Best Barcelona Artisanal Food Shops for Edible Souvenirs, from Nougat to Chocolate. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Best Barcelona Artisanal Food Shops for Edible Souvenirs, from Nougat to Chocolate

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Best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs range from a charmingly old-fashioned, 150 year old specialty food store selling spices, teas, coffees, nuts, and chocolates to the sleek shop of the contemporary chocolatiers who changed chocolate making.

In a gastronomic centre such as the Catalan capital, it makes sense that the best Barcelona take-homes would be edible souvenirs. From traditional nougat to contemporary chocolate, take your delicious pick from the best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs.

I have a confession: I don’t have a sweet tooth. I will always order a cheese plate over dessert if I have a choice. I don’t ‘get’ the obsession with cupcakes and macarons, and I rarely eat chocolate. Unless, of course, sweets are the specialty of a chef we’re meeting, a restaurant we’re reviewing, or, in this case, a destination we’re visiting. Then I’m more than happy to give them a try.

And that’s exactly what I did today as I mapped out a very sweet walking tour for you in and around Barcelona’s atmospheric neighbourhood of El Born – all in the name of research of course.

Barcelona has a rich history of producing traditional nougat, chocolate, biscuits, and pastries, all of which I think make scrumptious souvenirs.

But while the Catalan capital is famous for its long tradition of sweet-making – Barcelona produced the world’s first machine-made chocolate in 1780 – the city’s contemporary pastry-makers are creating some of the most inventive edible souvenirs I’ve encountered, using surprising ingredients and playful flavour combinations.

Below, you’ll find a selection of the best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs, from traditional nougat to contemporary chocolate, for you to take home. Enjoy – because I know we will!

Best Barcelona Artisanal Food Shops for Edible Souvenirs – from Traditional Nougat to Contemporary Chocolate

LA CAMPANA – TRADITIONAL NOUGAT

This elegant old shop in El Born is one of the best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs. While this specialty food shop dates to 1922, and its décor is pretty much the way it was when it opened, La Campana has produced traditional nougat or turrón since 1890, and uses the same techniques that they always have.

While traditional nougat was historically eaten only at Christmas, now this Barcelona gourmet store sells the scrumptious stuff all year-round, packaging it up beautifully for you. There are two types, the soft nougat known as Xixona or the hard nougat called Alicant. I highly recommend opting for a gift box of six different types.
Princesa 36, El Born, Barcelona

E & A GISPERT – COFFEE, NUTS & SPICES

A short stroll away, this busy specialty food store, with its charming shop-front dating to 1851, is another of the best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs. And it’s an absolute delight to visit. While the specialty is coffee – follow your nose and head straight to the back where it’s freshly ground – you can also create your own spice mixes, nut selections, and tea blends.

Or you can simply choose from the array of delectable goodies cramming the shelves, from traditional treats such as El Gorrión Pimentón (see the pic above) to Enric Rovira’s exquisite chocolates. I chose the Bombolas de pimineta rosa, tiny balls of cocoa-dusted, chocolate covered red peppers.

Gispert also sells their own branded products, including spice mixes, salts and peppers, seasonal truffles, chocolates, and petite packets of pastels, which make great gifts.
Sombrerers 23, El Born, Barcelona

DEMASIÉ – CREATIVE COOKIES & CRACKERS

Just down the street from La Campana, the elegant Demasie shop is easily one of the best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs, specialising as it does in scrumptious biscuits, creative cookies and savoury crackers, presented in rather elegant peppermint packaging.

While the biscuits and cookies are made from fairly traditional techniques, it’s the quality and creative flavour combinations that make these truly stand out. I went for the sablé de sobrasada (square shortbread-like biscuits made from spicy Mallorcan sausages), yoghurt cookies, and milk chocolate cookies with basil and coffee.

You can buy the pre-packaged products or select your own which they’ll package beautifully for you.
Princesa, El Born, Barcelona

BUBO – PASTRIES, BISCUITS and CHOCOLATES

Established by Carlos Mampel, one of Spain’s most celebrated pastry chefs, Bubo is an elegant little store selling some of the most sublime pastries, cakes and desserts I’ve ever seen, as well as their own biscuits and chocolates, making it one of the best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs, but only if you’re flying short haul. Most of the delicate treats wouldn’t survive a long journey.

I bought some chocolate and flor de sal cookies, which tasted both sweet and savoury, and some ‘curry coco’ truffles that overwhelmingly tasted of coconut on first bite but left a faint curry after-taste.

The place is miniscule but you can eat the pastries in or take-away, and they also have an espresso maker. The cookies and truffles come in stylish sealed tins that should get by all but Australian customs.
Caputxes 10, El Born, Barcelona

XOCOA – CHOCOLATE and MORE CHOCOLATE

Barcelona brothers Guillem and Marc Escursell are known as the artisanal chocolate-makers who changed gourmet chocolate-making forever. They may be from a long line of chocolatiers, however, their very contemporary chocolate bars and truffles are fabulously far removed from traditional chocolates.

The texture is smooth but with substance, while the flavours are simply wild. I went for the Wasabi, Chilli, Rose Petals, and Ginger chocolate bars. I also bought a Choco Postcard from Barcelona, subtitled “orange candy pop city chocolate”. Whatever that means, the cute design (pictured above) with a flamenco dancer in a bullring with the Sagrada Familia in the background makes it an ideal edible souvenir.
Petritxol 11, El Born, Barcelona

HAPPY PILLS – CANDY GALORE

If you must eat candy, then look no further. Think back to those you remember from your childhood and multiply the flavour by 10. Happy Pills is a clinical, all-white store with a vibrant wall of clear drawers of lollies and plastic gloves, jars and pillboxes, so you can pre-mix your own selections.

I love the pre-sorted pillboxes – from tiny boxes to accompany four meals a day (cute idea) to a monthly selection of colourful sweets (very funny – the ultimate gift for your hypochondriac friend). There are also gift packs of jars of multicoloured lollies with prescriptions on the outside.

I sampled the ‘Happiness’ pills, which boasted a label that said: “Tears from a day at the races and a night at the opera; tears from laughing at a joke; a drop in interest rates; a trip to the moon; a journey to the centre of the earth; the colours of dawn, no less; a walk on the wild side; the colours of a Tintin comic book; Applause!; a waltz by Strauss (junior); two balloons; going up to Macchu Picchu; and three balloons.” How sweet is that?
Carrer de l’Argenteria 70, El Born, Barcelona

So what do you think are the best Barcelona artisanal food shops for edible souvenirs, especially of the sweet kind? We’d love to get your tips in the comments below.

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A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

6 thoughts on “Best Barcelona Artisanal Food Shops for Edible Souvenirs, from Nougat to Chocolate”

  1. Where did you find all these pastry and chocolate places?!? I LOVE this post! I’ve had a major sweet tooth with this pregnancy (I don’t usually indulge in such sweets). But I’m sure Pandora’s box has been opened. I’m obsessed with chocolates and pastries now – these days, I can’t live without dessert! Thanks for sharing, Lara!

  2. I love Barcelona and that “sweet” photo captures so well the typical Catalan taste… well done! I just heard of your project and will surely be following! (I am a bit jealous to be honest :)) xxx

  3. Hi Gabby

    I just discovered your blog too – through Pret A Voyager – although only had time to have a quick look, but I will return.

    Jeremy Holland just dropped me off a copy of his “… from Barcelona: stories behind the city” book, which I saw on your blog, so looking forward to reading/reviewing that.

    Thanks for dropping by!

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