Eating your way through Sant Antoni ∼ Barcelona´s food lovers district
The Sant Antoni neighborhood in Barcelona, pretty close to the bustling Barcelona Ramblas, is the perfect place to mingle with the locals and expats alike. Here is where you take a break from being a tourist and tour Barcelona like a local. The neighborhood, once home to the working-class who populated Barcelona during the Industrial Revolution boasts a unique laid-back atmosphere and an amazing arrange of restaurants that showcase the best of Catalan gastronomy.
Check out this list of wonderful and non-touristy places for where to eat in the idyllic Sant Antoni district in Barcelona, and hang out with the locals. Make sure you take a stroll through the streets of this area and do not miss visiting the Sant Antoni Market, one of the oldest food markets in town.
MASCLANS ORIGENS ~ authentic market food inside the Sant Antoni Food Market
Masclans Origens is one of our favorite spots in Sant Antoni, a family-run business with whom we are proud to partner in our Food Tour of Authentic Barcelona. Part fish-shop and part tapas-bar, the food they serve are traditional tapas, mostly made of family recipes and all fresh! Just find them inside the Sant Antoni Market.
PEPA TOMATE ∼ Informal, authentic tapas
Pepa Tomate Parlament is a fresh, informal and modern restaurant that offers tapas and dishes from the traditional cuisine of Barcelona and Catalonia with an original touch. Foods are made with fresh and seasonal products. It is also a good place to celebrate the local tradition: fer el vermut, accompanied by their churras with allioli, a delicious salad or a bit of bread with tomato and Cantabrian anchovies.
BODEGA 1900 ∼ Traditional gourmet foods of Barcelona
Photo credit: El Barri Adria
Bodega 1900 is that place where you dreamed about sipping artisan vermuts or cavas while enjoying the best Barcelona Tapas. From an arranged of marinades, preserves, olives, cured and grilled meats, ham slices cut by hand, to the inevitable healthy veggies that are always present in Catalan gastronomy.
BARNA BREW ~ brewpub with authentic craft beers
Barna Brew is the coziest brewpub in Barcelona. A project that actually started in Brussels, the world-capital of craft beer, they won notoriety with their award-winning Moreneta series of beers. They moved to Barcelona in 2017 and settled in Sant Antoni. Their craft beers are mainly Belgian-style beers with a local twist. Ceci N’Est Pas une IPA and the fresh Pils Parlament are our favorites. The bar looks like a French brasserie and many of the dishes are beer-inspired.
CA L´ISIDRE ∼ Excellent seasonal Catalan cuisine
Ca l´Isidre is a traditional, family restaurant that mixes the traditional Mediterranean with farm to fork cuisine, all recreated to satisfy contemporary exigencies.
Ca l´Isidre restaurant was founded in 1970 by Isidre Gironès and his wife Montserrat and has been a Barcelona favorite and landmark ever since. The restaurant is still family owned and won the National Prize for Gastronomy in 2017.
An interesting trivia fact: Ca l´Isidre was one of the favorite dining venues of Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson when they filmed Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
JONNY ALDANA ∼ Delicious, veggie-friendly tapas
Jonny Aldana is one of the friendliest, tastiest and most affordable tapas bars that you might find in Barcelona. The city is awash with some very average, tourist-trap places, but this restaurant guarantees a great meal complemented with excellent drinks. Unlike many more traditional tapas restaurants, the menu here is vegetarian and vegan-friendly and with plenty of modern twists.
Jonny Aldana usually features a DJ on weekends, and the vibe is chilled rather than party like. There is also a fantastic vermouth and cocktail selection. Family-friendly too, if you have your kids in tow, this is a place to visit in your Barcelona trip.
TICKETS ∼ playful haute cuisine
Fine and informal cuisine, Tickets is among the 50 worlds best restaurants and has 1-Michelin Star. Here you’ll go on a feast of delicious tapas, most of them a delicious experiment that will open your 5 senses in a unique way. To visit Tickets, you need to make a reservation on their website well in advance. The lucky ones never regret.
LOLITA TAPERIA ∼ Inventive Catalan cuisine
San Antoni’s bohèmic side is well represented by this tapas heaven. Lolita Taperia is a modern-Catalan tapas bar that serves the traditional Mediterranean fare with some creative twists. While it’s no secret that they have some of the best tapas in Barcelona, the menu is definitely worth sampling. Dishes include olives, top Iberian ham, and seafood. Vermuts are poured in the glass of locals over weekends, and a fantastic wine menu and the local Moritz beer pair the food.
Each dish is a modern take on an old classic, creating some of the finest modern Catalan dishes in the city. On the inside, Lolita Taperia is small and cozy, with a laid-back and lively atmosphere. There is a nice terrace seating area outside too.
ORXATERIA SIRVENT ∼ Barcelona’s best tiger nuts milk (orxata)
Horchata is one of Spain’s national specialties. This seasonal refreshing drink is made from tiger-nuts water and sugar and served chilled. Loved all over the country, the drink is particularly welcome after a hot day exploring Barcelona. Horchetaria Sirvent is one of the city’s more traditional hochetarias; founded in 1920 it became something of an institution.
Come in summer, there will be a line outside and down the street every day of the week. Inside, Orxateria Sirvent is basic, bright and clean. Menus are displayed above the counter, and larger 1.5 and 2-liter bottles of horchata can be bought if you want to take some home with you. The horchateria also serves ice cream, nougat-like turrones, and granitas (granizados). There is some limited seating inside and out. Family friendly, cheap and highly popular among locals in Barcelona. It is the perfect place to head for some refreshment or Catalan dessert after a day’s sightseeing. Note that during the winter months – November to late March – they just sell nougats (turrones).
BODEGA VINITO ∼ wine lovers’ paradise
Bodega Vinito is a fantastic place to drink wine that is poured from barrels or from a careful selection of bottles. This is the place where you go with your friends to hang out around a crowd of happy people. Take a look at their pintxos and tapas selection, it helps to drink more delicious wine from Catalonia.
TARANNA ~ the friendly and healthy cafe
Cafe Taranna is a cozy place, where you’ll find yourself like at a friends’ home. Here expect to drink organic fair trade coffee, natural juices, home-made infusions, and terrific lemonades, plus wine and beer (of course! This is Barcelona). As well do not miss their homemade cakes and their delicious and healthy daily menu.
SANT ANTONI GLORIOS ~ upscale foods at popular prices
Sant Antoni Glorios is the new hidden gem of the barrio. This gastronomic tavern serves a range of products from Galicia and Catalonia, all carefully selected and fresh. Prices are outstanding, especially considering that the man behind the scenes is Mandu Gimeno, a renowned chef who grew within the Michelin stars.
PULPERIA GUDIÑA ∼ Seafood & traditional tapas since 1993
A visit to Barcelona isn’t complete without a visit to a proper Pulpería for some traditional octopus tapas, washed down with some cava. Pulpería Gudiña is a must visit for some of the most perfectly cooked seafood tapas, including razor clams, Galician octopus, jamón, and cigalas. This is an authentic restaurant, and you can choose to sit at the bar if you want to be closer to all the cooking action. It’s bright and cheery inside, with friendly staff who will give you genuine recommendations for you to eat like a local.
The central location makes Pulpería Guldiña a good tapas stop-off on a night out or for a light lunch. Prices reflect the quality: it’s not super cheap but it’s definitely fairly priced. Very relaxed and casual, with a loud local crowd that spills out onto the street on weekends. Well priced drinks too, with good house wine and cava on their menu. One of the best restaurants to eat octopus dishes outside of Galicia.
EL DINAMIC ~ food, music, art, and good vibes
El Dinamic is a gastronomic, playful and cultural space. You will feel like eating at a friend’s courtyard and is perfect both for a group or a romantic gathering. Fantastic restaurant to start the day or the evening with a glass of vermouth. All of their dishes are prepared with products sourced in the Catalan countryside. Plus, there is always a nice surprise with a live band playing, or an exhibition from a local artist to see.
BENZINA
Bezina is an amazing place! The industrial interior decoration, the rock playlists, and the super comfy seats. All this with an upscale version of the most amazing dishes of Italian cuisine simply made me feel like being somewhere between Brooklyn, a Roman trattoria while in fact, I was in Sant Antoni, Barcelona.
CAFE COMETA ∼ Cozy, quirky cafe
Sant Antoni is one of Barcelona’s best areas for coffee, breakfast, brunch, and beers. Café Cometa is a standout spot that offers excellent coffee, fresh juices, cakes, lunches, and craft beers. The café is both hip and very sweet, with quirky décor and artwork on the walls.
Whilst popular with tourists (there are English menus if needed), the café is also a hangout for locals, giving it a real neighborhood feel. Despite the trendy location and great quality of their foods, the prices are very affordable. There are also plenty of outdoor tables if you want to soak up some sun and the Sant Antoni atmosphere.
In case you are interested to explore the foodie side of Barcelona with a local food expert? Barcelona Eat Local acclaimed Food Tours drive through the most interesting aspects of local gastronomy. Our signature food tour of authentic Barcelona has been rated 5 stars by worldwide foodies, and you can experience first-hand the roots of Catalan cuisine by visiting local markets, wine bars, tapas bars, hidden restaurants and more to get to know the city´s most delicious side!