Vermut hour and beyond: how to eat and drink like a local in Barcelona

Understanding the timetable

The first lesson of eating in Barcelona is timing. Lunch is the main meal and rarely starts before two, while dinner can begin at nine or later. Many restaurants offer a menú del dia at lunchtime on weekdays, a set meal of several courses with bread and a drink that is usually the best-value way to eat well.

Between meals, the city snacks. A mid-morning coffee with a pastry, a pre-lunch drink and a few olives, and a slow afternoon terrace session are all part of the day.

The ritual of vermut

Fer el vermut, literally doing the vermouth, is a weekend institution. Around midday, especially on Sundays, friends gather in old bodegas and bars for a glass of sweet red vermouth served over ice with an olive and a slice of orange, accompanied by tinned seafood, crisps and olives. Many bars make their own house vermouth or pour it from the barrel.

Look for traditional bodegas in neighbourhoods such as Sant Antoni, Gràcia and Poble-sec. The atmosphere is noisy, unpretentious and very local.

What to order

Pa amb tomàquet, bread rubbed with ripe tomato, olive oil and salt, accompanies almost everything. Bombas, the breaded potato and meat balls of Barceloneta, patatas bravas with spicy sauce and aioli, grilled razor clams and croquetas are classic tapas. In late winter and early spring, look out for calçots, long sweet onions charred over flames and dipped in romesco sauce.

For something more substantial, try arròs negre, rice cooked with squid ink, or a fideuà, a noodle dish cooked like paella. Finish with crema catalana, the local cousin of crème brûlée.

Markets worth visiting

La Boqueria on La Rambla is the famous one, beautiful but crowded. Go early in the morning or sit at one of its counter bars for breakfast. Santa Caterina, with its colourful wavy roof, and the restored Sant Antoni market are more relaxed and show how locals actually shop.

Wine lovers should try cava, the sparkling wine made in the Penedès region just outside the city, as well as reds from Priorat and Montsant.

A few points of etiquette

In busy tapas bars, standing at the counter is normal and often the fastest way to get served; catch the bartender's eye rather than waiting to be seated. Sharing plates is the default, so order a few dishes at a time and add more as you go instead of ordering everything at once.

Tipping is modest in Spain. Rounding up the bill or leaving a few coins for good service is appreciated but not expected in the way it is in some countries. Finally, remember that Barcelona is in Catalonia, where Catalan is spoken alongside Spanish; a simple bon dia or gràcies is always well received.

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