Insight: Markets

Discover enticing markets bursting with local produce from farms, mountains and the sea, as well as tropical fruit from far afield.

There are more than 40 municipal markets in Barcelona. The largest of them – La Boqueria, Sant Antoni (both built on the site of former monasteries) and El Born (now a cultural centre, for more information, click here) – are impressive late 19th-century iron-and-glass structures. These cathedrals to food are ideal places to display Catalonia’s wide variety of produce from the mountains, rich farmlands and the sea, often sold by third- and fourth-generation vendors. In recent years, however, tradition has been giving way to trend, with juice bars and fusion food, and prices, particularly in touristy La Boqueria, have been rising. Santa Caterina and Barceloneta have been dramatically overhauled to become stylish markets with a designer edge. Sant Antoni is next. However, they all still retain a vital Mediterranean energy which is totally intoxicating.

Explore the lesser known markets for the most genuine experience, like La Llibertat in Gràcia, or Poblenou, both dating from the late 19th century. Every neighbourhood has at least one market and they all have bars where you can eat something freshly prepared, and some have stalls on the outer edge selling bargain clothes or kitchen utensils.

Elsewhere, squares and open spaces are put to good use with regular stamp, book, craft, antiques and bric-à-brac markets. The latest is the lively multicultural weekend market in Rambla del Raval. The main flea market, one of the oldest in Europe, is El Encants in Glòries, settling into its new 21st-century space under a dazzling roof, part of the new Glòries complex. Get there early to dig out a bargain.

Shopping for exotic fruits at La Boqueria.

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Where to Eat Market Produce

For a visitor, much of the food on offer at the city’s markets is merely for looking at, unless you are self-catering. Fresh bread, olives, cheese and charcuterie make for a delicious impromptu picnic, but to really savour the range of produce, visit the market cafés and restaurants, which use the fresh supplies all around them. Many of the established ones are institutions. In La Boqueria, Pinotxo, run by the Bayen family, opens at 6am and specialises in oysters and cava. Rub shoulders with the city’s high-fliers as you sit at the bar. Foodies gather for breakfast from 8am at Quim de la Boqueria towards the back of the market, where Quim Márquez produces innovative dishes. In Mercat Santa Caterina, Cuines Santa Caterina, from the Tragaluz group, serves fusion food in a cool, modern space, while Bar Joan offers excellent traditional dishes from its economically priced menú del dia. At the revamped Mercat de Barceloneta, have breakfast on the terrace at Bar del Paco or upbeat tapas at Guindilla.