Barcelona is packed with Venezuelan cuisine all over town. Arepas and tequeños are not hard to find to get your Venezuelan street food fix. There are many great places with that on the menu, but if you want to try something different, I can highly recommend La Poderosa.

Amongst Venezuelans in Barcelona, La Poderosa is known for their delicious empanadas. Don’t mistake them for the Argentinian empanadas you find all over town. This is a whole different experience. The Venezuelan version is fried and has totally different fillings. What to think, for example, of cheese and banana? It might sound strange at first but let me tell you; it is very tasty! But you can also go for chicken or beef. Equally mouth watering, powerful food. It’s pretty heavy, so if you’re up for comfort food this is your spot…

The bar is tiny and hidden in a small side street of the Rambla del Raval. If you didn’t know, you’d never find it!

The menu is simple; various empanadas, a huge version of tequeños and some small other dishes like a sweet arepa! They prepare it for you on the spot; freshly fried as you wait. Be careful with the first bite; they are very hot!

No alcohol is served, but you can get some funky juices like papelón or tamarinde. Great, simple, tasty food for a good price, and it seemed very authentic to me. If you go, you’ll probably be one of the few non-Venezuelans there!