Here’s a brief list of budget-friendly restaurants that offer great lunch deals. We’ve tried to cover all the central neighborhoods, so that no matter where you are in the city, you can always find something good to eat.

And if you’re still hungry after reading about these deals, we have plenty of other articles on Barcelona cheap eats including cheap restaurant picks and tips to keep your eats cheap in Barcelona.

Lunch near Las Ramblas

If it’s lunchtime and you’re walking down Las Ramblas, you will want to avoid the ridiculously over-priced drinks and over-cooked food that lurks nearby. Instead try:

• La Fonda (Carrer Jerusalem, 3): An elegant yet modern setting sets the tone for the Mediterranean menu using ingredients from the nearby Boqueria Market. Lunch set menu is around €15.

Related: Cheap hotels near Mercat de la Boqueria

• Fonda de España  (Carrer Sant Pau, 9): This restaurant, located inside the Hotel España, sparkles with an ornate, tiled, and chandeliered modernista dining room designed by architect Domenech i Muntaner. It’s a wonderful backdrop for a substantial €27 (inc. tax) lunch. That’s not so cheap, but it’s worth a splurge for a special meal.

Lunch near Passeig de Gracia

If visiting Gaudi’s La Pedrera or Casa Battlo, head for the short stretch of Carrer Aragó between Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer Pau Claris, where you’ll find three excellent lunchtime restaurants.

• La Rita (Carrer Aragó, 279):  Given its consistent quality, service and value, La Rita is my favorite lunchtime restaurant. The menu costs just €10.40 (including tax) for a three-course lunch with bread, wine and water. Desserts are excellent. The restaurant is very popular with local office workers, so expect to wait in line for ten minutes or so.

• Madrid-Barcelona (Carrer Aragó, 284): If you’re looking for a classic lunch experience, this traditional Spanish cafe serves up excellent food. The menu here is a great value at €15.

• Divinus (Passeig de Gràcia, 28): For a filling Mediterranean meal, it’s hard to beat the deal here in this modern dining room. For €10.50 diners get three choices for each course including an appetizer, main course and dessert.

Lunch near Plaza Catalunya

• Xaica (Calle Jovellanos, 5-7): For a cheap and cheerful meal at a set-price, with self-service menu, check out Xaica. They serve three-courses, wine, beer or a soft drink, from €10.

Lunch near El Born

• Origen 99’9% (Pg. del Born 4): Just across the street from the gorgeous Santa Maria del Mar church, you’ll find Origen 99’9% with a tasty €17 set menu (for lunch or dinner) featuring a sample of dishes form across Catalonia. They also have a location in Gracia.

Lunch near La Sagrada Familia

By all means, avoid all of the fast food joints and head for…

• Els Pollos de Llull (Carrer Nàpols, 272): Els Pollos serves a delicious two-course lunch for €6.95 (three-courses for €7.95). The pickings often include organic chicken with rice and a variety of organic yogurts. It’s a five minute walk from Sagrada Familia.

Related: Tips for visiting La Sagrada Familia

The post Barcelona Cheap Eats: 8 delicious lunch deals appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here’s a quick overview of tricks and tips to help you dine a la Cheapo in Barcelona. (Also read our recommended outdoor eateries and our cheap restaurant picks for Barcelona.)

1. Look for “Menú del Dia”

Often chalked up on a board on the sidewalk, the “menú del dia” is a national institution. For a fixed price you’ll be offered a choice of, say, six starters and six main courses.

Although some restaurants offer more adventuresome menus, the first course choices will typically feature a paella or pasta dish, or a salad or a soup. The second course will often feature chicken or a small steak, or fish, served with fries or potatoes and vegetables of the day. And for dessert you’ll likely be offered yogurt or flan (creme caramel), pudding (sponge cream cake), ice-cream, or a piece of fruit. Expect to pay a little more at weekends and on public holidays.

You’ll even find some restaurants offering a “menú del noche” (evening menu) – again, with three or four courses (although often not including wine) for about €13.50 – €17.50.

2. Check before you get the check.

There are often lots of hidden costs that arrive with the bill in Barcelona.  Here’s a checklist for avoiding them:

* Tax: Check whether the price includes tax (“IVA”) or not. This will add 7% to the check. (Note, in the photo above, that the tax–“+ 7% IVA”– is not included in the price.)

* Terrace: Check how much the “suplemento“ for eating on the terrace is. (This is sometimes a fixed charge, between €1 and €3 per person, and can add as much as 20% to the check).

* Bread: Check whether the price includes “pan” (bread). (For example, a well-known restaurant on the Passeig de Gràcia once tried to charge me €12.40 for two small baskets of bread!)

* Wine and water: Check whether the price includes “vino” (wine) or “agua” (water) or a beer or “refresco” (soft drink ). Many places will serve you both wine and water (or gaseosa-fizzy flavoured water) at no extra cost.

* Coffee: Check whether coffee is included. Some restaurants allow you to exchange a choice of dessert for a coffee.

3. Pick your smoking preference.

Remember to ask for the “no smoking” section, if this is your preference. Otherwise, you run the risk of being seated next to a diner who might light up a post-prandial cigar just as you’re savoring your starter.

4. Know your hours.

In Barcelona, we eat lunch a bit later than everyone else in Europe–most restaurants do not start serving until 1 PM or 1:30 PM, and finish serving lunch at around 3:45 PM.

5. A few more words to dine by.

* Safety: Do not hang your handbag (or jacket with wallet) on your chair, if eating on a terrace.

* Tip: Don’t worry about the “propino” (tip). Leave what small change you have, or nothing at all. This could be somewhere between 5-10%, but shouldn’t be more than €1 per person.

* Complaints: All establishments are required by law to have a complaints book. If you’re not happy with any aspect of the food or service, ask for the “Libro de Reclamaciones.” If they say they don’t have one, you can legally leave without paying anything!

And, as we say here: “Buen provecho” and “Bon profit”!

The post Barcelona Restaurant Tips: How to keep your eats cheap appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.