Food & Wine in Barcelona Tour

Dive into the food, wine and culture of the Catalan capital, Spain’s most creative city. See the essentials of the city’s history and architecture. Enjoy the best of Barcelona’s cuisine, from traditional tapas to creative young chefs to world-class modern fine dining.

Barcelona

These days Barcelona might be the most famous city in Spain. The Ciudad Condal has an inimitable charm, like Paris crossed with a beach town. Spectacular architecture, world-class restaurants, and a strong Catalan character under the surface. Outside the capital, Cataluña shows its full strength. This is the most distinct part of Spain, with its own language, cuisine, wine, history, culture.

Barcelona’s rise has been sharp. A few decades ago, one of the most important cities of the Mediterranean was distinctly off the itinerary, with a reputation as a seedy port suitable only for the more adventurous Eurotrip types. How things have changed. A series of facelifts and massive public and private investment have made Barcelona one of the world’s top destinations. The former industrial port became a glossy waterfront district. Gleaming hotels and business headquarters popped up across the city. Ancient ruins and modernist buildings were restored and today draw visitors from all around the world. Barcelona today is a true Mediterranean capital and the pride of Cataluña.

Even at the airport you can feel the pull of the city. When you get into the center of town, you feel that you’ve arrived somewhere special. Barcelona has something for everyone and is ready to welcome all who make the trip there. The old town, split by the famous Las Ramblas, invites you to explore its narrow streets and hidden plazas. The old fisherman’s quarter, the Barceloneta, connects you to the beach and the coastal relaxation that have helped make Barcelona popular. The sophisticated Eixample impresses with its mixture of luxurious shops and comfortable tapas bars, all interspersed with incredible Modernist architecture. The neighborhoods of upper Barcelona hold the secrets of that true, old, Catalan culture that lies beneath the global cosmopolitan surface of the city. The mixture of the old and the new, the global and the local, is what makes this one of the world’s most special cities.

By day, the beauty of the city is on full display. The Gothic Quarter and the Born let you see the enchantment of Medieval Barcelona. Gaudí’s Modernist constructions, from the famous Sagrada Familia and Park Güell to less-known palaces, showcase the historic wealth and creativity that grew in the city. The Barceloneta invites you to enjoy a paella by the beach. Museums and attractions of all sorts are everywhere, more than you could ever visit. The city’s teeming markets beckon with their wealth of products from Cataluña’s rich countryside, from the famous Boquería to the neighborhood markets off the beaten track. Wherever you spend your day, you might want to use your last bit of daylight to take in the city, whether from the beachfront, the hill of Montjuic, or a rooftop bar with a glass of cold cava in your hand. The day may be ending, but the city is far from done.

By night, the city comes to life, or rather accelerates further. The tapas bars fill up, whether the hidden traditional spots in the old part or upper city or the hip scenes of the Eixample and the beachfront. Eating options are near infinite: Michelin star innovators with postmodern creations, classic restaurants with white tablecloths and local clientele, masters of cuisines from around the world, anything you can imagine. Wine bars overflow with clients looking to sample the wines of Cataluña, flashy rooftops and sunset bars with postmodern furniture play at Ibiza, holes in the wall serve strong drinks in dark rooms with red curtains, Catalans fill cafés and sip cava and vermouth and work up their appetites. Whatever you are looking for as the sun goes down or as it comes back up, Barcelona has it.

On the blog: A Trip to the Heart of Priorat and Penedes

Day 1 - Barcelona: Gothic Quarter

• Gothic Quarter Tour

• Lunch at Cal Pap

• Dinner at Gresca

• Overnight Barcelona

Gothic Quarter Tour

Explore the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, the oldest part of the city that’s home to some of its most important monuments. You’ll head down the Ramblas and visit the Boquería Market, the most iconic of Barcelona’s food markets and a great place to see the ingredients behind Catalan cuisine. Then dive into the narrow streets of the Gótico, where you see the city’s history going back to the Romans and the origins of the city’s identity. See the Plaça Sant Jaume with the Town Hall and the Catalonian Seat of Government along with the Gothic Cathedral. Continue your tour by crossing into the Born district, an atmospheric part of the old town with a wealth of culture and enchanting character.

Lunch at Cal Pep

Cal Pep is one of Barcelona's gastronomic temples. Grab a spot at the bar and watch the freshest local ingredients be prepared right on front of you. Seafood from the nearby Mediterranean is a specialty. The experienced waiters can guide you, or you can do as the regulars do and order what you see coming across the bar to the other happy customers. For a restaurant-style meal without losing the focus on shared plates, you can dine in the cozy back room or on the outdoor terrace. An essential stop in the city for all.

Dinner at Gresca

One of Barcelona’s first and most successful exemplars of the “Bistronomía” movement of casual fine dining, Gresca remains one of the city’s temples to good eating and drinking. The bar and the tables offer a view of the open kitchen, where the best seasonal products turn into creative, delicious dishes. Chef Rafa Peña combines Catalan products and recipes with influences from abroad and his own creativity. Wine is also key at Gresca. The wine list is extensive, with rare bottlings from small producers in Spain and France a notable strength. Whether it’s Catalan sparkling, Jura, Priorat or Riesling, you’ll find something new and amazing to try here. Gresca is the perfect place to eat and drink incredibly well in an informal environment in Barcelona.

Day 2 - Barcelona: Gaudi, Modernism & Modern Cuisine

• Gaudi & Modernism Tour

• Lunch at Cinc Sentits

• Overnight Barcelona

Gaudi & Modernism Tour

A Gaudi specialist guide will pick you up for a private Gaudi tour. Visit Gaudi’s major works including the Sagrada Familia church, the popular Parc Guell, and have a guided walk along the famous Paseo de Gracia street to see two other Gaudi buildings: Casa Mila, called La Pedrera, (from the inside) and fairy-tale like Casa Batllo (from the outside). Start your tour at the Sagrada Familia church (skipping the lines). Tour the inside of what many consider to be Gaudi’s masterpiece. Not yet completed, the basilica adds exterior towers and interior details every year. Afterwards you will transfer to Parc Guell. The park became one of Barcelona’s most popular attractions so now reservations and tickets are required. Your guide will explain Gaudi’s whimsical tile work found throughout the park. Bring your camera to capture some of the best views over Barcelona. Finally your guide will take you on a walking tour of the so-called Block of Discord on Paseo de Gracia street. See Gaudi’s La Pedrera, officially called Casa Milla and his fantasy-inducing Casa Batllo.

Modernism Add On

Casa Vicens & Casa de les Punxes

Visit Casa Vicens, Unesco World Heritage Site designed by Antoni Gaudi and built as a summer home for Catalan art dealer Manel Vicens i Montaner, and Casa de les Punxes designed by Modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, whose stained glass and decorative sculpture, ironwork, glass and ceramics adorn the façade.

Lunch at Cinc Sentits

Chef Jordi Artal’s Cinc Sentits is a benchmark for modern Catalan cuisine in Barcelona. After growing up in Canada and working in Silicon Valley, Artal moved to Barcelona and opened Cinc Sentits with little more than the flavors of his mother’s cooking and talent to work with. Today, in a spacious restaurant in the Eixample district, he creates tasting menus that showcase the flavors and recipes of Cataluña with vision and without regard for trends. Each dish showcases an ingredient and takes it to its maximum expression. In the pairing department, carefully chosen drinks including Artal’s own artisan vermouth, Catalan wines and other small-production bottlings enhance the dishes.

Dinner at Paco Meralgo

Paco Meralgo is the updated tapas spot to seek out in Barcelona. The space, with a bar, high tables and dining rooms, is casual and vibrant. Catalan product forms the backbone of a menu rooted in the traditions of the region and the pure flavors of the countryside and the sea. From Barcelona classics like patatas bravas and canelons to subtle fish and shellfish dishes, Paco Meralgo does it impeccably. It’s the kind of place where you want to try as many dishes as possible, washed down with cold beer or Catalan wine.

Day 3 - Markets & Young Chefs

• Free day in Barcelona

• Lunch at the market bars of the Sant Antoni market

• Dinner at Cruix

Lunch at the Market Mars of the Sant Antoni Market

Visit Barcelona’s historic Sant Antoni market, gleaming from the recent renovation. The market includes stunningly fresh produce, a dizzying array of fish and seafood and some of Barcelona’s best market bars. For lunch, grab a stool and order away. The newly relocated Pinotxo, a long-time favorite in the Boquería Market, serves Catalan classics and impossibly fresh produce and seafood in one corner, a mandatory stop if you can find a seat.

Dinner at Cruix

Cruix is one of Barcelona’s new generation of creative restaurants, where inspired dishes are served in a casual environment. Young chef Miquel Pardo worked in some of Spain’s finest kitchens before opening Cruix, including Abac and Ricard Camarena. At Cruix, Pardo wanted to create a restaurant that he and his friends would want to eat at. The result is a varied, fun series of dishes served in tasting menus without the theater these usually imply. Pardo’s roots near Valencia mean that paella is always a fixture here, but the other parts of the menu take inspiration from tapas and traditional dishes with visionary twists. The wine list has something for everyone, from surprising artisan and natural wines to classic bottles from Spain’s great wine regions.

Day 4 - Departure

Food & Wine in Barcelona Tour

Trip Information

Hotel

Barcelona - 3 nights

Alma Barcelona Hotel - A 5-star bolthole in the heart of the Eixample district, the Alma’s rooms, restaurant, and secret terrace are perfect to unwind after a day exploring the city. The modern, light-filled rooms are relaxing and filled with every luxury. The restaurant downstairs serves excellent food, while the terrace, protected from the bustle of the city, is one of the best places in the city to have a drink. The staff offer superlative service, able to handle anything you might need.

Trip Includes

• 3 nights hotel, double occupancy

• breakfast daily in the hotel

• expert private guides

• private premium wine tasting

• restaurant reservations and recommendations

• full trip planning

• in-country trip assistance and on-the-ground support

• Epicurean Ways expertise

Not Included

• flights to/from Spain and flights within Spain

• tips to guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)

• travel insurance (recommended)

• extra charges in hotels (minibar, room service, etc)

Optional

• private airport transfers

A note on restaurant selections and hotels

All tours, experiences and hotels are subject to availability and will be confirmed upon booking the trip.

We include restaurant concierge service as part of your trip. Note that our restaurant suggestions are just that–suggestions. Places we love, places to go back to time after time. We recommend these places after years of experience eating in Spain and Portugal together with frequent research and input from our local partners. We aspire to guide your choices with information on the styles of cuisine and restaurants; the choice on where to eat is yours based on your preferences and desires.

We have included hotel options ranging from 5-star luxury properties to small boutique hotels. Let us know your preferences and we will tailor the hotel choices for you.

Trip Prices

Note that we can customize this trip for you. Add days in your arrival or departure city or in other locations or make changes to the experiences, winery visits, restaurants, or hotels included in the trip. Whatever it is, we’re here to work with you. Once you’re happy with the trip plan and have some idea of your dates we will calculate and send you the price.