Boqueria Market

To get into the spirit of Barcelona, an innovative metropolis that nonetheless remains strongly attached to its traditions, enter the iron gate that marks the entrance to the Boqueria Market ( Mercat de la Boqueria in Catalan), also called St. Joseph’s Market(Mercat San Josep).

Inside this magical place, located in a privileged position right in the middle of Las Ramblas, daily rituals that in their simplicity have something magical about them have been taking place for more than a hundred years. Merchants, restaurateurs, housewives and nowadays also young people and tourists come here to buy the best quality meat, fresh fish and other culinary delicacies, both local and international.

Lively and always crowded, this market housed in a beautiful building with modernist touches is distinguished from other picturesque markets by the meticulous care in the presentation of the products on sale.

Forget the charming but chaotic atmosphere of oriental bazaars: at the Boqueria Market, everything is neat and tidy. The note of folklore is given by the vendors, charismatic characters, some dressed in traditional clothes, whose loquacity and affability have entered the hearts of Barcelonans and tourists alike.

Ready for a five-sense experience? Be inebriated by the scents and colours of the food, be beguiled by the chatter of the vendors, touch the goods on sale (where permitted!) and, finally, savour exquisite culinary delights.

What to buy at the Boqueria Market

At the Boqueria market you can buy red meat, white meat, game, cured meats, fish, local fruit, exotic fruit, seafood, vegetables, spices, pâtés, bread, sweets and just about anything in the world of gastronomy. There really is everything, including stands specialising in olives, nuts, canned specialities and cake decorations.

Some of the best stands at the Boqueria Market are the fruit stand Fruites y Verdures Soley Roser (stall 509), the stand specialising in mushrooms Petras Fruits del Bosc (867), the butcher’s shop Carnisseria Ferran Soler Capella (431) and the fish market Peix Pepi i Eva (801).

If you’re staying in a flat, you can take advantage of a visit to the Boqueria Market: buy fresh ingredients here to cook yourself a delicious dinner at home.

What to do at the Boqueria Market

Without betraying its vocation as a traditional local market, the Boqueria is also a place of innovation.

Inside the market there is a specialised bookshop, with books and cookery manuals, and a classroom equipped for cooking courses and workshops where amateurs and people intending to pursue a career in the food and wine industry come to train. Among them could be the Michelin chefs of tomorrow!

Where to eat at the Boqueria

If you’re staying in a hotel and don’t have a fridge where you can leave your meat, fish and vegetables, you can sample the delicacies on sale right on the spot: there are also bars and restaurants inside the market and some of the stalls sell packaged products perfect as take-away snacks.

The Boqueria Market is therefore the right place for a quick snack, a gourmet lunch or a tasty aperitif (unfortunately it closes too early for dinner!).

The best tapas bars at the Boqueria Market, with stools for eating on the spot, are Ramblero (counter 550), Pinotxo (465), Bar Central (494), El Quim (582). Perfect for a snack or aperitif!

If you want to eat more leisurely seated at a table, treat yourself to lunch at Restaurant La Gardunya (998), while for a coffee or a meal on the fly the right stand is Kiosk Boqueria Café Victoria, a tiny café kiosk that also sells ready-made sandwiches.

Those arriving early in the morning should definitely try the exceptional savoury breakfasts at Kiosk Universal (691).

Opening Hours

The Boqueria Market is open daily (except Sundays) from 8.00 am until 8.30 pm, but only a few stalls are open throughout the day. Most are open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the week and until 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The best time to visit the Boqueria market is therefore in the morning, when the market is working at full capacity. Lunchtime is a good time because you can take advantage of eating here, but at this time the market is very crowded.

A recommendation at all hours: watch your wallet and valuables. Unfortunately, also at the Boqueria market, as in all areas of Barcelona, numerous pickpockets operate and tourists are easy victims.

How to get to the Boqueria Market

The easiest way to get to the Boqueria Market is to take the metro L3 and get off at the Liceu stop along Las Ramblas. The stop is less than a two-minute walk from the market entrance.

If arriving by car, the most convenient parking area is on carrer de les Floristes de la Rambla, at Plaça de la Gardunya. If you spend at least EUR 30.00 at the market, you will get one hour of free parking.

History of the Boqueria

The origins of La Boqueria Market date back as far as 1217, the year to which some written documents attest to the existence of an open-air market with stalls run by farmers from the surrounding villages.

This farm market lasted over the centuries, with alternating vicissitudes, until in 1840 on the site of the former convent of St. Joseph (Sant Josep) the construction of a covered market to house the stalls began: the building as we see it today was not finished until 1914. Further renovation and modernisation work was carried out in the 1980s and 1990s.

There are various hypotheses about the origins of the market’s name: the most probable is that the name derives from the fact that mutton is sold here, carn de boc in Catalan.