Sometimes traveling calls for three meals a day. And that’s okay; we’ve been on trips like that. But Barcelona isn’t one of them. The urge to nibble is irresistible. There are lots of options.
Herewith, a few suggestions on snacking. . . .
– The Barcelona native often orders a café cortado, which is black coffee with a fast squirt of heated milk. Don’t bother asking for cappucino; it’s unheard of, but café con leche is common.
–Many cafes, even humble ones, have a machine that squeezes orange juice to order. (This surprised us until we realized Spain grows lots of oranges–uh, like Valencias?) It’s fun to watch the machine position, cut, squeeze and discard the orange, and the juice is delicious. We strongly recommend it.
–Bocadillos are sandwiches. And a bikini is a ham and cheese sandwich. No, we have no idea of why it’s called that. But in a country that makes fabulous ham, good cheese and good bread, it’s a good possibility for a snack or part of lunch. An investigation will pay fine dividends.
On to the locations:
Right on the Ramblas, for example, across from the Gran Teatre del Liceu , is the Café de l’Opera. Pretty much every café and restaurant on the Ramblas is deeply touristed, but the interior of l’Opera is, opulent, authentic and romantic. What’s important, however, is a favored snack of chocolate and churros, known in Catalan as xocolata and xurros. The chocolate is so thick it is impossible to drink. Mostly, it serves as a dipping sauce for the long strips of fried dough. (Unlike the versions sometimes found in the U.S., they don’t come sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.) It’s a worthwhile investment of calories and time, despite what cardiologists say.
Café de l’Opera
La Rambla 74
93 317 75 85
Open daily
We had just clambered off a bus and begun a roundabout stroll back to our apartment when we found Café d’Annunzio. It’s near MACBA, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, and, not surprisingly, often full of art students, with all the casualness that image calls up. It’s on a small, shady pedestrian square with a playground and lots of outside seating, just a delightful little spot. We sampled a granizada (that "z" is pronounced as "th"), which is a slushie gone to heaven. Ours was made with lemon and coconut, a pleasure to linger over. The only map we’ve found that shows this plaza is in Time Out Barcelona, a guide we find quite valuable.
Café d’Annunzio
Placa de Vincenc Martorell 5
93 302 40 95
Closed Sundays
And then there’s the Boqueria, the world-class market on the Ramblas. We were thrilled that our apartment was only about four blocks away. It meant we could enjoy one of our favorite treats, breakfast at the market. Almost any market can provide some serious morning food, but the Boqueria is particularly worthwhile because the choices are so wide. Not counting the restaurant in the back, or the one at the side nearest the harbor, there are at least three eating places in the market itself, all stools at counters. At the main entrance, several stands sell fruit. Locals dismiss them as the ones for tourists, and the wares are particularly handsome, beautifully arrayed and not inexpensive. But they also offer fresh, cut-up fruit packaged for nibbling as you walk or to take to a picnic spot nearby. Pineapple and coconut, complete with plastic utensils, are Joe’s favorites. And take note: Count on paying cash all through the market. The exceptions are very rare.
We’ve tried all three spots, beginning on our first, too-brief trip to Barcelona, about four years ago. We sat down, a little jet-lagged, and not yet having learned that while Catalan is preferable, most people understand Spanish, we began our usual crane-the-neck-and-point routine. The food started coming, we started smiling. We noticed several bumper sticker-type signs that indicated the proprietors were none too happy with the policies of the American government, but we were treated with politeness and dignity. at first. As the meal and our happiness progressed, the dignity turned to warmth and then enthusiasm. It was our first sign on that trip that a lot of Europeans understand that government policy is one thing and human beings are another. On our most recent visit, alas, that spot, toward the rear and on the right side if you enter from the Ramblas, was closed for its annual vacation.
The most famous of the three is Bar Pinotxo, which is very close to the main entrance from the Ramblas. (That "x" in Catalan is pronounced "ch;" think something close to "Pinocchio.") Juanito, the mustachioed owner, wisely does not post the pictures of the celebrities who apparently chose this for their spot for a café cortado. Most of the time it’s a spot for locals to grab something to eat. And remember, markets open early, which means hearty food is available at breakfast as well as lunch. That meant we tried things like a ball of croissant dough filled with custard and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar (divine), tripe stew and a great beef stew as well as our can’t-pass-up razor clams grilled in front of our eyes. And for escargot lovers who’ve only found them in fancy restaurants–here’s your spot. One of the countermen checked the pot, and you can see what he found below. And oh, yes, they have cava, the Spanish sparkling wine, to go with your meal.
The third counter, for which we never found a name, is also in the rear, near the mushroom seller, a bearded guy who’s well-known for his superb product.
Because of its location, it gets less drop-in traffic than Pinotxo. It appears to be a Mom-and-Pop (or Mama and Papa) operation; she has a little English, he and the other countermen have less, but they understand finger-pointing and head-shaking. Still, the welcome was warm and the food tasty. We watched them prepare a tortilla espanola, the potato omelet that’s found all over Spain, in a skillet the size of a small dish pan. There was also a delicious version of botifarra, the bean and sausage stew that’s a local specialty. Of course, especially in a place like this, menus change from day to day, so your mileage may vary. 
And to top things off, not far from this last spot, we found a booth selling cookware and another with cookbooks, including several in English that have American rather than British measurements, and less expensive than the ones in the souvenir kiosks that litter the Rambla.
La Boqueria
La Rambla 89
Closed Sunday