The 17 best cheap eats in Barcelona

This classic tavern was reopened by some bloggers who are passionate about wine and tapas, and they've applied their philosophy to breakfasts in the bar featuring sandwiches that are so big they can count as a full brunch: 'botifarra' sausage with cubes of aubergine, or tuna with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes are among the surprises that await you.

People flock to Bo de Bernat for good reason: for €15-18 à la carte, this is a grand celebration of hearty stews, flavorful dishes, and abundant good wine. Yes, you'll find the legendary pork cheeks – tender and with a crispy crust – and all the familiar classics, but also their own creations, like some incredible fricandó croquettes. If lengthy menus make you skeptical, we get it – but once you've eaten here, we guarantee you'll change your mind about them. This is a budget-friendly eatery that stands out above the rest.

A real traditional eating-house, where you can find tasty delicacies any day of the week such as the tripe and leg of lamb. The menu has a lot to offer with recommended dishes like the salted cod with vegtables adn tomato sauce, the grilled liver with real fries and the baked pork tripe. At the bar you can enjoy your breakfast or lunch with a bottle of wine that has been bottled specifically for the house.

Sick of paying €15 for mediocre pasta? You'll love Brera, a no-frills, authentically Italian bar-restaurant tucked away in a corner of Hostafrancs. Brera offers 12 options, from antipasti to gnocchi, all homemade and delicious, but it's known as a gnocchi bar: gnocchi is the star of the show. There's a €12 lunch menu every day, where you can try the likes of gnocchi with a classic ragù, or with smoked aubergine, prawns and pistachio pesto, and most of the pasta comes in at around €10. It's cheap, but it's a real treat. 

Bocatini offers something pretty much unheard of in the rest of Barcelona: customised combination plates. Start with a base like butifarra (sausage), Galician-style lacón (ham) or Andalusian-style calamari. Then add two sides; green beans with ham, assorted omelets, Iberian ham croquettes, Russian salad, grilled wild mushrooms. What you've got is a quick and delicious meal for €11, including a drink. Unreal. 

What is a dumpling, or a gyoza, or a bao or a pot sticker if not variations on the same theme? That universal archetype of differently shaped stuffed pieces of dough that's often eaten by hand and swallowed in a single bite of pleasure. At Dr. Zhang they specialise in Chinese dumplings, and you can see them coming from kitchen to table in a variety of flavours such as duck, or the fried ones stuffed with curry. Be prepared for some more unorthodox themes to come out from time to time, such as the seasonal Halloween wanton stuffed with pumpkin, sweet potato, curry, and sweet and sour sauce. The dough is good and home-made, the fillings made with the utmost of care.

At Cactus, mojitos are taken very seriously: fresh mint, brown sugar, crushed ice and a good quality rum are the ingredients in Ariel's mojitos. He's the king of these refreshing concoctions, and puts all the dedication in the world into making his own delicious version in this little music box of a space where, instead of a ballerina, a disco ball spins round and round every night.

Juan Antonio Miró is an omelette guru. He opened this restaurant in 1985, and from the outset he focused on these 'truites' ('tortillas' in Spanish). You can try simple culinary works of art here such as caviar, crab or smoked salmon omelettes. The most curious, which also happens to be their best-seller, is the ham croissant omelette. At first the sampler plate seems a bit strange, but it starts to win over palates accustomed to simpler omelettes. A fantastic one is the foie gras, and an extraordinary option is the 'morcilla' blood sausage with a hint of spiciness that could become a true vice. There are even omelettes for dessert: try the cherry and banana creation.

Italian chef Stefano Mazza – from the Alps, an area known for abundance and flavour – knows at least two things very well: Barcelona and Asian fusion. He was the second to join the city's much-missed restaurant Mé, under the incredible Thang Pham. Mazza has built a short and tasty menu where Southeast Asia is infused with Italian touches, and vice versa. Chefs who aren't screaming against the 'fusion' label are those who do it very well, like Mazza.

Senyor Vermut is a local spot in the Eixample Esquerre whose menu of tapas and small plates may not be so different from other restaurants of its ilk, but here in the Miralles family business, everything has the Miralles touch. A peach gazpacho, lovely croquettes – the wild mushroom ones are phenomenal – a 'capipota' just like Grandma Josefina used to make, good but not stellar patatas bravas, and a tasty shish kabob marinated with oil and spices.

Escairón is particularly remarkable for its Galician entrecot (sirloin steak) and 'caldo gallego' (Galician broth). Aside from the entrecot, main dishes include barbecue, stews, and especially the eponymous dessert, Escairón (crème caramel with a kind of nougat ice cream). Unforgettable fried potatoes accompany the meat dishes. This is the perfect place to delight your palate with the very best of Galician cuisine and fresh, quality market fare at reasonable prices.

Gat Blau offers an organic, traditional and creative set lunch menu for under €12, where six of the eight options are vegetarian – and it varies every day. You won't miss fancy things done with prawns when instead you've got before you gorgeous veal cannelloni wrapped in courgette, or a traditional Catalan potato coulant ('patata emmascarada'). For dinner you can dig into haute cuisine for around €25.

When you're strolling through a quiet part of a neighbourhood and you see a bar full of customers, they must have something pretty good to offer. That's Bar Casi, in a more deserted part of Gràcia, up a steep road. You might not be wowed by the ambience, thinking the best thing you can say about the bar with its six tables is that it's clean enough. But what you'd be missing is its warmth and dynamic and positive vibe: Every day they serve up complete lunches as well as a generous and home-made set lunch menu for around €12. Plus, you're treated like a regular customer who's been having lunch here every day for decades.

This family establishment was modernised when the children inherited it from their parents, resulting in one of the best lunchtime menus in the Marina area. For less than €12 per person, you can choose between four starters and four main dishes, made from simple ingredients but created with great expertise and originality. Like upside-down macaroni stuffed with chicken and bechamel. It’s become a real magnet in the area.

The Mexican owners say they make 'Mexican street food'. And they do it well: their tacos are phenomenal and their quesadillas are made with care and without industrial cheddar. The repertoire is informal Mexican food, and weekends are reserved for more-traditional fare such as aguachiles and chicken with mole sauce. The ambience is also a cut above the norm, with modern Mexican and colourful decor.

Mà de Morter, in the Les Corts neighbourhood of Barcelona, is set in lovely brick and wood surrounds, and for about €11 you can get a joyful meal to perk up your mood and keep your stomach satisfied. The value for money is impressive, with a sort of 'best of' of Catalan cuisine, using slow and precise cooking methods and fresh products. You'll find 'trinxat' (a dish made with potatoes, cabbage and pork) and glazed rabbit; chickpeas with calamari and 'botifarra' sausage with 'pisto' vegetable tomato sauce; caramelised apple salad; and grilled sea bream with vegetables.

Gelida is one of those bar-restaurants that are few and far between nowadays, ideal for tight budgets and good eaters. The full breakfast is a memorable experience. And at lunchtime, get ready for a communal meal with some delicious starters and main dishes. The 'capipota', ham hock and cod are excellent. Wash it all down with a fine wine from the town of Gelida in the Alt Penedès wine region.