The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, on the Rambla, is Barcelona's most famous market and one of the best known in Europe. But Barcelona has a network of over forty municipal markets, one in almost every neighbourhood, at the heart of daily life and Catalan cooking.
History
As early as the Middle Ages farmers sold meat and vegetables outside the city gate here. In 1840, after the demolition of the convent of St Joseph, the market found a permanent home in the arcaded square; the great iron roof, with its modernista entrance decorated with coloured glass on the Rambla, was completed in 1914.
What to find
Over 200 stalls sell fruit and vegetables piled in colourful pyramids, wild mushrooms, fish and seafood, meat, Iberian ham, cheese, nuts, spices, sweets and chocolate. Alongside stalls for locals there are those aimed at tourists, with fruit juices, ham cones and cut fruit. But the real pleasure is eating at one of the counters inside, such as El Quim de la Boqueria or Kiosko Universal, where eggs with baby squid, chickpeas with morcilla, griddled fish and market dishes are cooked to order.
Hours and rules
The market is open Monday to Saturday, from early morning into the evening; it is closed on Sundays. Mornings are the best time to see it lively without too many crowds. To protect local shoppers, large tour groups are not allowed in at certain times. Watch out for pickpockets in the crowd.
Eating at the Boqueria
Besides the stalls of fruit, fish, meat, charcuterie and spices, the Boqueria has some legendary counter bars, where you eat on a stool watching the cooks at work: griddled fish and seafood, eggs with baby squid, chickpeas with morcilla, all made with market produce. Arrive early, as seats are few and a queue forms at midday. The stalls also sell cups of cut fruit and juices, handy but aimed at tourists and pricier than elsewhere.
Visiting tips
- Go in the morning, between 8 and 10am, when locals shop and crowds are smaller; in the afternoon many stalls close and the market is closed on Sundays.
- Don't touch the produce and ask before taking photos: it is a workplace for the vendors.
- Since 2015 large organised groups cannot enter at peak times on Friday and Saturday mornings.
- Watch your wallet and phone, especially at the Rambla entrance.
- To buy ham, cheese, nuts, saffron or oil to take home, compare prices: stalls at the back are often cheaper than those at the entrance.
For the city's food see eating in Barcelona and the Barcelona guide.
Other markets
- Santa Caterina, in El Born, with its undulating roof of coloured tiles designed by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue, and a good restaurant.
- Sant Antoni, a large restored nineteenth-century cross-shaped market, with a Sunday book, comic and collectables market.
- Mercat de la Barceloneta, in the fishermen's quarter, and Mercat del Ninot, in the Eixample, loved by locals.
- Mercat de la Concepció, open in the evening and famous for flowers.
- Flea markets: Els Encants, under a huge mirrored canopy near Glòries, and the Thursday antiques market in front of the cathedral.
See also shopping in Barcelona and Spanish cuisine.