equally as good.
 |
| Photo 3: Thick Hot Coco |
I didn’t like the hot chocolate. It was too thick. However, the churros were a good pairing for it. In fact, restaurants usually offer hot chocolate when you order churros.
 |
| Photo 4: Tapas, I didn’t like |
 |
| Photo 5: Tapas, I liked |
Tapas are all over and you will not miss the signs for tapas bars. Some restaurants offer them with their main courses. My new buddy, Awalda, who I met on my connection in London decided to pop into an all-you-can-eat tapas bar after our walking tour. The bread and meat offerings weren’t my favorites, but I enjoyed the other choices like the lentil soup, beans and paella served in small dishes. And BTW, the buffet was cheap (around 12 euros per person), so of course, when we saw this we did not hesitate. And even though this spot may not have been the best option, it was cost effective. However, the tapas my sister Jonel and I had from a restaurant on La Rambla, as seen in photo 5, was extremely good.
 |
| Photo 6: I liked the Lentil Soup |
Food is a highlight of any good trip. If the food is bad, you will have to do a whole lot of work to ensure that you have a good time. But when you are able to find tasty food easy and cheap, your experience will be even more enjoyable. And in Barcelona, finding good food is as easy as walking a few steps out of your door. In fact, around the corner from my AirBnB, the Indian restaurant that I had on my first night in Barca is another reason I must say Barca has an amazing variety of food.
So go out and explore, and when you do, make sure you eat your way through that destination. Explore the local foods and their international offerings as well. Even try the fast food, even though some people advise aginst it but in doing so, you would discover little nuances different to what you are familiar with.
P.S. Since this post was about food. The food and service on my British Airways flight to London and back were a delight. The food was tasty and the drinks were plentiful, there is an open bar! So whenever you find tickets with BA, I recommend that you grab it.
Check out the video of my trip: