We just got back from Barcelona and—wow. This major Spanish city—and the capital of Catalonia—is definitely worth seeing.
From ancient buildings and Roman walls in the Gothic Quarter to Gaudi's masterpieces to modern waterfront villas—the city has a lot to offer.
While this post focuses on Barcelona's brunch culture, stay tuned for future posts about our three amazing days in Barcelona! Check out David's video of our adventures too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUaPkUbc8lU
Brunch
While initial research prepared us for most of Barcelona's major sites and dishes like paella and tapas, we were definitely surprised by Barcelona's huge photogenic foodie culture.
The combination of fresh ingredients, artistic plating, and unique flavor combinations makes Barcelona a true foodie destination. This may not be a surprise except this was all before midday! I've never visited a place with so many Instagram-worthy places to eat and drink in the morning.
Ultimately, we ended up starting each day with brunch. Turns out, brunch is a big deal in Barcelona. The city is experiencing a major trend towards the late-breakfast/early-lunch mealtime and there are lots of brunch-focused restaurants to try.
The Spanish are known for eating dinner late—typically after eight—so a hearty brunch is ideal for tiding you over until much later in the day. It's also the perfect meal to have before exploring the pedestrian-friendly city of Barcelona—you won't need to stop again until evening tapas. (More about dinner to come in future posts!)
Wherever you go in the city, and whatever time you wake up, you'll find small theme-y street cafés serving up everything from traditional Eggs Benedict to artistic interpretations of world cuisine.
If you're headed to Barcelona, make sure to stop by one of these amazing brunch spots—you won't be disappointed.
Eixampeling Brunch Café & Bar
We kicked things off at Eixampeling Brunch Café & Bar in the city's Eixample neighborhood.
This is a beautifully quirky spot that serves brunch all day long. This means you can enjoy their brunch specials whenever you roll out of bed in the morning. Or when you wake up from your afternoon siesta. No judgment here!
At Eixampling our group ordered—and thoroughly enjoyed—the "Crustina Egguilera," "Salmon L. Jackson," and "My Bun is on Fire" (pictured).
Other cheekily named options included "You drive me Capresy," "Yolky Ono" and "E.T. Eggstra Terrestrial."
Not only did the pun-filled menus entertain, they were also very informative. All listings included helpful dietary and allergen information so we knew exactly what ingredients each dish and drink contained. The café also offers gluten-free toast and buns so everyone can enjoy their delicious breakfast sandwiches. There are plenty of vegetarian and some vegan options as well!
We left our first brunch in Barcelona thoroughly impressed and fuelled for a day of exploring the city!
TrĂłpico
After day one's brunch, we were A) extremely full and B) pretty confident that no other brunch was ever going to compare.
Fortunately for us—maybe not for our waistbands though—a good friend of ours recommended another brunch spot. Our curiosity piqued, we decided to try it out on day two.
Trópico in the el Raval neighborhood of Barcelona is exactly how it sounds. With an extremely tropical island vibe, the decor welcomes you in with bright floral prints, Panama hats, and menus decorated with palm trees and tropical birds.
Appropriately, the café's motto is "Travel while you eat," and its menu backs this up. With dishes inspired by tropical destinations throughout the world—like India, Brazil, and Mexico—you may not know you're in Spain, but you'll definitely feel like you're on vacation.
Our group "traveled" to India for a spicy chicken curry, to Mexico for huevos rancheros, and to the Caribbean for black beans, beef, and plantains wrapped in a corn arepas.
In addition to its global cuisine, TrĂłpico also offers a wide variety of tropical drinks. These include an extensive fruit smoothie and pressed juice menu. and tropical cocktails and mocktails as well.
For those chillier Barcelona mornings, unique teas, coffee, and herbal infusions from throughout the world are also on offer.
Another perk of TrĂłpico's extremely long and enticing drink list is that it makes TrĂłpico a great place to stop for a mid-afternoon drink too, even if you aren't hungry.
Tip: public bathrooms are extremely rare in Barcelona. Most restaurants and cafés expect you to pay for something in exchange for using their facilities. Why not see this as an opportunity to try another of Trópico's delicious drinks?
Hilton Barcelona
While admittedly not a "brunch spot," I just also wanted to throw in here the amazing breakfast spread presented at our hotel—Hilton Barcelona.
David and I were fortunate enough to use points to book our Barcelona stay and, in addition, had access to the hotel's delicious breakfast spread.
This was the first time I have ever seen a strictly gluten-free section at a hotel breakfast spread—complete with the most delicious gluten-free pastries I've ever had.
If you have a gluten allergy and are looking for a hotel, you might consider Hilton Barcelona. You can also stop by their Mosaic Restaurant for lunch or dinner if you aren't a guest, too.
More to come on that in another post about places to stay in Barcelona—stay tuned!
David and I are still battling food comas from our three days in Barcelona but we'd highly recommend trying all of the above brunches—you won't regret it.
Let us know in the comments if you do or if you have any other brunch suggestions for Barcelona!
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