TheOneToGo
Skip the sangria-and-paella traps near La Rambla; the food worth your time in Barcelona is in the Gothic Quarter and El Born, at vermouth bars and market counters locals queue for.
Our pick
Your guide threads you through the old quarter to bodegas pouring vermut on tap and stalls where the jamon and anchovies are the real thing. You graze across pan con tomate, Catalan cheeses, boquerones, and a pintxo or two, each with the context of who makes it and why it matters here. The hard part in Barcelona is telling the tourist bar from the locals' one. A guide solves that in the first ten minutes.
If our pick doesn't fit
A local guide, slightly longer, and a lower price, but far fewer reviews than the top pick.
Broader spread including paella and sangria, but noticeably pricier for the extra dishes.