Eating tapas is a quintessential thing to do when in Barcelona, and the variations are aplenty so there will always be something to try every day. Call it a lifestyle maybe, and we really love how the Spanish indulge in the art of waking up late and lingering around tapas bars when the whole world is hard at work.

We bar-hopped every day when in Barcelona, ate more tapas in one week than we ever did in our whole lives, and our perceptions will never be the same again. Because apart from the interesting creations that we would never otherwise get in Singapore, eating tapas and sipping wine in Barcelona is an exceptionally sexy thing to do – especially when you sit outdoors on tree-lined paths, and when you have Latino music looping in the background

Here is our guide to Barcelona’s Top 11 Tapas Bars that you must try at least once in your life.

BAR PINOTXO

Ask anyone where the best tapas could be found and they would tell you Bar Pinotxo. Despite being internationally recognized and loved by its locals, Bar Pinotxo remains small and humble. The eatery is found in the local La Boqueria Market’s entrance and only 14 seats are available. The place is packed to the brim throughout the day and the process of queueing and waiting for a seat is an arduous journey undertaken only by the diehard foodies.

The bamboo clams and grilled prawns tapas are cooked to perfection and indeed, no other tapas we had after could match up to Bar Pinoxto’s superior standards. The downsides would be the waiting time and costly menu.

Carrer la Rambla, 89, 08002 Barcelona
Tel: +34 933 17 17 31
Mon to Sun: 6am – 4pm
Nearest Metro: Liceu

BILBAO BERRIA

Lively, vibrant and full of energy, Bilbao Berria is a fun tapas bar to dine at. Choose pintxos from the bar – they have an amazing selection with anything from egg sandwich to Jamon with fried green pepper and octopus & potato skewers. So many kinds of deliciousness on sticks, that’s how we’d describe it. Wash down everything with a jar of sangria. Life is perfect.

You can also order main course such as Paella with Seafood (€12.50), Stewed Codfish (€15), Oven Roasted Lamb Back (€17.50) from the kitchen.

Plaça Nova, 3, 08002 Barcelona
Tel: +34 933 17 01 24
Daily: 8am – 12 midnight
Nearest Metro: Liceu/Jaume L

CERVECERIA CATALANA

This is our absolute favourite tapas restaurant in Barcelona. Locals and tourists alike flock to Cervecería Catalana every day for tapas and drinks. It is perpetually crowded during meal times, so your best bet is to get here early. Otherwise, you have to be prepared to stand in line for at least 30-45 minutes. We would suggest getting a seat at the tapas bar because not only is the queue shorter, you can also catch all the actions unfolding right before your eyes.

Do not leave Barcelona without having a meal at Cervecería Catalana.

Carrer de Mallorca, 236, 08008 Barcelona
Tel: +34 932 16 03 68
Mon to Sat: 8am – 1.30am
Sun: 9am – 1.30am
Nearest Metro: Passeig de Gràcia

COMBAT CIUTAT

Conveniently located in the heart of Passeig de Gràcia, Combat Ciutat has established itself as the leading tapas restaurant in Barcelona for its exceptional tapas in a lively atmosphere.

Get the Assorted Tapas (€15.65) – with prawns, clams, green pepper, fried small fishes, and potato croquette – to share. The Baby Squids done in Andaluz style is also a must-try.

Rambla de Catalunya, 18, 08007 Barcelona
Tel: +34 933 18 19 97
Daily: 8am – 1.30am
Nearest Metro: Passeig de Gràcia

EL QUIM DE LA BOQUERIA

Other than Bar Pinotxo, another tapas bar at La Boqueria Market that deserves a mention is El Quim de la Boqueria. Located at the back of La Boqueria market, El Quim de la Boqueria is not as prominent as Bar Pinotxo, but once you walk to the end of the market, it can be spotted easily.

What the tiny stall lacks in size, it more than makes up for it with a wide variety of food. Highlights here include the freshly grilled fish and seafood – almost everyone will get the Razor Clams (€15) and Baby Octopus (€13.95), but the Mussels a la Mariniere (€8.95), in particular, deserves a special mention. The mussels are super fresh and perfectly cooked.

Mercado de La Boqueria
Les Rambles, 91, 08002 Barcelona
Tel: +34 933 01 98 10
Tue to Sat: 7am – 4pm
Nearest Metro: Liceu

LOLITA TAPERIA

Amongst the numerous tapas restaurants in Barcelona, Lolita Taperia – opened by Joan Martinez, Albert Adrià’s ex-partner at the former Inopia - stands out for its funky and modern interior. It is fun, bustling and offers the quintessential Spanish tapas experience.

The tapas bar has retained some of Inopia’s classics like the super addictive Aubergine with Molasses (€4.90) and the sublime Tuna Loin (€9.90) in a refreshing ponzu sauce.

Carrer Tamarit, 104, local2-4, 08015 Barcelona
Tel: +34 934 24 52 31
Tue to Thu: 7pm – 12 midnight
Fri & Sat: 1pm – 4pm, 7pm to 12 midnight
Nearest Metro: Poble Sec

PACO MERALGO

Paco Meralgo came highly recommended by a local and indeed, we had an excellent meal there. The classy tapas bar serves a huge variety of tapas ranging from a simple Chicken and Ham Croquette (€1.35) to Fresh Anchovies in batter (€5.35), Patatas Bravas (€3.8), and Deep Fried Baby Squid (€11.55).

Carrer de Muntaner, 171, 08036 Barcelona
Tel: +34 934 30 90 27
Daily: 1pm – 4pm, 8pm – 12.30am
Nearest Metro: Diagonal

QUIMET & QUIMET

Quimet & Quimet is a tiny tapas bar. There are no seats, so you wait for your turn to get a spot at the crowded bar, and then fight – no, we are not kidding – to get the attention of the staff to order your food. Settle down with a glass of sangria or cava, or both.

There are many tapas to choose from, but one of the most popular options that everyone orders is the Salmon, Yogurt and Truffled Honey Sandwich.

Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes
25, 08004 Barcelona
Tel: +34 934 42 31 42
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 4pm, 7pm – 10.30pm
Sat: 12pm – 4pm
Nearest Metro: Paral·lel

SEGONS MERCAT

The recommendations of Spanish locals brought us to Segons Mercat restaurant, an innovative tapas place located in the district of La Barceloneta. It was one of the restaurants to be bestowed a Certificate of Excellence in 2013 by Trip Advisor for its remarkably fresh tapas and attractive prices.

The delectable squid ink paella completely surpassed our expectations – it was one of the best we ever had. Wine starts at €3.50 per glass and two course set lunches start from €10 per person.

Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes
552, 08011 Barcelona
Tel: +34 934 511 698
Mon to Fri: 1.30pm – 5pm, 8pm – 11.15pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Metro: Barceloneta

TAPAS 24

Tapas 24 may not be the cheapest tapas bar in Barcelona, but it is still worth a visit. It has the usual tapas like Bravas (€3.50), Iberian Ham Croquette (€2.50) and Fried Anchovies (€8.50), but you have to try the signature dishes which include Bikini Black Truffles Sandwich (€8.90), Mc Foie Burger (€9.50) and the divine Ous Estrellats al Gust, which is quite simply smashed eggs with potatoes – deceptively simple yet it hits all the right spots. We’d do this dish any time.

Carrer de la Diputació, 269, 08007 Barcelona
Tel: +34 934 88 09 77
Mon: 8.30am – 11pm
Tue to Fri: 1.30pm – 3.30pm, 8.30pm – 11pm
Sat: 1.30pm – 3.30pm
Nearest Metro: Passeig de Gràcia

TICKETS BAR

Known as the tapas restaurant of Barcelona, Tickets Bar is the new tapas bar of world-renowned chef Ferran Adria, and new as it may be, it has already won countless accolades and is enjoying fame at its peak now. For many foodies who have never had the chance to try the now-defunct El Bulli, Tickets Bar is your ticket (pun intended) to sample some of El Bulli’s signature dishes in carnival-like setting.

Reservations at Tickets Bar open two months ahead, plan ahead if you want to have a meal here.

Avinguda del Paral·lel
164, 08015 Barcelona
Nearest Metro: Paral·lel

Wow. Another year just passed by like that. This year was a big one, and I couldn’t have done it without you guys. Thank you for being here.

I ate a lot last year, and I managed to travel quite a bit as well. Like what I always say, travelling is just an excuse for me to eat more. So I’m not surprised that some of the best meals that I had last year were during my travels.

To be frank, it’s quite difficult to impress my jaded palate nowadays. You see, the problem of having too much good food is you will always have a benchmark to compare against, and this will lead you on a (never-ending) quest for something equally good, if not better – which is often quite impossible.

Thankfully, I’ve had several really good meals throughout the past 365 days, and I hope that I’ll be able to share with you more good food this time next year.

So for now, here are the 10 Best Meals that I had in 2011.

New Year Resolution in 2012: Eat more!

JAAN Restaurant in Singapore

Ever since Chef Andre Chiang left JAAN, the fine dining restaurant at Swissotel the Stamford – ranked #39 in S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010 – had struggled to fill his shoes. After eating there recently, I’m happy to say JAAN’s talented new Chef de Cuisine Julien Royer is the right person to lead them to greater heights.

The food was very, very good. It is one of the few meals I had in 2011 that made me sit up and take notice. JAAN is definitely one of the best restaurants in Singapore, and as long they stay on track, I’m sure it will not be long before they are back among the best restaurants in the world.

2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford, Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mrt: City Hall Station

Café des Fédérations Bouchon in Lyon

When I was planning my Europe trip, Lyon wasn’t even in the picture. I wanted to visit some of the cities that I’ve always wanted to go – like Madrid, Venice, and Prague. After I figured that it is impossible to squeeze in all of them, I decided to keep it within the area, and Lyon – known as the food capital of France – immediately came to mind.

I’ve read a lot about the bouchons in Lyon; everyone raved that the best food in France could be found there. The Bouchon is a Lyonnais version of the classic French bistro. I’ll be writing a separate post on the food that we had, to cut the long story short, I had one of my best meals in 2011, if not my life, at Café des Fédérations.

8-10, rue Major Martin, Lyon
Tel: 04 78 28 26 00
Metro: Hotel de Ville

Bistro Soori in Singapore

Another really good meal that I had was at Bistro Soori. I wasn’t expecting much before going, and boy was I blown away by the food. It has a cosy and intimate setting, and some of the dishes – Pork Belly, Rack of Lamb, and Pandan Souffle – that we had were outstanding.

Sometimes, good things happen when you are least expecting them.

2 Teck Lim Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 6438 3802
Mrt: Outram Park Station

Zubuchon Lechon in Cebu

The lechon from Zubuchon is quite easily one of the best things that I’ve ever eaten. Utterly delicious.

One Mango Mall
General Maxilom Ave, Cebu City
+63 32 2395697

Prive Restaurant in Singapore

One of my favourite restaurants in Singapore is Prive at Keppel Bay. They serve good and unpretentious food. The meats that we had from the Josper Grill menu (prices range from $52 for Kurobuta Pork to $75 for the 280g Ribeye Cap) were fantastic. Definitely worth a try if you are in Singapore.

2 Keppel Bay Vista
GF Marina Keppel Bay, Singapore
Tel: +65 6776 0777
Mrt: Harbourfront Station

Cerveceria Catalana in Barcelona

Among the tapas places that we ate in Barcelona, Cerveceria Catalana stood out for serving good tapas at reasonable prices. It was one of the best meals that we had during the 5 days there. Just in case you are wondering, the jar of sangria you see in the picture doesn’t have anything to do with my choice. I’m completely sober as I write this.

236 Mallorca, Barcelona
Tel: 932 16 03 68
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia

Antoinette Patisserie in Singapore

Antoinette, without a doubt, is my favourite patisserie in Singapore. I lurveee Chef Pang’s creations and if I lived near the Lavender area, I could imagine myself dropping by the Parisian tea salon every other day. Try the Antoinette Chocolate Earl Grey Cake.

30 Penhas Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 6293 3121
Mrt: Lavender Station

Dinner at Martell’s Château de Chanteloup

I had many good meals during Martell’s Pure Gourmet tour, but the highlight was definitely the risotto that we had during one of the dinners. Paired with a glass of cognac, it was out-of-this-world-good. I can never see risotto in the same light again.

Naughty Nuri’s Warung in Bali

Naughty Nuri’s Warung is famous for its pork ribs, with many people calling it the place to go for the best pork ribs in Seminyak. It was so good that I polished off the whole rack by myself.

Jalan Batubelig 41 Kerobokan Kelod
Kuta Bali Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 847 6722

Pierre Herme in Paris

What do I need to say about Pierre Herme? It has always been my dream to visit the famous patisserie in Paris, and what a moment it was. After having the desserts from Pierre Herme, life will never be the same again.