Food. Service. Ambiance. Yes. Yes. Yes…read more The first night we went without a reservation but they managed to accommodate us in a lovely private room. That was a great start to a delicious meal that everyone enjoyed. I wish I could have tried all the appetizers. In hindsight, this might be the way to go! The food and service were so on point that our group went back a second time (with a reservation) in our four days in Barcelona. This time we ordered the epic Chocolate Bonsai dessert to cap the meal. It had a satisfying amount of chocolate with textures and tastes that leave you wanting more. I shared this dessert... and wish I didn't The noise level was high but otherwise this one scores high on every aspect of the dining experience!

My last visit was in 2022, but as of 2024, they've still got it!…read more Excellent food and service with classic dishes as well as many more adventurous options. Everything is beautifully presented and they handled our large group with ease. Definitely make a reservation, especially if you've got a large group. They may not have a Michelin star, but they're as good as or better than any place I've been that has one. If you're in the main part of Barcelona, it can be a trek out here (it is SO worth it), but if you're staying by the convention center and its nearby shopping mall, it is an easy walk and I haven't found anything else in the area that comes close.

May '17: Loved this little restaurant. Lovely food, the service by Mario was outstanding. It is…read morenoticeable in the employees that they love what they do and enjoy to serve people and share their culinary skills with the world.

From the owner: Bacalao a la llaunaread more

Delicious! We were looking for a local place near our airbnb. Everything we ordered was delicious…read more It is a busy spot. The service was very good.

We were told Spaniards don't drink so much Sangria -- they drink Vermouth! So, that's what we…read moresought during our first few days in Barcelona. This place came up on a Google Maps search in a neat neighborhood away from the touristy La Rambla, so we decided to check it out. We were made aware that in Spain, one simply has to stand around and wait for a table to vacate in order to sit -- the host doesn't really facilitate, and there is not written waiting list or anything like that. We waited for about 15 mins. Our host maybe didn't speak a ton of English, and generously agreed to translate the Catalan menu into simple Castellano that my partner and I could understand. His first question was essentially, "How hungry are you?", and then he proceeded to suggest some dishes. The Vermouth was definitely great. The pan con tomate went well. The patatas bravas went well with the drinks. The chicken tenders aren't something we'd get again (albeit we liked the 2 different sauces).

La Mestressa is such a great vibe and one of the defining experiences from my trip to Barcelona!…read moreHere are a few highlights: 1. The neighborhood - I stayed at the AC Hotel Sants while visiting Barcelona. The Barcelona Sants train station was adjacent to the hotel, and the property was in a walkable neighborhood surrounded by restaurants, convenience stores, and other businesses. There was also a deceptively nondescript alley right next to the hotel that I didn't explore right away. Turns out, that alley leads to a vibrant, hidden plaza (Plaça d'Osca) with restaurants and shops, where locals in the Sants neighborhood hang out. This is also where La Mestressa is located. 2. The food and drinks - I got dinner with two friends at La Mestressa one evening. We ordered a pitcher of sangria, a bottle of wine, and a wide selection of tapas, croquettes, and a couple main dishes. My personal favorites from the meal were the sangria, patatas bravas (crispy potatoes with sauce), octopus, and the salmon salad (not pictured). Each of those dishes were well-seasoned, had great textural contrast, and provided either familiar comfort (patatas bravas and octopus) or a completely new flavor experience (salmon salad). The sangria was light and refreshing. 3. The service - Our server was bilingual and provided satisfactory service. She was warm. The service was well-paced, and she attended to all of our needs as a group. 4. The ambience - As I previously mentioned, both Plaça d'Osca and La Mestressa were a whole vibe. If the terms "off the beaten path," "honeycomb hideout," "in the cut," or "rural retreat" mean anything to you, this area similarly provides a nice place to "retreat" and immerse yourself in a local neighborhood right in the heart of Spain's second largest city. It's the perfect place to drink wine and sangria and while away your evening. :)

We were in the neighborhood on vacation, and were looking for someplace to eat. They had room so…read morewe stepped in. Honestly the rest of Barcelona has been ruined for us now. We ate other places, but none of them compare. Not the market, none of the other small tapas places we tried. It's as if the others aren't even trying. If you are near Plaça de Sants, you will not be disappointed.

Well we are in Barcelona , beauty and good food what else can you ask for , the location is not the…read more prettiest, but food is great and service is its equal, started with tapas , chorizo in apple cider cassarole small but enough for 4 of us ,Iberico jamón with the tomatoe toast , and a cubed cheese that is kept in jar filled with olive oil , all delicious, a red wine At $21 great price hood red wine, I had the top sirloin , with potatoes, and Padron peppers ( they are not hot ) but delicious, meat was very tasty the flaked salt added on top of steak is perfect touch . Lived it all , service was really great , server at the bar and tapas area only place to sit without a reservation, he was welcoming and very helpful with our orders . When I'm back in Barcelona I will be back to have and try another meal .

Never having been in Barcelona, we asked the concierge at our hotel for a dinner recommendation…read more Zarautz was highly recommended, so we gave it a try. Wow, did not disappoint! While the restaurant does not look super fancy, it's got a pleasant atmosphere and a nice decor. We walked over around 6:15, which is early for dinner, even for us. The server explained that they had some tapas available, but the kitchen didn't open until 7. We said we'd be back and he booked us a table on the spot. (lucky us as they had a party of 16 locals and the remaining tables were booked except ours!) We wandered to another place for an outside glass of wine while we waited. At 7, we went back and explained Uncle D's shellfish allergy to Mark, our server and asked about recommendations for things we might try that would work for the allergy. He was so kind and advised against certain items that had shellfish or were cooked in the same oil as shellfish. Bless him! We shared the tapas of a pulled pork sandwich, (in a small bun), and a cheese plate with cubes of cheese in olive oil with black salt flakes, and finished with sharing a main course of oxtail, which we were told takes 32 hours to make! All were delicious and we were thrilled we had gone there. The second and final night in Barcelona we were tired, didn't want to have to figure out where to go that might not be too close and decided to go back. This time we booked a table about 45 minutes before we wanted to be there. Lucky there was a table for 2! When we walked in, we were recognized and greeted like family! Mark even remembered our names, shellfish allergy and the wine we had enjoyed the night before which we wanted again. We ordered the same cheese tapas as it was so delicious, along with the chorizo casserole in apple cider, with a main course of the sirloin steak with potatoes and padron peppers. The steak dish was brought out before the chorizo dish accidentally. We opted at that point to have the chorizo dish after. Steak was cooked a perfect medium rare, potatoes crispy outside and soft inside and the padron peppers tasty but mild. Again, absolutely delicious! By the time we were halfway through the steak dish, we knew we had no room in our tummies for the chorizo dish. We asked if it was possible to cancel the chorizo dish, but if they had already started cooking it then it would be ok. Mark was gracious and canceled it for us. At the end of the meal, Mark brought us a glass of a local liqueur that was wonderful. The food, the service, the atmosphere... and both nights local folks enjoying along with tourists, all fabulous. All that to say... if you have the chance to go to this wonderful restaurant, do it!

I loved their seafood paella (and I don't usually even like paella)! The patatas bravas was good,…read morebut not the best I had (the mayo was too heavy). The Spanish broken eggs were delightful. The coca bread was delicious, with crispy bread and fresh tomatoes. Everything from the fruits to the seafood tasted super fresh.

Just a great restaurant with tasty food and and super friendly and helpful people- I have been here…read moremultiple times on my every trip to BCN - fantastic experience Every Single Time. Thank you Garlana

This is the best restaurant in Barcelona, Spain!!!! We just…read moreate Manager's choice and every dishes was so delicious!! Especially service was so nice and friendly!!

Probably more like 3.5, but not a 4…read more Quiet little place with friendly hosts, but was a bit of an odd dining experience. Only 2 tables that night (a Thursday in early July) when we were in, asked what we wanted to eat before we saw a menu, didn't get the correct starter (though I conceded the Iberian ham i had was no doubt vastly tastier than the ham croquettes I'd actually ordered). They were gracious enough to explain what many of the things on the menu were (to the point they brought out stuff on plates to show it). Felt a bit hap hazard, odd location (no views, we were actually next to a window that was covered in a mosaic type thing so couldn't see out. The food itself varied a lot - some of it was absolutely delicious, but I think that any downside on the food was more just a matter of taste. Everything was very fresh etc. Spanish/Catalan/Med food in general not my favourite. Still, nice night, a good bottle of wine and I left content. Not too pricey, but by no means cheap either. We didn't see a whole lot else to choose form around that area so I think it's probably still recommended.