Guidebooks are a bore; they can’t clink a glass of vermouth with you and they’re no fun to share a plate of pimientos de padron (seared peppers) with. But that’s exactly what your host will do as you flit between tapa and pintxos bars. Sip vermouth or cañas (the local measure of beer), and sample the favorite local dishes - like la bomba, croquettas of mashed potato stuffed with ground pork, and esqueixada, a zesty feast of raw salted cod, romesco sauce, tomatoes and black olives.  They’ll take you only to authentic tapa bars where you’ll be rubbing shoulders with the locals and you might not be sure what some of the things on the menu are - although there probably won’t be a menu, so you’ll be ever happier your host is with you. 

You’ll explore El Poble Sec, a barrio nestled between the port, the Gothic Quarter and the hilly Montjuïc neighborhood. From humble beginnings, it’s become one of the city’s up-and-coming food hubs, where authentic bodega cozy up alongside futuristic fusion restaurants and tiny tapa bars. Perhaps you’ll visit a bar so tiny only 15 people can squeeze inside that’s known for its montaditos, crispy pieces of bread topped with anything from smoked salmon with yogurt and honey to salty tapenade. And of course, you’ll flit between a few of the bars on Carrer de Blai, a street that’s made a name of itself thanks to its countless pinxto bars, where delicious morsels are served on cocktail sticks