Open-air Markets in Barcelona
Open-air markets are not only common in Barcelona, they are part of the life-blood of Spain. Your neighborhood is guaranteed to have an open-air market at least one day a week (usually either Friday and/or Saturday) that will have the usual array of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as meats, cheeses, honey, clothing, accessories, plants, home equipment and occasionally (although more rarely) bric-a-brac.
These are not advertised, they are simply part of the local knowledge. To find your local market, get out of the house early (about 9am should do it) and ask one of your neighbors. It is also not unusual to find an enclosed “mercat” in your neighborhood that is open Monday-Friday. They are usually old churches converted into marketplaces and are not difficult to find.
Bargaining is not a common practise for food items (the price will be listed), but if you are buying other goods in bulk (presumably some people buy their socks 50 pairs at a time), you can negotiate a discount with the stallholder. If you are not being served by the owner of the stall, however, don´t bother haggling – the kids who do this as a part-time job don´t have the authority or nerve for steely-eyed bargaining.
Listed below, are the largest and best-known mercats in Barcelona. It is most likely that your individual neighborhood will have one, too but if you want a big market with a central location and a variety of produce and products, seek out one of the ones listed below.
Organic food
Fira Artesana
Placa del Pi
Metro: Liceu, (Green Line, L3)
1st Fri and Sat of every month
Called the honey market (with good reason, honey in Catalunya is among the best in the world), locals producers from the Catalan area all come together monthly to sell their organic wares. Well known for its homemade cakes and glorious honey-infused cheeses.
General Market Goods
Sant Antoni Market
Ronda Sant Pau/Carrer Comte d’Urgell
Metro: Sant Antoni (Purple Line, L2)
Mondays – Saturdays: 07:00 – 14:30; 17:30 – 20:30
Friday: 07:00 – 20:30
A larger food market that has far fewer tourists than others in Barcelona. You can buy fresh produce, of course, and delectable deli treats as well as very reasonably priced tapas from friendly stall-holders. A word of warning: in the hot months of July and August most of the stallholders take random holidays, so finding them can be a bit of a lottery. The Sant Antoni Mercat is famous for its selection of great books and clothes, too.
Mercat de Sant Josep/ La Boqueria
La Rambla de Sant Josep
Metro: Liceu, (Green Line, L3)
Mon-Sat: 08:00 – 20:30
Barcelona’s best-known market, just off La Rambla this market is a must whether you are buying or just browsing. The food sold ranges from ready-made fresh fruit salads, to live seafood to a whole sheep head if you are expecting guests. Or, you could just serve them some of the beautiful smoked meats sold sliced.