Oh My God!!! Hot Diggity Dog...Yelp has finally made it to Spain! Where were you when I needed you back in April during my vacation??? Let me tell you this is a must try tapas bar if you make it out to Barcelona. My friend highly recommended this restaurant to me, so I knew I had to try it. I had a local show me where this restaurant was located at. Definitely the walk to this restaurant from La Rambla is a bit tricky! You have to walk through all these cobblestone alleys. The restaurants and shops along the walk was very quaint and lovely. You're sitting at the bar and it probably seats up to around 15-20 seats. It's a tight fit, so be prepared for the long wait. People are literally standing outside the door to wait for a spot. We ordered some beer to kill the time. It's was a good 40 mins. before we got a seat. There's no menu at this place. You basically tell the waiters what you feel like eating and they will create tapas for you. We ordered 6 dishes (mostly all seafood dishes). The seafood doesn't taste like the seafood you get here in America. It actually taste fresher and it was very flavorful! The menu changes here a lot, so I can't say to order a specific thing. However, if you love seafood just as much as I do go ahead and order a couple of seafood dishes. You won't regret it...the food and experience here was very memorable. This place adds up! I paid about 120 Euros here. I can only dream about coming back to Barcelona one day. I love everything about Barcelona! read more

I stayed in Barcelona for 4 days this summer, and Cal Pep was my hands down favorite tapas joint. They pegged me as tourist right off the bat, choosing the dishes for me. I was thankful since my Spanish was terrible. All the dishes were superbly done, and the simplest dishes were better than I've had anywhere else. Just unbelievable how fresh and tasty the food was! The place is not cheap, FYI, but ironically a bottle of white wine was only 8 euros. We loved the place so much, we came back a second time and were able to choose our dishes instead of letting them pick for us. If I ever get to go back to Barcelona, get me a chair at Cal Pep! Calamari - lightly floured and salted, and I swear garlic found it's way in the flour too. So simple but easily the best fried calamari I've ever had. Tuna tartare - chopped and formed in a cylindrical shape, mixed with herbs, olive oil, and sesame seed, and served with toasted bread. Mmmm, that's where it's at! Potato cake - that's the name I give it. It looks like a pancake with some white sauce drizzled on it. I guess it's their version of patatas bravas and it rocks. The inside is gooey and creamy, and something I did not expect when I took my first bite. Clams - fresh as can be. I had regular clams in a white wine sauce, and razor clams in garlic, butter, and herbs. Both were fantastic, but the razor clams stole the show with their meaty texture. Baby squid and chick peas - this was one of the dishes they picked for me, and I would have never picked it myself. Cooked together until the chick peas are nice and soft, and the sauce comes from the breakdown of the ingredients. Verdict - unexpectedly delicious! If you ask for wine, you get a bottle, not a glass. They also serve toasted bread with tomatoes and olive oil rubbed on them with your dishes. read more

This shows up on the top tapas bar lists in every one of our guide books and was highly recommended by a friend, so we booked in advance and got a table in the quieter back room (vs the very crowded bar area where I imagine it'd be hard to feel like you had any privacy at all). The fun of this place is warm and friendly servers bringing you plate after plate without you have to order. It definitely feels like an authentic homestyle restaurant, so the dishes are more basic than those say at Cerverceria Catalana, and not quite as fancy as Paco Meralgo, but boy the food was still fresh and delicious. We had the pan con tomate (good), fried calamari (okay), carpaccio with monkfish and sweet caramelized onions (delicious and refreshing), tuna tartare (okay), chicken croquettes (yummy), spinach croquettes (delicious), the fried poblano peppers (good, not as good as Mordisco), clams with bacon (distinctive, yummy), mussels (excellent and fresh, but a bit salty), potato omelette (good and creamy). We also had the strawberry cup with lemon mousse, and creme catalon with caramelized ginger. My friends enjoyed both desserts. We also enjoyed our wine a lot (proto). We all loved the experience, family restaurant ambience, and the friendly service. About 230 euros for 5 girls. read more

Really good and quite expensive. Anyway I ate the best entrecôte of my life at Cal Pep. read more

Cal Pep - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

We found this place through Yelp when we visited Barcelona in November. We arrived before it opened for dinner, and there was a queue. There were four of us - and I'll be honest, three people in our group wanted to leave. But I'd read the reviews! I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. 15 minutes we were seated at the bar, and my dining companions were giggling in delight at the food we were being served. We weren't really sure what we'd ordered - the chef asked us what we don't like and then just served us a mix of tapas dishes. Expect lots of fresh seafood and vegetables, which you watch getting cooked just a meter or so away from you. We staggered out after eating until we burst some 45 minutes later - turnaround of seats is quick as there are people waiting for your seat standing behind you. We were all absolutely over the moon and high on the experience at eating somewhere completely different and exciting. read more

While the food was good, it certainly wasn't worth the price- especially considering my friend and I were charged €6 for aperitivos of tostadas con butifarra catalana, which were presented to us as complimentary. Furthermore, an extra glass of wine also appeared on our tab, which we had to have taken off. Given the abundance of good food in Barcelona, we won't go back. read more

Loved the traditional, what you see is what you get cuisine. In advance you'll be asked if you dislike a particular dish or if you are allergic, after that you're surprised by the chef with a selection of authentic meals. A must visit in Barcelona. read more

This spot requires planning. We had multiple reasons why we wanted to make it a stop in Barcelona and once seats were secured (we tried in vain one night and had to check back the next day.) Asking for cava, a bottle was delivered so be sure to specify (while we did drink it, the mid-day buzz and food coma weren't expected Cal Pep plans!) Our server pretty much ordered for us and I do recommend it but I'd suggest starting with 2 plates per person. I think we had 8 tapas when all was said and done...a bit overboard. My favorite was the marinated mushroom caps and padrone peppers. Salt and olive oil, what can be better? read more

Cute place with a great staff. Sit at the bar and the chef will whip you up several specials. We had a white fish, calimari, bruschetta and small clams. Everything was good, but it was relatively expensive and wasn't the best thing I had to eat in Barcelona. Service was good and it's definitely a BCN icon but a little overpriced. read more

Easy 5 star. People are waiting in line to get in. Tapas. No menu. They give you options and you say yes or no. We said yes to a great bottle of the house white wine. Tasty and inexpensive. We also had ahi tuna, fried artichoke, sardines, bread with tomato and cheese and octopus. All very good with the octopus being phenomenal. read more

Halfway through our meal at Cal Pep, my husband turned to me and said "This is the meal we'll be talking about after our trip." He was right. We waited an hour for our seat which wasn't too terrible. At least it gave us time to consider what we wanted to order. Once we sat down, we requested the tortilla trampera, tuna tartare, clams and the pimientos de padrón plus a bottle of white wine. Everything was brought out quickly and mostly one by one with a side of pan con tomate. The experience of sitting at the bar with everyone, watching the cooks at the grill and waiters bustling by with food for everyone was fabulous. Eventually, at the recommendation of the waiter, we also ordered the cuttlefish which was good. The best, of course, was the tortilla. For dessert we had the crema catalana which was disappointing but then went for round two which was the pastry dish everyone else seemed to be having. Delicious. We finished off our meal with a dessert wine and then pretended not to care when our large, pricey bill arrived. If we make it back to Barcelona, we'll definitely be visiting Cal Pep again. read more

We were recommended by a friend to visit this place while in Barcelona. Unfortunately, it has been the worst experience for us. Beware, it is a tourist trap. As soon as you sit down, they push the Chef's menu. The food was tasty, but definitely, not worth the price. They say they don't have a menu. You feel like you have no choice but to go with the Chef's menu. Will not go back again. read more

Cal Pep was highly recommended to me before going to Barcelona, so my expectations were high. First off, this is a popular place and not only is it popular, it is very small. If you are not on time (before they open) you will most likely be queuing outside. I think we waited about 45 minutes to get a seat at the bar (you sit and eat at what looks like a bar). Once you manage to get your orders in, or rather tell the chef what you like, you are served quite fast while watching the waiters and chefs run on and off shouting behind the counter. The quality of the food is good, but for me it wasn't mind blowing good. It is a hectic and noisy atmosphere here, which does make it a bit hard for me to enjoy. The queue goes behind your back, you have people half a meter behind you while you eat, noise levels are high and you are quickly disposed of when finished. For me, I really dislike queuing and noisy restaurants, so as you can see that brings the overall down. As a side note, they ask for your email after you are done, so now I have been getting recipes in my email. Nice touch! read more

Do not miss eating here. It is omakase style tapas- the waiter asks if there are things you don't like, and boom- tapas are just brought. It's very crowded and expensive but all worth it. I started w some tuna tartar on a potato dish- it looked amazing and tasted better. Next, was potatoes and steak- so flavorful. Last I had sliced ham - sliced from the leg sitting there. It's how they roll in Spain . The staff wAs outstanding . Well worth it! read more

Wow! IMHO this is one of the best Tapas place in Barcelona. Must have plates: tuna tartar , Catalonia tortilla, sea bass, mussels, razor clams (navalles)... They are all wonderfull. Bonus: look for a server with a Robert De Niro look alike. He's very nice. read more

Saw a line and thought, "Wow this place must be good". It seemed like a lot of locals go there. The food was good. We did a "chefs pick" of 3 tapas. Everyone gets bread (which they charge you for, so it's really 4 tapas). We ended up with Spanish omelette, fried squid, and beef tartar. I think what bothered me is sometimes you would see waiters/staff sneeze into their hands and then touch your food. This bothered me. So 4 tapas, 2 glasses of wine, 1 cava, 1 water and the total came out to be about 77€. To me that's expensive. If you're going to go; go early so you can be seated first. Service is pretty quick and at the counter. Just too pricey, would not go again. read more

My coworker recommended this place is a must try in Barcelona, so here I was. The place is not easy to find, it's located in the small alley and pretty small. We were seated at the bar. Please note that you would be seated next to each other with the rest of patrons so if you need some privacy with your dining companion, this is not the place :-). Don't be intimidated by the long line, they go pretty quickly since the service is pretty quick. First batch, second batch, so on.. got the idea? No menu to choose for, but the the waiters are friendly and would give you recommendation. We tried the fried squid, the tuna tartar, tortilla tamprera and for dessert creme brûlée. At the end of the meal, they asked for email address and gave us postcard. They have been sending us recipe ever since. I have yet to try the recipe though :-) read more

A bit overpriced. I agree with previous reviewers that they did tend to offer the crowd pleasing dishes (mostly deep fried) to some customers, but not to us. While we were waiting for almost an hour and watching what others ordered we knew what we wanted and what to avoid. Our favs: Baby Squid with chickpeas - a very humble looking dish packed with richness and flavored. Baby clams - cooked with bits of ham. Grilled squid with vegetables. Squid was plump and juicy. So-so: Razor calms - a tad bit on the rubbery side for me. Deep fried artichokes. It was good just as most other tapas restaurants. Despite the long line, service was on point and we didn't feel rushed. read more

If you wanted something specific, this is not the place. If you don't like seafood, you isn't the place for you. If you want to have a food adventure and experience the modern version of dinner theatre then, by all means, continue reading:) My wife and I came here with no idea what to expect. When we walked in, we were a bit overwhelmed because it's not structured like your typical restaurant. The place looks like a diner with all the seating at the bar. There are roughly 15 seats, all side by side. On the other side of the bar, you have 4-5 chefs all cooking madly. Behind the seats, is the lineup of people waiting to eat.... get in the line and stay there! When you get to your seat, you won't get a menu because there is no menu. They'll ask you a few questions: 1.What would you like to drink? 2. Is this your first time here? 3. How many tapas do you want... 4 or 5? 4. Do you like seafood? That's it, then the food will come... and it will all be amazing. The clams were outstanding. The Spanish omelette is the best. Their calamari would set a new world record for awesome... if awesome was quantifiable. Seriously, it will change your mind about how calamari should be done. Some tips... They don't serve wine by the glass, you get the whole bottle. The beer is gigantic. If its just the two of you, it's best that you both order beer or both order wine. Otherwise, you can be like me and drink a man-sized beer followed by half a bottle of my wife's wine.... although, I was pretty happy with my mistake. Go here! read more

This was by far our best meal in Barcelona. The space is very small and intimate. Most guests are asked to sit on bar stools from where you are facing the cooks and can see them prepare your food. If you have made a reservation, you will be allowed to sit in the cozy tavern-like space towards the back of the restaurant, which is hidden from view. There is no menu, the server suggests what tapas you may like to try based on your stated preferences. The food is fantastic, and they provide good wine pairings as well. You will not get tapas like this anywhere else in Spain!! read more

Sit at the bar, waiter speaks English and had a great sense of humor. Everything is delicious. Got their @ 7:10pm on Tues and was the 2nd group in line. read more

Overrated, overhyped and oversalted. That's my review of Cal Pep. Long wait for a seat at the bar? Si! Not worth it at all? Si! Si! Seriously, if I am going to wait 45 minutes to sit on a tiny bar stool and be treated with indifferent service by an unfriendly barman, the least the chef can do is learn to season his food properly. But No! Every bite was too salty. I left hungry and thirsty! We had the tasting menu, which looked like a good variety when we watched others getting served, but by the second course of clams drenched in salt, I didn't want any more. This place was also overpriced. Ugh. I am so sad I wasted one of three dinners in Barcelona at Cal Pep, and I am annoyed at my husband's friend for raving about it so much that we felt we had to go. Yuck. read more

I will start by saying that the food and service was excellent. So why the 3 stars? Price! Not sure if they have tourist and local pricing and maybe a few too many accolades but this was by far the most expensive meal so far in Barcelona and it was lunch. And we have hit many of the top tapas places for lunch and dinner. Our lunch was 3X what we have paid so far for a meal, and we have eaten very well. Just be cautious about what you order as you don't get a menu, they recommend and ask what you would like. Anything that may seem special could be 20+€ per plate. read more

Best tapas I've ever had! Hands down. Brother told me to come here so my two friends and I decided to go here. After reading online that you needed to get here early we heeded their advice. Service opened at 7:30 and got here at 7. Too late. We missed the first round of service and had to wait until the first wave was over. (Stomachs grumbling) After another hour we finally sat down at the bar and were asked what we wanted, any allergies, how much we wanted, and what we wanted to drink. There is no menu and there really are no choices. They brought us out six or seven different dishes with each better than the last. Our favorites were the deep fried anchovies, grilled white fish, and fried artichoke hearts. The owner is a great guy who walks around the bar talking to the customers and taking pictures with everyone. If you ask nicely they even give you a place mat to take home. You obviously get what you pay for and I was glad to fork over what I did. For the three of us, tapas, beers, dessert, it was €50 each. Like I said I would gladly do it again, I'd just show up earlier. read more

Excellent tapas in El Born, recommended to us by a friend who wrote a travel guidebook to Barcelona. We came here pretty late (around midnight) on a weeknight and only had to wait a little while for seats. The atmosphere is lively, with everyone sitting up and down the bar chatting. It was fun to watch the food being made. When we were seated, we mentioned a couple of things to our server that we like, and he ended up suggesting some additional things and bringing them out one by one. They were all delicious - pan con tomate, shellfish in broth with garlic, fried artichokes, tuna tartare, and the tortilla de patatas. The standout was the tortilla, which was the best I've ever had, and possibly my favorite classic dish I ate in Barcelona. We ate so many delicious things, but this was really a classic dish executed in a very interesting way. It was the epitome of how magical the combination of egg and potato can be, with the silkiest texture. I seriously don't know how they get the interior of the tortilla to be so smooth, almost to the point of being underdone, but just right - it's not slices of potato inside like the typical tortilla, so I think maybe they mix very finely grated potato with the egg and cook it until just set, so it turns into this heavenly homogenous mixture. I'll try to replicate it at home, with some minced onion and flecks of pancetta, but I doubt it will be as good! If I had a button I could press to magically have something from Barcelona appear in front of me on a plate, it would be this dish. The service was friendly and efficient. Our bill was a bit higher than I anticipated, but we did average a glass of wine per dish (the glasses were a little small), so maybe that's what made it a tad expensive. But it was totally worth it - one of the best meals we had in Barcelona. read more

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This is one of the best tapas restaurants in barcelona. The food is relatively good but the atmosphere is amazing! It is not €€ restaurant more close to €€€. Depending on what you take. read more

We were walking by and had meant to give Cal Pep a try based on all the good reviews here on yelp and we were able right in and grab a seat with no wait. I didn't have a menu but I used the Yelp photo's to order some things that looked intriguing. I'd recommend the razor clams, mixed fried seafood and gambas "gloriously sweet plump red shrimp." The staff here was wonderfully helpful and hospitable as was Chef Pepe. The atmosphere is lively, people are excited and ready to chat as everyone is on vacation and having fun. We ended up sharing most of our food with the people sitting next to us just so we could try more stuff and not overeat or waste such amazing food. So if your in Barcelona hit this place. Just remember that you might be waiting a while and if that's not for you find out when they open and go a little early and be cool to the help and they will be quite cool to you! Cheers read more

While a bit touristy, it is a must in Barcelona. The waiters make the experience very entertaining and the tapas is 100% Barcelona. The flash fried peppers and the little fried fish with eggs were delicious as were the croquettes. The only downside is the majority of the menu are fried dishes. It was a fun experience for the entire family and got my boys trying a lot of new foods - including sardines. read more

I rarely take time to write reviews. Cal pep was the most magnificent lunch I've had. The one hour wait was totally worth it. Definitely check hours of operation and make sure to try the monk fish and sea bass. Awesome service! read more

Cal Pep was recommended to us by two completely unrelated friends so we felt compelled to try it. The suggestion to arrive at 7:30pm when they opened was a good one. We got there at 7:40 and the bar was already full and about 20 people in line ahead of us. Sadly that's where the tips stopped helping. Overall the food was good enough but certainly not amazing. The pulpo (octopus) was the best thing we ate by far. The monkfish was good. The tortilla was bland and unimpressive. The croquettes were as good as any other tapas bar. I liked the packed energy of the restaurant but the waiter we had seemed to be a pretty miserable fellow and absolutely ruined what could have been a nice night (even with the not so impressive fare). I know they drink wine in Barcelona but I'm a whiskey guy and they had some decent whiskeys on the bar so I asked for one and was immediately rebuffed by our charming waiter that it would overpower the food. This should have prepped me for the bland tortilla... In any event, I'm of the mindset that apart from ridiculous requests, a customer should get what he wants. If you don't want me to order a whiskey, don't have it on display. Additionally, some of the dishes took so long to arrive we actually forgot we'd ordered them and asked for the check. And simple things like asking if we want more sparkling water (which is an additional charge) when our glasses have been empty for 20 minutes were not done. These are signs of one of two things: a busy night that threw everyone off or bad service. This was definitely the latter. I know Americans enjoy not having to tip when traveling in Europe but while having a tip culture won't guarantee good service, it will push the odds in your favor. There are sooooooo many tapas bars in Barcelona that serve great seafood, there is no reason to go here. I gave it 2 stars because the octopus was really that good but 1 star is not a stretch. read more

Best tapas we had in Barcelona (thanks to a recommendation from a local resident who happened to give me several other great options to try). Service was fantastic and very helpful. We ordered and ate way too much which I blame on the quality of the tapas they serve. read more

Cal Pep - Small place but worth the wait - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Seriously some of the best food of my life. Let them decide what to bring and have a drink. Magic!

Ah, Cal Pep, Cal Pep! The mother of all tapas bars, the true original. Well, not quite. Barcelona, being the Catalan capital and having a distinct and completely different gastronomic tradition to other regions of Spain, is not the origin of tapas or the best place to find or eat them. That would be Seville in Andalusia and San Sebastián in the Basque Country. And possibly Madrid. But Cal Pep is world famous, even, rather incongruously, appearing at no. 31 in the 2005 San Pellegrino World's Best Restaurants awards and winning the award for Outstanding Value, and also at no. 66 in 2007. Its fame is so widespread that people queue outside for however long it takes to get a place at the bar. Celebrities, famous chefs and critics the world over mention Cal Pep in hushed tones. The queue moves slowly along the back inside. From door to sit-down, at lunchtime, the wait is about an hour long. Perfectly reasaonable when you're about to have one of the world's finest and freshest seafood tapas experiences. Pep Manubens himself is always there, after three decades of hard work. The staff always smile and always help. Given the pressure, and the high number of non-local visitors who are excited and anxious, you'd think staff would be grumpy and surly, but the mood is cheeful. The speed with which dishes are made to order, and the industrial discipline of the kitchen are deeply impressive. Cal Pep is a Mecca for foodies for a simple reason: it's honest, fresh and simple. And it's not expensive. It has inspired legions of imitators, not least London's Barrafina. If you have one day to spend in Barcelona, this would be a perfect lunch option. An hour waiting? An hour well spent. read more

The best meal we had on our trip to Barcelona! Also loved that you didn't have to order anything. They just asked you how many tapas you wanted and to tell them what you didn't like or had allergies towards. Everything they served us was amazingly delicious. We devoured each plate within a couple of minutes with no shame. There's actually a full restaurant in the back, which we didn't see and heard that you had to call 10 days ahead to make a reservation. Where we ate was a long bar kitchen with just stools surrounding it to fit about 15 people. The place is decorated with a variety of nice paintings. The line outside was pretty big for lunch on a Saturday and the place wasn't even opened yet! We waited about an hour and a half, but it was worth it. The dishes we had included: delicious bread with tomato/pepper spread? clams in wine sauce, some sort of omelet (was insanely good), tuna tartare, fish with potatoes, a cream baked dessert. Price was comparable to the quality of food. About 90 American dollars for two. Will definitely come back here whenever I go back to Barcelona. read more

It's a small place. There will be a wait (~40 min for us). And it will be worth it. This is THE best tapas you will get in Barcelona. The owner seems like a character out of "Triplets of Belleville" in the best way. Every single thing we ate was the best we had in our 2-week stay in the city. There was one dish we didn't enjoy (personal taste) and they immediately switched it out for another dish at no charge. The head chef then personally came out to ask us if we enjoyed everything. All the recommendations speak the truth, this will be the best tapas meal you will get in Barcelona. read more

Best meal in Barcelona. After 9+ meals of Spanish tapas, thought I was over it... But this place (last meal in the city) was amazing!! Expect at least a 30 min wait, but feel free to order drinks while standing in line. When it's time to order, there is no menu- but let the waiter take care of you. Fish? Yes. Meat? Yes. Definitely get the clams. The monk fish and the steak are delicious. And end the meal with a glass of vermouth and espresso. Yum!! read more

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This is definitely a must visit place! My boyfriend and I came here and let the waiter order for us. We were able to sit at the bar because we stood outside before they opened. I definitely recommend getting there early to wait in line in order to sit at the bar. We order a bunch of different things including the sausage, the white fish, bread, croquettes and the filet. It was very good and a lot of food. read more

Cal Pep - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Go. Seriously! There have been so many spin offs around the world from this place - but no one does it like them, this is Spain after all, so all the ingredients are right at their doorstep. Bar seating, no reservation, order whatever everyone else is having - especially the seafood. read more

Waited 45 min in line. If you do that, one usually expect an amazing meal....not so. Some people appeal to being told what to eat and and when to do so. Usually the hip crowd of "I went to a place without a menu!" As far as strictly food goes, very very average. They are going to give you what they can make $ off if your a tourist and take care of you if your a local. After 10 pm, you obviously get the left overs of what's in the kitchen Tourists beware and locals enjoy. read more

What a great meal! We went on a Saturday night so it was quite busy, waited about 45 minutes for a seat but had heard prior to going that this would likely happen. Our server was very attentive and graciously offered us his recommendations. We didn't even see a menu. The white fish stood out as the best dish, served with tomato and potato slices. We also enjoyed the filet mignon, green peppers, two different clam dishes (small clams were the better of the two), and the "omelette". The only downside to our evening was the fact that we got to our seat at about 11:10pm and the kitchen closed at 11:30pm so it was a bit rushed and there were a few dishes that had sold out and we couldn't try (the tuna and the mussels). No fault of Cal Pep though, we should have showed up earlier! read more