The Waterfront Market With A Variety Of Diverse Dishes From Barcelona's Michelin-Star Restaurants

If you've been to the iconic foodie destination of Lisbon, you may already be familiar with the Time Out Market brand. These modern in-person markets collect the best dining experiences from around international cities like New York, Cape Town, Dubai, Montreal, and more. Now, they have made a name for themselves in Spain's Mediterranean metropolis, the beautiful city of Barcelona.

Located in Port Vell at the end of a short boardwalk accessible next to the statue of Christopher Columbus, the Time Out Market Barcelona is found on the top floor of the Maremagnum shopping mall. It's a great place to walk around if you are taking the shuttle bus from the cruise port because the drop-off point is a short walk away. If you only have a short time to experience the city and have been properly warned that tourists should avoid eating on La Rambla, the Time Out Market is the perfect place to eat. Not only does the food court design mean everyone can get exactly what they feel like, but it's a place where all the best restaurants (for many different cuisines) in Barcelona have come together, including a few of the city's Michelin darlings and queue-worthy cocktail bars.

When dining at fine restaurants, it's stressful to have to book your table way in advance. And then there are the crazy prices for a set menu at some of Barcelona's top Michelin star restaurants — the degustation menu at Disfrutar, named the World's Best Restaurant in 2024 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants, starts at a mind-boggling €295 per person. Luckily, you can get a compact, hassle-free gastronomical experience at the Time Out Market for an affordable price. Three restaurants hold the highest esteem in the market, all of which are named after their head chefs. Representing the two-star Sentit Comú by Jordi Artal, chef Artal has developed a casual menu that includes a few of the same dishes you'd find at his restaurant in the Eixample neighborhood like the 36-hour braised beef and the shrimp and carpaccio croquettes. Save room for dessert, because you will absolutely want to try "The world's best flan?" (question mark, included), which was no-contest the creamiest flan I've ever personally tasted — and it's my favorite dessert!

Right next to Jordi Artal, you can have your seafood fix with Fran López, head chef of Xerta, a restaurant that specializes in cuisine from the Catalan region of the Ebro Delta. This is a great spot to get your paella, but the cod "brandada," which is a dip served with crispy fish skin, is also extremely creamy and delicious. Also part of the gourmet trio, Lena Maria Grané and Ricky Smith are a chef couple representing BaLó, a restaurant that doesn't have a Michelin star but still serves some creative and high-end dishes that combine Mediterranean and Atlantic flavors.

Catalan cuisine has many wonderful gastronomic traditions like its quirky winter onion festival, and you will find more places to try typical dishes like tomato bread at tapas restaurants like Bar Nuri or the more traditional dishes from Casa Guinart. If you prefer snacking on cured meats, a worthy pastime when you're in Spain, you can check out the cuts at Colmado Múrria.

Of course, Barcelona is an international city as well, and many of its best restaurants showcase cuisines from around the world. La Balmesina is the place to get pizza, and you can watch them cut and roll out the dough right in front of you; Monster Sushi is also extremely popular, with multiple locations in the city. Some say La Real Hamburguesería has the best burger in the city, and Xuba Tacos is the project of one of Barcelona's well-known chefs, Antonio Sáez.

You can order a mix of plates from different stalls and enjoy it at the casual tables or outdoor terrace, but if you prefer traditional service, make a reservation for Casa Amàlia, which has a classic Catalan menu. In the warmer months, you can enjoy the Paradiso terrace, which is an offshoot of the cocktail bar that was named the World's Best Bar in 2022. The menu does not have the exact same signature cocktails, but you do get a great view of the marina and city skyline at sunset.