Barcelona Food Lover Tour Review: Tapas Crawl (2024)
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Searching for an amazing food tour in Barcelona? You’re in the right place! As a long time local of Barcelona, I recently had a chance to take a food tour with a Food Lover Tours who’s tagline is “Where the Locals Go, We Go!”. And they’re not lying!
My tour was an evening of mouthwatering tapas, gastronomic lessons, and great conversations.
Below, I’ll tell you a bit more about Food Lover Tours and my experience on the tapas crawl so you can decide whether this is the tour for you! Hint: I have a feeling it might be.
My Experience + About the Tour
I recently had the pleasure of taking a food tour with Barcelona Food Lover Tours. It was an amazing experience from start to finish!
I never imagined I could face the problem of having too much food on a food tour, but they proved me wrong in the best way possible. Trust me, you will not leave this tour hungry.
Meeting Point
The highlight of this tour, in my opinion, was its location. Unlike many tours that stick to the typical tourist areas like the Gothic Quarter, El Born, and La Rambla, this tour took us to a different part of town. You’ll start in El Poble Sec.
It’s still super easy and affordable to get to by metro (or taxi, if you’re not interested in the public transportation system) but it offers a refreshing break from the more crowded, touristy spots. But no worries – getting around Barcelona is simple so you won’t have any problems. It will be worth the journey.
Check pricing and availability for Food Lover Tours Tapas Crawl ►
Food and Drinks
This wasn’t the first food tour I’ve been on in Barcelona. While I was expecting similar tapas, they proved me wrong again. Barcelona Food Lover Tours came through with delicious and unpredictable tapas along with a few predictable ones as well!
Think: Pan con tomate and patatas bravas to escargot and a russian salad.
For me, my favorite was the last stop where we were treated to crema catalana for dessert. I had never tried this before, and it instantly became one of my favorite things.
Our tour started a bit earlier in the day, so the restaurants weren’t too crowded. This was a great bonus as it allowed us to have more intimate conversations, listen to our guide shared fascinating stories behind the restaurants, food, and their history.
We had plenty of opportunities to ask questions and really take in the experience.
Overall, I highly recommend this food tour for anyone visiting Barcelona. It’s a fantastic way to explore the city’s culinary scene, learn some history, and enjoy a variety of delicious dishes. Plus, you’ll definitely leave with a full stomach and some wonderful memories!
Pros
- Full meal: Bite-sized and full-sized tapas, with drinks at every stop. You will not leave this tour hungry!
- Easily Accessible: The meeting point is literally at the top of the stairs from the metro, making it super easy to get to.
- In a cool part of the city: Unlike typical tours that stick to tourist areas like the Gothic Quarter, El Born, and Gracia, this tour takes you to a different part of town which was a refreshing break from crowds.
- Great education: The guide shared stories about the food and history of each dish. We even learned a bit about the guide and how he came to find Barcelona as his home. I had a few great conversations with our guide – they were super personable, which just added to the great experience.
- Water’s included: It’s nice not having to worry about lugging a water bottle around as water is available at each stop of this tour. Since water isn’t free in most European countries like it is in America, this is actually something to keep your eye out for when planning your trip!
Cons
- A LOT of food! Okay, while having a full meal included on this tour is great, towards the end, a few of us were quite full and wondering when the food would stop coming!! I suppose we might have just gone overboard eating some of the first few tapas.
So, my suggestion would be to pace yourself and not worry about filling up on the first few tapas.
- No vegan option: If jamon isn’t your cup of tea, this certainly isn’t the tour for you! Don’t worry, there are plenty of other tour options for you. We did have a gluten intolerant traveler with us and they were very accommodating.
However, if you have any allergies, reach out to Barcelona Food Lover Tours before booking.
- Rain or shine: This may or may not be a con for you, but if you don’t like walking around in the rain, particularly if you’re visiting from October to December, you may want to wait on this one.
On the other hand, if you’re just not sure what to do on a rainy day, this could be a fun option!
- You likely can’t walk to the meeting place: You start this tour in El Poble Sec, which wouldn’t be a normal neighborhood for visitors to stay in as its far from the main attractions and liveliest areas. It's much more of a nontouristy, local spot! So plan to take the metro or a taxi (both are easy!) to get to this meeting point.
I don't need to know anymore! Book my Tapas Crawl ►
Things to Know
- Pace yourself: I honestly ate too much on our first few stops, which, really isn’t a bad thing - the food was so yummy! But, I would recommend anyone pace themselves and not worry about filling up too soon. I promise there will be LOTS more food for you!
- Bring comfortable shoes: This is a walking food tour. Bring your comfiest shoes so you don’t have to worry about blisters while you’re enjoying tasting, sipping, and learning. If walking isn't your jam, there are plenty of e-bike and segway tours for you!
- Come hungry: Like I said, you get your bang for your buck with this tour - there is SO much food included!! Come hungry and ready to eat eat eat.
- Give yourself time on the metro: The metro can be a little sticky sometimes. While it is generally reliable, I would recommend leaving some extra time in case your planned train gets cancelled.
Why Barcelona Food Lover Tours?
With an appreciation for sustainable gastronomy, Barcelona Food Lover Tours wants to “offer more sustainable meals and locally grown products”. To do this, they’ve created sustainable food-based menus just for you. You can learn more about their sustainable initiatives on their website.
You'll be visiting local tapas bars, not trendy rooftops! These dives might end up being your favorite in the city.
Not only do they have a sustainable-first mindset about their tours, but the guides I worked with were so kind, willing to answer any questions we had, and knowledgable and passionate about Barcelona’s gastronomy. Is that not the only reason you need to take a tour?!
This tour catered to a younger crowd; almost everyone that joined us was in their 20s-30s. Of course, “Tapas Crawl” is likely going to cater to a younger crowd anyway. If you’re visiting with a group of friends, this is the perfect tour for you! You won't regret this night out, I promise!
Check pricing and availability for a Tapas Crawl with Barcelona Food Lover Tours ►
Final Thoughts
Overall, I had an absolutely unforgettable time on this tapas crawl and would recommend it to any of my friends and family. I would even take it again myself if I had the chance!
From the first drink to the last dessert tasting, and all of the dishes in between, this tapas crawl had it all. Our guide was so great - teaching us about the food and history of each dish while clearly having a blast getting to share their knowledge with the tour group.
If you're looking for a fun and delicious way to experience Barcelona's culinary scene, I highly recommend this tapas crawl. Just remember to come hungry!
