Bakeries and sweets
Barcelona's sweet tooth runs from craft bakeries with wood ovens to convents that still sell their own pastries, and the afternoon snack —merienda— keeps the whole system alive.
The craft bakery wave
Sourdough and long fermentations took over a good part of the city's ovens; the best bread now comes from bakeries that name their flour, and the queue at nine in the morning tells you which.
Local classics
Xuixos from Girona, neules, carquinyolis and panellets in autumn, and the mona de Pasqua sculptures in Easter windows. Sweet souvenirs with more history than any airport box.
Convent pastries
Several monasteries around the city still sell their own sweets, often through a turning hatch. Opening hours are monastic; the crema catalana is worth planning around.