La Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain
Save a few hours of your day to eat, drink & shop in Barca's market!
Jul 7, 2009
At the center of nearly every great culture-rich city you will find an open-air market - sometimes big, sometimes smaller - where locals come each day to buy fresh, seasonal groceries. In the Mediterranean port city of Barcelona, the Mercat de San Josep de la Boqueria (more commonly called La Boqueria) is the place to shop, eat and drink as the Barca natives do - and has been for over 100 years.
When making plans to visit la Boqueria, make sure you give yourself enough time to truly explore this incredible provision-packed labrynth. (Foodies beware: you will need at least half of the day.) The market is vast and unbelievably dense, though there seems to be a loose system for grouping stalls that sell similar products - eg. proteins here, cheeses there, seafood yonder, wines at the back, etc. Take your time strolling through the seemingly endless aisles - the sheer volume and variety of goods available there each day is astounding, and they will all be right at your fingertips!
Whether you're visiting la Boqueria to buy groceries for an exquisite meal, or simply to roam around, make sure you sit down for a bite and a glass of wine or sangria at one (or a few!) of the countless tapas bars within the market's matrix. Most of these tiny restaurants use ingredients straight from their neighboring stalls to create fresh, authentic Catalán dishes and small bites. If you do it right, you'll scope out which bars are getting business, wait for a seat, then swoop in for a taste. As previously mentioned, there is a large concentration of tapas bars here, so have a dish or two where you're at, then head on to the next one! And keep an eye out for two of la Boqueria's most famous spots - Pinxot and El Quim de la Boqueria - if you can grab a place at either one, take advantage...you're in for a treat!
A trip to the great city of Barcelona would be incomplete without a visit to the Mercat de San Josep de la Boqueria. Located right on the main street of Las Ramblas, there's no excuse for missing out!
Tips for visiting la Boqueria:
- If you are planning to buy a lot of groceries, make sure to bring a little rolling basket to carry your stuff. No shopping carts here!
- The prices are incredible throughout the market, so don't buy from the first purveyor you come across - you may find someone with a better price.
- If you can speak a little Spanish, ask one of the locals about which vendor sells the freshest stuff.
- Take photos! Some of the most beautiful food in the world will be right before your eyes.
- Don't rush! There are too many great things to see, so give yourself plenty of time to explore!
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