Where is the street food in Barcelona actually good?

Barcelona's street food scene is thin compared to Southeast Asia or Mexico City, so calibrate expectations accordingly. The strongest category is the bocadillo de calamares sold at La Barceloneta's chiringuitos and along the Passeig Joan de Borbó, where fried rings stuffed into a crusty roll cost around €4-6 and taste exactly right eaten near the water. Mercat de Santa Caterina in the Eixample-adjacent part of the old city edges out La Boqueria for eating standing up: the market stalls there are less tourist-oriented, and you'll find honest pintxos and grilled ceps in season without fighting a selfie stick crowd. In Gràcia, the weekend market in Plaça del Sol occasionally draws solid empanada and arepa vendors, though quality is inconsistent and worth scouting before committing. Skip anything on La Rambla entirely. The best accessible eating remains seated at a cervecería or a bar counter, where a plate of patatas bravas with alioli runs €5 and outperforms most grab-and-go options in the city.

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