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La Boqueria Market, Barcelona, Spain

La Boqueria Market, Barcelona, Spain
La Boqueria Market is one of my favorite spots in Barcelona. The market is a large, covered marketplace that offers everything from candied fruit to foie gras, just off La Rambla, one of Barcelona’s busiest streets. A market has been operating at the same location as far back as 1217, though the face of the market has changed many times over the years. The modern market was built in 1840.

The market is packed with with chefs, locals, tourists and foodies from the time that it opens very early in the morning. The vendors sell just about everything you can imagine. Chefs stock up on very fresh, top quality meat, fish and poultry, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs and all kinds of cured meats and cheeses. Tourists are more likely to purchase fruits, nuts, artisan candies, chocolates and individually wrapped foods that they can eat with little to no preparation as they wander around the market taking photos – and there are a lot of people taking photos at the market.

Eggs at La Boqueria Market
Fish at Eggs at La Boqueria Market

Read on for lots more photos of the market!

The best part of the market is that many of the stalls are actually small restaurants. These bustling restaurants serve some of the best, freshest food that you’ll find in the city – with ingredients that came from the stall next door and arrived at the market that morning. Usually small, with just a few stools and many people to compete for them, these restaurants serve both traditional Spanish food and more innovative Catalonian fare and offer a fantastic value for what you get. My favorite would be El Quim de la Boqueria (full post coming soon) and Pinotxo Bar, but there are many others.

Nic at Eggs at La Boqueria Market
Chocolates at La Boqueria Market

Finding the market off La Rambla is easy and finding your way around the crowded maze of stalls is not as difficult as you might think. Although you can simply wander through the corridors of the covered market and make your own path, the market often stations people at the entrance to hand out guides to the market so you’ll be able to find what stalls are where more easily. It’s a fantastic place to explore, take photos and – of course – eat. Have breakfast, have lunch, have an afternoon snack. The market opens before dawn and most of the vendors close down after lunch, around 3 or 4 pm.

Vegetables at La Boqueria Market
Peppers at La Boqueria Market
Spanish ham at La Boqueria Market
Buying fish at La Boqueria Market
Eating at La Boqueria Market
Candies at La Boqueria Market
Buying smoothies at La Boqueria Market

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5 Comments
  • Shelly@Kaye Syrah
    November 10, 2011

    This is excellent! I am headed to Barcelona in a few days and La Boqueria is on the top of my list, well next to a pilgrimage to Vincon for a paella pan, or two.

  • honeywhatscooking
    November 10, 2011

    omg.. i just returned from barcelona 2 months ago and I LOVED Boqueria Market.. so good! I absolutely loved the veggie empanadas, did you have a chance to try those? and those cod fish fritters – really cute guy who makes them. 🙂 I tried Pinoxto Bar, but I guess it was too much meat and was very limited in choices. Easily the best place for food in Barca. Great post!

  • vivian
    November 16, 2011

    hehe i have basically the same photos from my trip to barcelona. did you try bar central in the boqueria? it was the best meal of my trip, although that might have had something to do with it being august and most restaurants closing for vacation that month… sigh

  • ilgustodiviaggiare
    October 22, 2012

    It’s really a wonderful market!
    Foods are not important, you can only open your senses ad looking for colors and tastes..
    This is the real soul of Barcelona!
    You can find my experience at this page of my italian blog

    http://ilgustodiviaggiare.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/barcellona-spagna-la-boqueria/

  • polajar
    August 11, 2013

    Before the trip to Barcelona read your article and decided to visit the Boqueria. We had lunch in an unmarked shop somewhere in the depths of the market, were very satisfied with their choice – mussels, anchovy, croquettes, clams (shells-long sticks, in which something like milk, proved to taste like squid) – all it was cooked on the eyes for 1 minute and eaten for 2. For dessert, a neighboring shop bought dried figs and dates, as well as a handful of everything offered saleswoman. I still remember the fresh juices for every taste – from blackberry to mango – one euro is difficult to have more fun.

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