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.

Hotel H10 Catalunya Plaza

It doesn’t get any more central than this. H10 is right on Plaça Catalunya, the city’s main hub. From here La Rambla stretches down to the sea, and Passeig de Gràcia zips up towards all the Gaudí building goodness. When you arrive at the airport, jump on the Aerobús which will drop you off right in front of the hotel, the last stop on the bus line. What’s more, H10 is a very complete hotel with a restaurant, tea and coffee bar, plus a breakfast buffet. The rooms are on the smaller side, but they are still a good value. Drawbacks? The bustle, the noise and the lack of decent restaurants around the hotel. Despite these issues, H10 is our number one pick for a quick trip stay.

From $109 a night.

The bright television lounge for guests at Hostal Goya. Photo: EuroCheapo

Hostal Goya

This one requires just a bit more walking that H10, but it’s a matter of a few blocks. Goya is off the main tourist vein and will be a tad quieter than H10. Also, there are apartment buildings on Pau Claris street giving Goya a more neighborhood vibe to it than H10, which is surrounded by businesses, restaurants, shopping and hotels. We also like Goya’s setting in an early-20th century building and the art nouveau floors. Goya is close to the Urquinaona metro stop, a quick stroll from Plaça Catalunya, near the Palau de la Música Catalana, ten minutes from the Gothic Quarter and a ten to fifteen-minute walk from Gaudí’s La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. Goya is also less expensive than H10, because it’s a hostal, not a proper hotel (meaning some rooms do not have bathrooms en suite).

From $95 a night.

One of the 17 rooms in Hostal Lausanne housed in a 18th-century building. Photo: EuroCheapo

Hostal Lausanne

Like H10, Lausanne is just off Plaça Catalunya and is effortless to get to from the metro, Aerobús and train. From Plaça Catalunya, walk down Portal del Angel half a block and you’re there. Simple. Lausanne is right in the middle of one of the city’s main shopping streets. While excellent restaurants do not abound in the area, you’ll have your pick of shoe shops, Zaras, Mangos, funky boutiques, book stores and ice cream stands. Due to its downtown location, all major Barcelona sights are a ten-minute walk or short metro ride away from Lausanne.

From $57 a night.

When you only have 48 hours in Barcelona, why waste any time trying to locate your hotel or riding the bus around? Stay at one of these three spots to make the most of your quick trip.

The post Barcelona: 3 affordable hotel options in the center city for quick trips appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We’ve also compiled a list of the best books on Barcelona, so Cheapos can pick something up to read on the train or in your hotel room to get a deeper understanding of one of Europe’s greatest cities.

Altaïr
Gran Via Corts Catalanes, 616

This is THE spot for travel guides, travel novels, travel gear and meeting fellow travelers in Barcelona. Like all the shops on this list, most of the books here are in Catalan or Spanish, but you’ll also find some English goodies. Altaïr’s bulletin board allows travelers to meet other folks who are globe-trotting solo and want company.  I always marvel at their listings, and I have a friend who has gone on several exotic voyages after meeting people through the Altaïr board. You never know!

Laie
Pau Claris 85

There are quite a few branches of this bookshop around the city. A favorite of mine is on Pau Claris under Cafe Laie. Here’s how you visit: browse the bookshop, purchase a title that catches your eye and read it upstairs over a cup of coffee.

FNAC

Pl. Catalunya 4

A biggie and definitely not indie, but it’s still worth mentioning because of their enormous selection of English titles and frequent special events. You want a best seller for the beach? You’ll find it here. Also, FNAC is easy to locate. It’s right on Plaza Catalunya in the center of town. Apart from books they’ve got music, technology, a cafe and a convenient concert ticket sales counter. Plus, check their calendar, because they often put on art exhibits, offer free concerts, and invite authors to read at the store.

Garb a book off the shelf and then head upstairs to the cafe at La Central. Photo: Garret Ziegler

La Central
Elisabets, 6

An exceptional choice for books on art and hipster guides to the city is La Central. With several stores in Barcelona and Madrid, count on spending at least a few hours flipping through their offerings. I recommend the shop in El Raval.

Recommended Barcelona Reads

Now that you know where to get your guides, novels, and non-fiction, it’s time to grab a book off the shelf and read up on Barcelona. Here are a few titles I recommend in a more or less chronological order. Leaf through these publications listed below before or during your trip to Barcelona to get a deeper look into the city.

Start with: “Cathedral of the Sea” by Ildefonso Falcones for some page-turner historical fiction.

Then try: “Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafónto to get an idea of what the Gothic Quarter and Tibidabo were like. Again, this is high-drama fiction and a best seller.

Next up: “As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning” which is a beautifully written biography by Laurie Lee.

Finally some classics: Hemingway’s “Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises”, Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia”, a must-read, and Richard Wright’s “Pagan Spain” for another view.

The post Barcelona’s best bookshops, and a reading list for travelers appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.