According to the municipal government, Barcelona is home to nearly forty different food markets. And yet most tourists will never venture beyond the city’s most touristic market, La Boqueria, to discover the more authentic Barcelona markets where local people actually shop.
On my most recent trip to Barcelona I decided to venture beyond La Boqueria to visit nine other markets around the city, including neighborhood food markets and even the city’s eye-popping new flea market. In these community hubs I found local shoppers and vendors who still value regional ingredients, seasonal cooking and the tradition of doing a daily market shop.
Keep reading to learn about ten of the best markets in Barcelona, and make sure to add one or more of these local spots to your Barcelona itinerary before your next trip!
#1 – Mercat de Santa Caterina (El Born)
Famous for its colorful tiled roof, the Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona’s El Born district is one of the easiest markets to visit in Barcelona. The market here dates back to 1845, but underwent extensive renovations in the early 2000s to become the architectural vision that you see today.
Inside Mercat de Santa Caterina, traditional food vendors focus on providing healthy, seasonal and organic foods to residents of the surrounding La Ribera neighborhood. These include nine fruits and vegetable stalls, nine vendors selling charcuterie essentials including cured meats and cheeses, thirteen fish and seafood stalls, four stalls selling perserved foods and a bakery. The market is also home to four popular bars and restaurants where you can have a quick drink or a light meal.
At the back of the market, take a minute to note the remaining foundations of a convent from the Middle Ages, which was unearthed when the market was being renovated.
📍 Metro: Jaume I
#2 – Mercat de Sant Antoni (El Raval)
Located on the western edge of the Raval district, Mercat de Sant Antoni was built in a unique criss-cross style in 1882. Unlike some some of the city’s trendier markets, Mercat de Sant Antoni hasn’t begun the transition to becoming a food hall, and instead continues to focus on providing local residents with the groceries they need to eat well at home and affordable basics like clothing and housewares.
On Sundays, the Mercat de Sant Antoni also opens up 78 flea market stalls. Swing by on Sunday morning to shop for books, coins, antiques, clothing and household items.
📍 Metro: Sant Antoni
#3 – Mercat de la Llibertat (Gracia)
In 1893, architects looked towards other European markets like Les Halles in Paris, along with the growing number of Modernist buildings popping up around Barcelona, and came up with the design for Gracia’s Mercat de Llibertat. At that time, Gracia was its own village, separate from Barcelona, and the community wanted their residents to have a great place to buy food.
Today, nearly two million people visit Mercat de Llibertat in Barcelona every year, and they’ll almost all locals. Residents of the Gracia neighborhood still come here to shop from vendors selling fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, meat and seafood. There is also a seafood bar and a tapas restaurant for those seeking a light, market-inspired meal.
Like many markets in Barcelona, Mercat de la Llibertat has adapted with the times. Part of the market is now occupied by Bonpreu, a Catalonia-based chain of supermarkets.
📍 Metro: Gracia
#4 – Mercat de la Concepcio (Eixample)
Halfway between Placa de Catalunya and the Sagrada Familia, Mercat de la Concepcio is a popular local market in the Eixample neighborhood. It is best known for being home to Barcelona’s largest flower shop, but it’s also a popular stop for local residents doing their daily grocery shopping.
Vendors here sell fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, game, fresh pasta, cheese, bread and ready-made takeaway meals. I thought this was one of the cutest markets in Barcelona, as it really seemed to be mostly locals doing their daily shopping from vendors who were happy to see their favorite customers.
The cafes outside Mercat de la Concepcio are perfect for a glass of cava (or coffee) and a little people watching. You can also try the local tigernut horcata at Orxateria-Torroneria Verdu, just one block down the street.
📍 Metro: Girona
#5 – Mercat del Ninot (Eixample)
Located about fifteen minutes by foot from Casa Mila and Casa Batllo on Passeig de Gracia, this market in the Eixample district is one of the city’s newer markets, having been built in 1933.
This is an excellent market to visit for lunch, as it is home to fifteen cafes and restaurants. Of note, Tierra Brava is vegetarian-friendly, with dishes like grilled seasonal vegetables in romesco sauce and tomato stuffed with stracchiatella and pistachio pesto. If you eat meat and seafood, other stalls that were packed at the time I visited at lunch included Medusa 73 and De Cruz Morales.
The inside of the market houses 48 food vendors, while the exterior facade houses 33 non-food vendors (including clothing, housewares, books and jewelry). The basement is home to a Mercadona supermarket where you can stock up on groceries for your vacation rental (this highly-rated apartment is just around the corner!).
📍 Metro: Hospital Clinic
#6 – Mercat del Poblenou
Poblenou isn’t an area that many tourists visit when they’re in Barcelona, but with its convenient beach access and up-and-coming culinary scene, it’s increasingly popular with locals. The Mercat de Poblenou is at the heart of the neighborhood, having its origins as a nineteenth-century cattle market but today selling local fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and fish.
There is a cute little coffee shop inside the market that would be perfect for grabbing a morning coffee on your way to the beach. The upper level of the markets is occupied by an Aldi supermarket, if you need to pick up any affordable essentials that aren’t sold by the market vendors.
📍 Metro: Poblenou
#7 – Mercat de l’Abaceria
An easy walk from the Sagrada Familia, Mercat de l’Abaceria is considered the more working-class alternative to nearby Mercat de Llibertat. It also features prominently in the novel “The Time of the Doves”, set in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War.
Inside the market there are about 43 food vendors, including the popular Cal Mingo sandwich shop and tapas bar. If you’re staying nearby, this is also a good place to pick up prepared foods for an easy at-home dinner.
In the very near future, the Mercat de l’Abacera is scheduled to move into its new location a few blocks away. The new building will be much larger and feature a much more innovative design. The photos above show the current location and the new location.
📍 Metro: Joanic or Verdaguer
#8 – Mercat Sagrada Familia
Most of the restaurants immediately surrounding the Sagrada Familia have a reputation as being an overpriced tourist trap. If you’re on a budget, you might want to head behind the cathedral to the local market here on Carrer de Padilla, where you can pick up fresh bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables for a picnic in the park. Three blocks south of the market, at Avinguda Diagonal, there is a picnic area with public chairs, benches and tables.
This market shares a space with a Bonpreu supermarket, which is also a good place to pick up some essentials for cooking in your vacation rental.
📍 Metro: Sagrada Familia
#9 – Mercat dels Encants
I put this market in Barcelona second-last on my list because unlike the other markets, it’s not a food market. Mercat dels Encants is Barcelona’s largest flea market, selling both normal second-hand goods and some antiques across multiple levels.
Mercat dels Encants stands out for its unique contemporary architecture, with a gold mirrored roof reflecting the market activity taking place beneath it. It’s located on Plaza de les Glories, in the shadow of the bullet-shaped Torre Glòries (which offers amazing views of the Sagrada Familia from its panoramic viewing tower) and the cantilevered Design Museum of Barcelona.
To me, Mercat dels Encants really feels like a market where locals actually shop for the things they need. On the ground floor I noticed many vendors selling new products such as inexpensive clothing and housewares. Descending into the subterranean levels I came across more and more stalls selling a combination of second-hand and vintage items. If you have time and a tight budget, this could be a great place to come find a hidden treasure.
📍 Metro: Glories
#10 – La Boqueria (El Raval)
I know I said that this list would go beyond La Boqueria, but I just had to include it! This is the first European food market that I remember visiting, all the way back in 2004.
La Boqueria Market is known for being very touristic, thanks to its location on La Rambla and its proximity to tourist attractions like the Barcelona Cathedral. As such, about half the vendors are selling products that I consider to be especially for tourists, like colorful fruit cups and juices, cones filled with fried seafood and even fast food like chicken nuggets. The other half are still selling the whole foods that residents of the neighborhood need to cook at home, like fish, meat, cheese, bread, fruits and vegetables.
Recently, La Boqueria applied to UNESCO for protection under the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity program. This would seek to protect the market from further touristification (is that a word?) and preserve its status as a place that celebrates the culinary heritage of the city. At the same time, the market began to undertake significant renovations, which are expected to be finished by mid-2027. At the time of my most recent visit in 2026 the renovations were supposedly underway, but they weren’t yet noticeable.
📍 Metro: Jaume I
Planning a trip to Barcelona? Check out my other guides!
✈️ How to Get from the Barcelona Airport to the City Centre
☀️ Where to Stay in Barcelona (Solo Female Traveled Approved!)
⭐ The 25 Best Things to Do in Barcelona, Spain
🗺️ One Day in Barcelona, Spain: The Perfect (and Easy!) Itinerary
🚅 How to Take a Day Trip to Girona from Barcelona
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