Maneuvering Through Barcelona's Magnificent Mercado De La Boqueria

For nearly two centuries, Barcelona's well-renowned Mercado de Sant Josep de la Boqueria located in the city's Ciutat Vella district has been open to the public. The vast market offers a variety of food and drink vendors and was originally an outdoor venue. However, in 1914, La Boqueria was covered with a metal roof and turned into an indoor market as a result.

Its earliest origins date back to the early 1200s when farmers from surrounding villages opened meat stalls along a street market and began selling their own produced goods. The market is named after the late Barcelona saint Sant Josep whose property was confiscated for the purpose of La Boqueria.

Upon entry, you may first notice the bustling foot traffic of locals and tourists speaking a variety of languages, especially if you arrive during a busy time of the day or during the market’s peak hours. After you pass through the aesthetically pleasing facade at the entrance, you are quickly met with a variety of scents. However, you’ll likely first catch the sweet, tropical fragrance of the fruit being sliced for the signature fresh fruit juices that are served at multiple different vendors.

La Boqueria's famous fresh fruit juices for only 2 euros each

Be sure to specifically opt for one of the vendors that covers their juice cups in ice, especially on a hot day when you’re thirsty for an ice-cold, refreshing beverage. If you’re indecisive, you may struggle to fixate on one flavor as the vendors mix and match an assortment of fresh fruits. These include ubiquitous fruits such as bananas, oranges, strawberries, and pineapples as well as more exotic fruits like papayas, coconuts, kiwis, and mangoes. Regardless of which flavor you decide on, you won’t regret the incredibly cheap price of these juices for such superior quality.

If you can’t decide between sweet and savory, check out the crepe vendor near the main entrance called Creps Barcelona. They dish out both sweet and either savory or salty crepes for five or six euros. The sweet options include dulce de leche, banana nutella and strawberry banana. The savory and salty options include caprese, four cheese, salmon and cheese, ham and cheese, as well as a veggie crepe for vegetarians and vegans.

Creps Barcelona offers both sweet and savory French crepes

If you are craving something savory, swing by Molt Bo Market and you’ll be greeted by a waft of the tightly rolled burritos on display. The burrito filling combinations include spicy beef, chicken and vegetable, chicken and curry, and spinach and mozzarella.

Molt Bo Market neatly stacks its homemade burritos in a pyramid

If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss the stand called La Economica as you will notice an assortment of candies, chocolates, and nuts that are filled to the brim in open, square containers.

Open-box assortment of candies, chocolates and nuts

If you prefer sweets with a creamier texture, Peurto Latino offers numerous different flavors of gelato that they freshly make daily. If you’re unsure of which flavor to order, the workers behind the counter will offer free samples of any of the flavors. Their flavors range from oreo to cheesecake to pistachio.

Puerto Latino offers a variety of gelato flavors for customers with a sweet tooth

If you have some extra time to spare and would like to experience a sit-down restaurant, you’re in luck. The market offers several different restaurants with wraparound bars, stools, and even tables for people to relax and enjoy some tapas or a nice meal with drinks. One of the restaurants with an egg-themed logo called El Quim De La Boqueria has been serving an abundance of tapas since 1987. These not only include classic Spanish tapas like tortillas, croquettes, and patatas bravas, but the establishment also offers some more uncommon options such as marinated sardines, anchovies in vinegar, and oxtail risotto.

Sit-down restaurant with a wraparound bar and stools

If you need an alcoholic beverage, La Boqueria has you covered. All of the sit-down restaurants offer a full bar with a large selection of wine, liquor, and Spanish beers. Two friends from England who were enjoying some food and drinks at the market recommended Bar Central. “The house wine was perhaps the best I’ve tried so far on our trip to Barcelona,” one of the men claimed.

Bar Central offers barstool and table seating as well as a wide selection of alcoholic beverages

A married couple from North Carolina that was exploring the market for the first time was impressed by the market’s layout and how many people were there. “We’ve never witnessed or been to a market in America that compares to this in terms of size, variety, and popularity,” they said. “We tried one of the fruit juices at [Vidal Pons 1897] for only two euros and then grabbed a few different types of empanadas at La Boqueria Boket.”

La Boqueria Boket dishes out Spanish savory goods including empanadas to burritos

Although it is a popular tourist destination, the market attracts locals as well. A Spanish couple ventured through the market during my visit and they suggested a few of the vendors they prefer or frequent. The man, Alvaro, explained how he and his girlfriend prefer the vendors with the most fresh goods — be it produce, seafood, poultry, bread, or anything else. “We live nearby and nowhere else in the city sells as much fresh food as La Boqueria,” he said.

A seafood vendor's fishmonger slicing freshly caught fish

Alvaro’s girlfriend, Victoria, added how the prices may seem expensive at first until you taste the freshness of everything and soon realize that everything is reasonably priced and worth every penny. “Even though the food and drinks here are more expensive than some other markets, the great quality makes up for the high costs,” she said. In particular, the couple recommended any of the seafood and ham vendors because you can watch the fishmongers and butchers use massive, sharp knives to slice freshly caught fish, a wide variety of shellfish, and ham right in front of your eyes. This is a unique experience for customers as you will rarely find this made-to-order process at any generic supermarket throughout the city. The man and woman specifically mentioned Marisc Selecte Juani, where the fishmonger precisely slices fresh seafood and serves fried and battered shellfish.

A fishmonger using a massive blade to chop fresh seafood

On your way out, if you still have room in your stomach and plan on walking off the calories later in the day, be sure to check out the restaurants that surround the perimeter of the market that aren’t physically located within La Boqueria’s premises. In addition, if you need a cup of coffee or some caffeine to help wash down all the delicious foods you ate, there is a Starbucks and a Dunkin’ Donuts conveniently located next door to one another right near the main entrance to the market.