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Dave's guide to Barceloneta


12 Nov 2020 | Last update: 4 Feb 2021

The centre of the old fishing district of Barcelona retains much of its charm, while the beachfront and marina fringes cater to the tourist crowds.

Streets and squares

At the heart of Barceloneta is the large and recently much improved Plaça del poeta Boscà. This true community resource sees a constant low hum of laid-back activity. There's a fresh food market, plenty of space, playgrounds, and of course bars and restaurants around the outside. Ancient fishermen smoking a pipe, young families exercising their toddlers, hip kids practising their skateboard skillz, young lovers and elderly couples in quiet conversation, all life is here. Take a seat at a table outside one of the bars and let the slow pace of a Mediterranean evening seep into your bones.

The streets surrounding the plaça have also been upgraded recently, giving pedestrians priority over vehicles. It's a pleasure to wander, browsing the offers from the wide range of small restaurants until something takes your fancy.

Passeig Juan de Borbó

This long boulevard on the western fringe of the barrio faces the marina and is lined with busy, often overpriced, restaurants. But among the tourist traps are a number of quality, though never cheap, seafood establishments. Best of the best is La Mar Salada (Pg. Joan de Borbó, 58-59), which offers an excellent and authentic Catalan take on fish and seafood dishes. This is the place to try paella – or any of the range of traditional rice dishes of which paella is just the most familiar.

And if all the seafood and wine is getting a bit much for you, you can get a good pint of beer and probably the best nachos in the city, all at reasonable prices, in The Fastnet Irish bar (Pg. Joan de Borbo, 22). Popular with, you've guessed it, the sailors.

Plaça de la Barceloneta

This much smaller plaça offers a more intimate location to enjoy a meal or just a drink and a couple of tapes at the tables outside either Can Ganassa or L'Òstia restaurants. Both are very acceptable, Can Ganassa better value, L'Òstia slightly fancier. Come here for the atmosphere provided by the enclosed small area, the shade trees, and the picturesque Parròquia de Sant Miquel del Port church.

The Beach

In truth the beach and the barrio are two different worlds. It's a rather good beach though. With plenty of bars and restaurants on the promenade, several excellent chiringuitos (beach bars) on the sand, public toilets (public toilets!), various areas with climbing frames and exercise equipment to entertain the kids and the fitness fanatics, and (finally just this year) beach chairs and umbrellas to rent, there's everything you'll need to make the most of this fantastic place. Keep an eye out for Gemini sailing out from Port Olimpic at the north end of the beach!

Food

This is the fishing barrio, and the seafood is great!

La Bombeta

Calle de la Maquinista, 3.

Busy, intense, informal, excellent tapes. Home of the bomba (so they say – it's a bit of a hotly contested topic) - a ball of mashed potato with a meat filling and a spicy sauce. Come here in a group and order up a bunch of plates to share. Cheap bottles of cold, tart turbio wine still cloudy with yeast are perfect to wash down the heaps of fried and grilled food. Drink it direct from the porro, every meal becomes a party!

Can Maño

Carrer del Baluard, 12.

This place is a legend among locals. Fish straight off the boat. There's nothing fancy here, tiny tables squeezed into a couple of small rooms, the menu hand-written on the wall with today's catch, the food simply, perfectly prepared and fresh, fresh fresh! You'll find yourself shoulder-to-shoulder with locals and everyone in a good mood. A fisherman's restaurant with fisherman's prices, the only problem is how to get a table! No reservations, so turn up early, go straight in, give your name to the person behind the counter, then go back outside and wait in the street to be called. The earlier you arrive the better. Open for breakfast or lunch but you should go in the evening when it's open for just 3 hours 8-11pm, except Saturday, and Sunday, and August. All of it. When you're this good, you open when you want.

Can Ros

Almirall Aixada, 7.

For a more refined, very Catalan, and remarkably good value dining experience, Can Ros is the place. This rather unknown offshoot of its much more famous big brother La Mar Salada is found on an obscure corner but is well worth the hunt. The fixed price lunch menu is unbeatable quality at just 14 Euros. You'll pay a bit more for evening dining but you can't argue with the quality here. A real secret gem of the barrio.

Forn de Pa Baluard

Carrer del Baluard, 38.

People come from all across the city to buy their bread and pastries in this excellent bakery. It must be said, the general quality of bread and patisserie across the city is pretty poor. But not here. The pastries are to die for but for me, this is where I get my fix of good old fashioned crusty bread. It's heaven!

Culture

Barceloneta was and remains a working class district, with narrow streets and lively street life. The fishing heritage has left us with a range of excellent, and often excellent value, restaurants. But you won't find much in the way of architectural splendour or artistic extravagance here. Come for the food, stay for the vibe.

Except, that is, for the excellent Museum of the History of Catalunya (Moll de la Barceloneta). Catalunya is not Spain, and this museum provides an excellent and accessible explanation of the origins of the region. Going all the way back to the Stone Age, through the Civil War and into the current era, the displays are interesting and engaging. Well worth a couple of hours at the start of your visit to get a bit of perspective on this historically rich region. The building itself is very attractive – and cool! - and at the end of your visit you can enjoy a drink on the rooftop terrace with excellent views across the port.

What our customers say

Over 250 ★★★★★ reviews

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence & Hall of Fame 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

A sunset sail with David!

After a long day of walking the streets of Barcelona, our group of 8 (seniors) took a cab to meet David for his last sail of the day. Unfortunately for David, his classic sail boat was down for repairs, however; he had a backup plan in place when we arrived. We spent a relaxing evening enjoying our wine and snacks while sailing in a 42' sailboat overlooking the magnificent city of Barcelona. Seeing the sunset over the water...priceless! The best advise I can offer is to book a sail with David. David is a first class captain and we (really) enjoyed his company. David was not only easy on the eyes, he was a delightful captain to talk to. David left nothing unanswered if you had a question about sailing or the city of Barcelona. What an enjoyable evening...thank you David for adding your personal touch to a beautiful evening! You're the best and we wish you much success!!!
nchurchill | Houston, Texas

Relaxing Sail after Touring

Capt Dave is very accommodating and knows just how to customize the experience to his customers. We booked the sail after a few hard days of touring and we enjoyed just relaxing on the boat while Capt Dave took care of everything else. We highly recommend sailing with Dave.
RossTonyB | Pensacola, Florida

Afternoon Sailing Trip

I was with a group of four guys in their late 20's and we had a great time. The entire trip is exactly as advertised.
Rupam B |

Great boat and great skipper.

Great sail boat with an interesting history. Dave is a well-informed Scotsman who has been in Barcelona for almost a decade. He has a great website and I booked a bit in advance and he handled all my questions. We had a rare choppy sea (and some haze) so we missed the swim but the whole afternoon was relaxing.
JohnBoscoChicago_IL | Chicago, IL

Exiciting...and calm! Awesome sailing trip!

We had booked with Dave for 4 adults and 1 child on a Friday afternoon. However, once we took off into our sailing trip, the waves were crazy! The boat was at 45 degrees most of the time. My 7 year old and I enjoyed it very much, but the wife and auntie were hanging on for their lives! Well, after almost an hour of this excitement, Skipper Dave called it off and we headed to port. A man of his words, he'd volunteered to refund most of our trip due to weather, but we opted to reschedule. So, again, we went on Monday morning. Calm sea and beautiful weather. This time it was a very smooth ride. We stopped for a few an took a dip in the clear cobalt blue sea. A very relaxing trip. Anyways, bring your own food and water. Enjoy the view and relax...But I have to say, I loved battling the waves!!!
phuwanai1194 | Atlanta, Georgia

Fantastic experience

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of sailing with Dave on the Gemini. It was an unforgettable experience. Dave is a pleasure personally and a very professional skipper. The boat is beautiful as well. He stopped twice so we could have a swim. He provides water but if you want anything else to drink or eat you gotta bring it. If you are thinking about sailing in Barcelona.. don't hesitate. Book with Dave and you wont be disappointed!
mdzebar | Brooklyn NY

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