If you're like me, you'll spend most of your time eating or thinking about what to eat next when travelling. Especially if you're somewhere in Spain.

Barcelona, undeniably one of Europe's leading gastronomic destinations, is a very good example. I've visited many times, but the city is so vast – and its choice of restaurants so ample – that each time I go there's always something new to discover. And that usually involves food.

Whether it's hopping between gastro-tapas bars in El Born or the Gothic Quarter, treating yourself to a Michelin Star meal or eating everything in sight at Mercado de la Boquiera, there's invariably plenty to give your jaw muscles a thorough workout.

But for the unsuspecting visitor it can be all too easy to get snared by tourist trap restaurants (the ones with overpriced set menus usually located in a square overlooked by a major attraction). There's lots of great content out there that will help you steer clear of these no-gos, but ultimately it's always a bit of a gamble no matter how many TripAdvisor reviews you read.

So, how can you be certain that you'll only eat at places where clued-up locals would eat?

Simple. Take a food tour led by a local expert. Someone who knows the very best places in town; where excellent food, wine, atmosphere and prices align like a perfect, knife-and-fork-shaped star constellation. Because when it comes to eating out in Barcelona, it's important that you get it right.

Devour Barcelona Food Tours

On my most recent trip to the Catalan capital, my partner and I arranged an evening tour with Devour Barcelona Food Tours – one branch of the seven cities this fast-growing food tour company now operates in. With great reviews across the board, they promised "an off-the-beaten-path adventure to experience the best of Catalan cuisine just like a local – visiting family-run businesses and experiencing age-old traditions".

OK, sounds good. But which tour to pick? There were several to choose from, all sounding great in their own right, but in the end we opted for the 'Tapas Like A Local' tour, taking place in the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni.

Lasting 2.5 hours, the evening tour would be led by a local guide and include homemade tapas across four family-run tapas bars, with drinks at each bar and enough food for dinner. Again, sounds good!

Tapas like a local...

The tour got off to a very friendly start. We met our guide, Jessica, and the rest of our group (two Americans and two Canadians) on the edge of the Sant Antoni neighbourhood. Here we exchanged introductions and explained briefly why we'd chosen to do the tour. It was nice and there was no pressure to go into detail.

Then we got moving. First stop, La Bodega d'en Rafel – a small and lively bar where you feel like a local straight away. There was an open table waiting for us right in the thick of it, and it wasn't long after we were seated that our first course arrived.

Chicken croquetas, boquerones (anchovies) and olives and pa amb tomàquet (Catalan bread) – all washed down with a tall glass of Spanish Vermut (fortified white wine blended with caramel, spices and herbs).

Jessica had barely introduced the first dish before someone dived in (guilty) and so the feasting began. The vinegar-marinated boquerones tasted great on the tomato bread, and the melt-in-mouth chicken croqueta was one of the best things I ate all night.

Before we left, there was time for some fun. Out came an strangely-shaped glass wine pitcher known as a 'porrón', filled with a light brown-coloured local wine. Jessica demonstrated how to drink from it – by grasping the tall handle, placing the cone-like spout between your lips, tilting your head back and slowly drawing the thing away to create a stream of wine going directly into your mouth.

Harder than it looks, apparently. And if you ever try it then I'd recommend tucking a napkin into your collar before you do. Only the local experts (like Jessica) manage not to spill a single drop.

On to bar numéro dos: Els Sortidors del Parliament. This one was a little more modern than the last, but by no means less authentic. We had a bit more space this time, with a large round table at the back.

We took our seats and had chance to get to know each other a little better before Jessica popped open a bottle of Cava – a nice aperitif for what was to come: cured Catalan goat's cheese, halved artichokes topped with a nutty Romesco sauce, and patatas in mojo picón (a mildly spicy cayenne pepper-based sauce).

The patatas survived for about one minute, and the goat's cheese didn't last much longer. Both were delicious and complemented one another very nicely. I was assured that the artichokes were lovely too, but I kept my distance due to a perpetual yet indeterminate fear that I may be allergic to them.

After a second glass of Cava, on we went to our next stop: Barna Brew. Being a craft brewery, this place was less about the food and more about the beer. Although the crusty pastrami sandwich served alongside the beer was the perfect accompaniment.

We sampled three different beers: one blonde, one pale, one dark, all three not too bad if you're a beer drinker. If you're not – like my partner – then no problem. Jessica just politely explained and a glass of the house white was promptly brought to the table.

By now the group were very relaxed and we were having a great time exchanging travel stories, talking about all the other great food we'd ever eaten, and so on. As we talked, I spotted a rather generously portioned cheese and charcuterie board being carried out of the kitchen. Alas, it did not arrive to our table – but I made a mental note to try that one next time.

Beyond the food and drink this cosy brewpub had a relaxed and friendly appeal. Looking around the room it clearly wasn't just a place where beer geeks hang out, with a diverse crowd making up the numbers.

Next up was our fourth and final stop, Bar Ramón – another buzzing haunt with musical memorabilia decorating the walls and old-fashioned bar stools by the counter.

If anyone had still been hungry, that was about to change. Once seated , we each ordered a glass of Catalan wine and before they were poured we had our first two dishes – a gorgeously gooey breadcrumbed brie served with a tomato dipping sauce, and sautéed pumpkin with creamy roquefort cheese.

These were soon followed by two bowls of patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo (garlic and chilli prawns) and more pa amb tomàquet. The prawns were fantastic – hot, juicy and dripping with garlic oil. Everyone's fork was drawn to them as if by magnetic force.

The wine was disappearing fast too, and so our glasses were refilled for the next wave of food: padron peppers and botifarra sausage with foie. I've had the pleasure of eating padron peppers hundreds of times before, and these were as good as ever. But the botifarra sausage – a Catalan specialty made with pork, spices and black pepper – was new to me. Perfectly cooked and gloriously tender, the meat tasted amazing with the flavourful foie sat on top.

Sadly that was the last of the food but we continued chatting a good while longer, none of us eager for the evening to end. It was around then my partner and I discovered Jessica had recently got married in Barcelona – a convenient coincidence since we are also thinking about tying the knot just outside of town (cue wedding bells). This was a great moment which Jessica recognised as an opportunity to go above and beyond, sharing tips about caterers and other suppliers – and even following up with an email including links to the companies we talked about! 10/10 for customer service :)

The verdict

At €79 per person, the 'Tapas Like A Local' tour is not cheap – but you get what you pay for and much more if you value local insight.

We'd eaten well, drunk very well, and had a great time in the process. Jessica's local knowledge was thorough and not overbearing. She gave us just the right amount of background for each dish and venue, and allowed the conversation to flow naturally (this is an issue I've occasionally experience on other tours).

So if you want to eat like a local where locals eat, and learn lots about Catalan food culture in a casual atmosphere, then this tour is a no-brainer.

Bon profit!

(this article was first published on my personal blog SpainforPleasure.com)