Walk & Taste Barcelona

The oldest parts of the city of Barcelona are the most dense in tourist attractions.

Given the unprecedented rise in the tourism industry in recent years, these neighborhoods are also swarming with tourist traps, so it is vital to navigate them with the help of a local who can point out the real deal, which is there too!

This tour includes a visit to the world-famous Boqueria market, one of Europe’s oldest and largest fresh markets.

We will also stop at a very traditional knife and gadget shop, one of Camila’s local favorites.

This tour is mostly tapas-based, and our tastings will occur at the market but also other hidden gems in the area.

Optional sit-down lunch at the end, at a gem of a Slow Food bistro.

Once an independent town in itself, Gràcia didn’t become part of Barcelona proper until the 19th century. To this day it still boasts its own personality, and locals who have lived in Gracia their whole lives say they are “going down to Barcelona”.

Small in size, though densely populated, Gràcia is favored by locals for its combination of traditional and young. Artsy and whimsical, Gràcia is chock-full of small independent boutiques, shops (epicurean and non), cafés, bars, and restaurants.

Our tour will include a long halt at one of the best and oldest specialty olive oil shops in the city, where you will get to experience a tasting guided by the shop owner herself, our friend and pioneer olive oil gastronome Sandra Stefani. You will have the opportunity to purchase high-quality oils to take home at very fair prices.

This tour also includes a visit to a neighborhood market, one of our favorites in the city, as well as an optional sit-down lunch at the end at a small, artisanal market fare restaurant loved by locals.

Once an industrial neighborhood known as the Manchester of Barcelona, the growth of the city and Poblenou’s wonderful location by the sea have transformed it entirely.

Artists and creatives started taking over the industrial factory lofts, and new construction was not far behind.

During this tour we will walk & taste you down Poblenou’s rambla, or promenade, and point out some of the traditional places still standing.

We will visit a co-working art space, where you will have the opportunity to pick up high quality handmade pottery and souvenirs.

Our walk will end in an optional sit-down lunch at either a very traditional fish and seafood restaurant, or a secret restaurant cooked by a talented young chef, tucked away in a hidden spot.

With its architecturally stunning, recently reopened neighborhood market (many years under renovation), Sant Antoni and Poble Sec have shifted quickly from a working-class area exclusive to locals to modern, diverse, and trendy neighborhoods.

They now hold the best of both worlds, though it’s ideal to have a guide to navigate some of the globalized tourist traps here now as well and show you the real deal.

Our tour will combine traditional bodegas with modern tapas offerings, and we will stop at some specialty shops that you won’t want to miss.

One of our stops will include a traditional vermut just the way the locals do it, at the right time of day -the pre-lunch aperitivo.

Optional sit-down lunch will take place at somewhere very special, a Sobremesa favorite off the beaten path.

One of Barcelona’s best kept secrets, very few tourists make it to Sant Cugat, which is a mere 20-minute train ride from downtown Barcelona. In recent years, this area has blossomed as multinational companies have settled in the area, encouraging their international employees to do the same. This influx makes for a peaceful mix of the traditional and the modern. On our tour, focused on markets of all kinds, we will show you are favorite places, which include Sant Cugat’s famous, impeccably maintained monastery, as well as its recently renovated antique food market. A brief walk will take us to Mercantic, an antique market which also boasts artisans, vintage and modern design, and of course, excellent gastronomical opportunities. Choose the lunch option for a delicious spot you won’t find too many foreigners in. If you choose to do this tour on a Saturday, we will include a visit to a bustling local farmers market.

Sarrià was an independent municipality until the early 20th century, first made up of large agricultural regions (mostly in the wine sector). Nowadays, largely residential and well-off, Sarrià is also rich in history and architectural beauty.

Many travelers don’t often make it up to this part of the city, such a pity because it’s beautiful and deserves a visit, especially when you have us to guide you to some key epicurean spots, such as the local market, some small specialty shops (inhabitants of the neighborhood still shop the old way) and one of the best tapas bars in the city (especially for patatas bravas, always a favorite).

This tour will climax with an optional sit-down lunch at an upscale restaurant in a stunning building, with a gorgeous patio and delicious Catalan cuisine.