As you would expect, there are plenty of local bars and pubs serving a range of beer, too many to mention, but if you’re on the city for a couple of days, try the Port Olimpic or Olympic Harbour with a wide range of places to eat, drink and dance the night away in a rather picturesque setting.
The city has numerous restaurants serving a range of international cuisine with tapas being widely available. Typical pub grub and snacks are available in many of the Irish and English pubs and there are plenty of KFC and McDonalds restaurants on the main tourist streets. If you fancy seafood, try one of the restaurants down by the Olimpic Port area. There is also a selection of vegetarian restaurants throughout the city.
Local Foods & Beverages
When you think of Spain you think of tapas, and rightly so, but Barcelona is also well known for its variety of seafood cuisine. Indeed, Spain is the largest per capita consumer of fish in Europe.
The range of tapas on offer varies greatly; originating many moons ago as a piece of bread that was placed over a drink to keep the flies away (from tapar, literally meaning ‘to cover’), the cuisine grew to the extent that the breads soon came with toppings, until all drinks were typically served with these small snacks. Tapas now comes in two forms – either the small snack served with a drink, or a larger meal, meant for sharing among friends.
What you are likely to receive with your beer/wine depends greatly on the café or bar in which it is served – some will offer up a relatively simple snack such as olives, others will go much further and give their patrons small versions of main meal dishes. Either way, it’s a great way to try some of the local cuisine.
When going out for a meal of tapas, it is more customary to order a racion, which is a larger dish than the small snack that accompanies a drink, and each person will order a couple of these to share.
Main Drinking Areas
Simply put: Las Ramblas. Most fans will head here during the day, although we might suggesting heading off into some of the smaller side-streets to avoid the mass of bodies and finding yourself a smaller, local bar if you want to avoid the higher prices and tourist trappings.
Irish & English Pubs
The city, as you would expect, has no shortage of places to eat and drink, no matter what you fancy. There are the customary selection of Irish bars and British pubs – in fact more than 20 to choose from, with a couple of Aussie bars thrown in for good measure.
Some of the more centrally-located (and therefore likely to popular with English fans, despite being somewhat pricey) include Michael Collins Pub opposite Sagrada Familia in the heart of the city (metro L2 or L5 to station of the same name), open everyday from 12pm – 3am, Temple Bar on Carrer Ferran, just off Las Ramblas, open 12pm – 2am during the week through until 3am on weekends (metro Liceu L4) but expect to pay around €5.20 for Guinness and €4.50 for a pint.
However, these are only a selection and others include My Bar, the Temple Bar’s younger brother, just off Las Ramblas (metro L3 Liceu) with the same opening hours and prices; Flaherty’s again just off Las Ramblas (metro L3 to Liceu) where you can get Guinness for €4.70 and a pint for around €4.20, the Donegal Irish Pub, opened in 2005 of Las Ramblas, open from 8.30am – 3am and from 11am on weekends, the Shamrock (metro L1 or L3 to Catalunya), open from 12pm to 2.30am and to 3am on weekends and McCarthy’s Bar (metro L1 or L4 Urquinaona), open from 1pm – 2.30am during the week and until 3am on the weekend offering pints for €3.70 and Guinness for €4.50.
There are also a couple of English pubs including the Black Horse situated on C/Allada Vermall – from Las Ramblas walk along C/ Ferran across via Laietana along C/ Princesa to C/Allada Vermall (metro L1 or L2 Arc de Triomf). It is open 6pm – 2am and from 1pm – 3am on weekends. The Smoking Dog (metro Sant Antoni) is slightly further out of the city centre open 6pm – 2.30am or 3am on weekends and serves the usual beers and Guinness for around €3.60 to €4. The George and Dragon just off Paseo de Gracia (metro L2, L3, L4 Gracia) is fairly centrally-located and is open until 2.30am everyday.
Fast Food Outlets
Fast food outlets are liberally dotted around the city, so you'll never be too far from a McDonald's or a Burger King.
