No tour of Spain’s gastronomic landscape is complete without including tapas, an icon of Spain’s food culture. With only three days at our disposal, we were keen to figure out how to best enjoy tapas in Barcelona and opted for a tapas tour. It was too risky relying on our own resources to discover some of the Catalan capital’s best tapas. Not when there were plenty of experts willing to show the way.

However, if you prefer a self-guided culinary adventure, check out Barcelona: A Foodie’s Guide for suggestions.

What are tapas?

Tapas are snacks, canapés, or small dishes, typically served in bars and cafés.

Enjoying tapas is deeply embedded in Spain’s food culture. It’s a style of dining that is as much a social experience as a culinary one.

A food tour?

We couldn’t resist the following title, description, and highly rated reviews of Food Lover Tour’s Tapas Lover Tour.

The first stop takes place in a local “after-hour bar/restaurant” very well known by the people of Barcelona for its good atmosphere. This is where we will start our tour with a few appetizers and drinks. Here, we’ll familiarize you with the basics of our culture’s approach to dining. At our second stop, we’ll continue enjoying appetizers, but these will be quite different from our first stop.

We’ll taste succulent, heartier tapas paired with typical drinks that form the identity of our Spanish and Catalan culture and are appreciated among the locals. The final tapas experience is a proper gastronomic and gourmet dinner. The Food Lover Tour has been granted access to some of the “most-coveted” and “must-see” restaurants in town. Sit down, relax and enjoy a true culinary adventure for foodies, including the best fresh local foods, seasonal meals, wine pairings and great company.

Would a vegan tapas tour be more appealing? A similar gourmet tour visits three neighbourhoods and three acclaimed restaurants.   

A classic meeting place

With taste buds primed, we met our guide Matthieu Floret in front of one of Barcelona’s famous landmarks — Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Milà (‘La Pedrera’). Throughout the tour, Matthieu provided tantalizing tidbits of information relating to Spanish architecture, history, and culture, beginning with an entertaining story about the origins of La Pedrera.

A comfortable stroll

All three stops were within a comfortable walking distance of La Pedrera and each other. The last restaurant was conveniently located opposite a metro station. While the basic structure of each Tapas Lover Tour is the same, different ingredients make each one unique. Different guides choose different establishments and different menu items. The flavour of each tour is enhanced by the people, who come together from far-flung places. In our case, tour members came from Belarus, Canada, Norway, and the United States. Assisting Matthieu was Romain, another guide with Food Lover Tour, both originally from France.

It didn’t take long for the social element of the tapas experience to infuse with the other ingredients. Both contributed to a memorable experience.

How to best enjoy tapas in Barcelona

The first stop

Our first stop just off the Rambla de Catalunya specialized in seafood. It was clear we were in capable hands, and no surprise when Matt’s suggestion of a white wine pairing received appreciative nods. It was a perfect accompaniment to the first tapas — Buñuelos de bacalao (codfish croquettes).

Next came Pulpo á la Gallega (Galician octopus). A signature dish from Galicia in the northwest of Spain, pulpo á la Gallega is garnished with paprika, rock salt, and olive oil.

The Eisqueixada de bacallá (codfish with olives and tomato) was delectable. Esqueixada is sometimes described as the ‘Catalan ceviche’ because it’s made with raw fish, salt-cured in a marinade. The name of the dish is derived from the Catalan verb esqueixar, meaning to tear or shred. The cod is shredded by hand to achieve the proper texture.

My favourite of the seafood tapas was the Boquerones en vinagre (small anchovies in vinegar with olives). Fresh brown anchovy fillets are submerged in a bath of salt and water for three hours, followed by a bath of vinegar for six hours. The fillets turn white as the vinegar reacts with the fish. Once the liquid is drained, they’re seasoned with minced garlic and olive oil.

The second stop

Popular tapas bars and restaurants have limited space. An advantage of a tour is the reserved seating. This was true at our second stop, a small and narrow tapas bar specializing in ‘mountain cuisine.’ Matt had warned us that accepting his suggested pairing at this particular establishment was obligatory. There were no complaints after the first sip of the vermut casero (house vermouth).

One after the other, the meat tapas were placed on the two wine barrels serving as tables around which our group was seated.

Butifarra (white sausage with mushrooms) is one of the most important dishes of Catalan cuisine.

Chistorra (Txistorra) is a long, thin, lightly spiced raw pork sausage seasoned with paprika and garlic.

Manchego (cheese sprinkled with crushed almonds and drizzled with olive oil) hails from La Mancha region. It’s made from the milk of manchega sheep. The creamy flavour leaves an aftertaste often characteristic of sheep’s milk.

Allachofas (artichokes) and Cargols catalana (escargot) rounded out the selection.

The third stop

At our final stop, Food Lover Tour certainly delivered on its promise of “a proper gastronomic and gourmet dinner.” Overseeing the kitchen was Antonio Simôes, the recipient of the best chef award in 2014 by the Academia Catalana de Gastronomia.

Could there be a more fitting way to begin than with Jamón serrano (red label cured ham)? This Spanish and Catalan culinary symbol is served in bars and restaurants throughout the region.

The meal was paired with red wine from Priorat. It’s one of only two wine regions in Spain qualifying for DOC status (Denominación de Origen Calificada or Qualified Appellation of Origin).

La Taverna Patatas Bravas (potato wedges with romesco sauce) are a cylindrical adaptation of a popular Catalan dish. It’s one of the signature offerings of Chef Antonio Simôes.

The iglú de pulpo (octopus with potatoes) derives its name from the fact that the octopus is cooked inside an igloo-inspired dome of mashed potatoes. The ‘igloo’ rested on four slices of what appeared to be Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician octopus).

When we thought the meal was coming to a close, one delicious offering after another came to the table. The Múrgulas con crema de foie (wood morels with foie gras sauce and truffle cream) was delectable.

Canelón (cannelon with duck, truffles, and béchamel sauce) included a rich and creamy complement to the delicious homemade cannelon. Cannelons are traditionally served on special occasions and holidays such as Sant Esteve (Saint Stephen’s) Day, the day after Christmas.

Calamars (calamari with organic greens) provided a light and succulent contrast to the rich flavours of preceding dishes.

The ice cream and strawberry mousse was a fitting finale to an amazing variety of culinary delights.

The verdict?

We came empty and left fully satisfied after 17 different tapas and 3 wine pairings. The tour was well organized and well coordinated. A great deal of thought had been invested in presenting a wide variety of contrasting foods and flavours representing the best of Catalan cuisine.

If you have an appetite and thirst for experiencing local food at its best, interspersed with interesting information about Catalan food culture, Food Lover Tour will deliver on both fronts.

 

Are you interested in further reading? Enjoying Pulpo á la Gallega (Galician octopus) in Spain was the motivation to try to replicate it at home in Bringing travel home to your kitchen.

 

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This is not a sponsored post. I paid the full price of the tour, was not compensated in any way by Food Lover Tour, or asked to write a review.