A must-visit tapas bar. Always packed with locals, which is part of the charm. Food and drinks are cheap - if you can even get inside. Not for the shy tourist, since there isn't much English and the food is more authentic than other spots. Just point at what you want and order a large beer so you don't have to wait for a refill later. read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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This was recommended as one of the best tapas restaurant around! We arrived around 830 and there was a line out the door. A couple behind us suggested that we go further into the restaurant find a spot at the bar. That was the secret. We ordered squid, a mash potato dish w an egg atop, peppers with cheese filling, escargot and steak and peppers. The white wine was cheaper than water! I'll be back for more tapas! read more

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The best Tapas place in Barcelona (maybe the world). Family owned for 100 years and treating guests like family. Extremely busy but very efficient. It's an unforgivable disservice to yourself if you don't try this place when in town! read more

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A UNIQUE SPANISH EXPERIENCE Always make sure this place is part of your travel experience when in Barcelona. This is our 2nd visit and 3d time to the restaurant. The fresh delightful tapas are a treat to the tastebuds - the anchovies and beef/peppers, tortillas, pollos are a must. The hospitality of the staff are effortless - not pushy but helpful and genuinely entertaining, much like Juan Carlos and likely the tradition of four generations before. The vibe of the other guests are absolutely amazing. Oh and the house Cava - be careful they cause you to laugh, sing and be merry. I am utterly speechless of the simplicity of their dessert packing a massive shabang! They are intensely typical of Spanish hospitality reminding me of dinners with my Spanish friends at their home. Do not go here expecting fast food supersized servings for $2 valuemeal prices - you will be duly disappointed. Try near Catalunya at Burger King or McDonalds. read more

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Can I give 10 stars??? Get here on time, I think they open at 7 and it's first come first, we happened to be in line right on time. Yes there is a line to wait for them to open, it's that good. The space is a small, cozy, family vibe. The food, literally everything we ate was amazing, and we ate a lot. The menu isn't in English, so don't be afraid to ask the staff what they suggest, they won't steer you wrong. Go here! read more

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From being greeted at the door to paying our tab, absolutely one of the best restaurant experiences of my life. I read about the having to wait 30 minutes for a table,and I think we had to wait 45. Doesn't matter! The wait is worth it. 10 out of 10 stars read more

Ah, I will forever fondly remember El Xampanyet as my first traditional Spanish tapas experience. I hate crowds. I really do, but the things I do for food are shameful. The bf and I came here around 8 PM, prime Spanish eating time, and it was so packed people were spilling out of the tiny doorway. They have a few tables, but unless you want someone's butt in ya face the whole time I suggest you do as many do and just stand. Because I had a few coins in my karma box, we scored two spots at the bar. We immediately dove into their house cava, which is as delicious as everyone says. They fill your glass to the brim too! This is no place to be shy and coy. Rather, grow some huevos and be vocal. Our waiter/bartender person was very helpful, suggested things and explained what things were. Another man working the counter chatted with us because he spoke English, and established some sort of kinship with me because he and I are both Filipino (I'm only half but don't tell him). The two together were hilarious. They compared two different pieces of asparagus to the size of the Spanish versus Filipino male genitalia. Delicious house wine and penis jokes? What's not to love. AND THE FOOD. Like most every other tapas bar, the seafood is canned. But it is fab. They put some sort of dressing or sauce on each tapa that makes everything amazing. But the show stopper was some sort of mixed plate deal (suggested by my Filipino brethren) where you get one prepared seafood and one prepared meat. We told him to give us whatever he thought was good, and he delivered. We were presented with a gorgeous plate of tender, grilled pork covered with an olive oil based sauce packed with herbs. The calamari rings with it came with the same sauce. It was probably the best pork I've had. If I could, I would've eaten it every night we were there. Until next time! read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Right across from the Picasso Museum, we decided to stop by this authentic spanish restaurant after our museum walk through. It was recommended by a friend for its delicious tapas. Barcelona is known for its cuisine but I must admit El Xampanyet set the bar high for us! From tortilla de patatas, to sardines, snails, and croquettes, we were able to enjoy all of our favorite tapas for such cheap prices! This place was super packed when we walked in but I took that as a good sign and that the experience would be worth it. My instinct was right! I'd love to come back here if I get the chance to. read more

I loved this place! I found it from google reviews before I got to Barcelona and simply loved it - super authentic, they are famous for their Cava so make sure you get the bottle! Its so good and not that expensive, great with the sardins and the other fish on the menu. The tables are really close to each other, so if you have a problem with that maybe not your place. We went in at lunch time and it was pretty busy but very casual and fun! read more

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It's in a busy area, literally few stores over from the Picasso museum. Being hungry, having finished a 1.5 hour tour of the Picasso museum, and with a full plate of to do things on the site seeing list, El Xamplet seemed like a right choice at the time. It was not an experience of food gone wrong dish after dish. Some items worked well such as the house cava and the grilled calimari (the last item come out and saved the meal). Items that were bad, include: (1) grilled beef and fried peppers, what's worse than a terrible cut of beef, is the terrible cut of beef over cooked and over seasoned; (2) sardines in oil - over salted, and a tad too "fishy" for my preference- think of those unfortunate times where the salmon oil tablet burst or the after taste of taking the fish oil tablet; (3) mixed seafood - I should have waited to go to Quimet and Quimet from what I've read, this was bland, and not my cup of tea. read more

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This place is legit. Best tapas we had in Spain, period. Be sure to try the garbanzos de tocino, which is chickpeas with bacon. They were so good that when I had them at lunch, I had to come back and get them again for dinner. Oh my god, I want more garbanzos de tocino. This place has a real locals vibe. The place was packed. Don't be afraid to go up to the bar and ask for a menu! read more

El Xampanyet - Garbanzos com tocino (garbanzo beans with bacon). This dish was so good I had it for lunch and came back again for dinner. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

We had their squid, baby clams, Spanish omelette, snail and grilled pork, which were all really good. Other dishes were good too. Home made champagne was enjoyable even though I usually don't like champagne. There always seems to be a line outside of this place but it is worth the wait! read more

The quintessential Barcelona tapas experience. The fellas behind the bar took care of us for a quick bite and drink before the Picasso Museum. I suggest you get there prior to it opening, the line at 7 PM was kind of long, but if you get there before 7, you should be able to get at least a spot at the counter to stand and eat. The Spanish egg and potato omelet and the cheese platter, the cabra curso con pimentón especially, were delicious. read more

El Xampanyet - Behind the counter, fixings on bread - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Best place in Barcelona to eat and drink. It is very busy when it opens you may want to get there 20 minutes before the doors open or arrive around 2100-2130. read more

What an awesome meal to begin our trip in Spain. We sampled tapas such as jamon, anchovies, bread, calamari, omelette, and more! Our waitress was great and recommended dishes to us as we had no idea what to order. I recommend this place to all visitors! read more

This place is a testament to the fact that Barcelona has no fire safety codes. There is literally no place to walk without touching another person. Over half the people eating there are eating standing up, but sharing tables is considered taboo as the owner explained when we offered to share one of the coveted tables we had awaited for over an hour. "People in Barcelona do not like this". And 5 minutes later he added a couple Japanese tourists to our table :) All that said, this place is completely worth the wait and hassle. The house sparkling wine is among the best I've had. There is no menu that I could find. People order by pointing at each other's food. So go ahead look and point at other people's plates without shame - completely acceptable! Some of the standout dishes for us were the peppers with pork, the sausage with chick peas, and the dessert sampler. read more

El Xampanyet - Overview of busy and small space. There's a reason all these people want to be here! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

If you can manage to grab a table, this place is fantastic. Our favorite tapas location of all the places we tried! I usually hate going to the same restaurant when traveling, but would've made an exception for this place (however, they closed by the time we got there). Even though we went there once, the guy closing up was actually our amazing waiter and he recognized us! He scolded us for going elsewhere but we countered back that if they weren't closing, we were going to go in. Anyways, food is delicious and very reasonably priced! The house cava (local white wine) is on the sweeter side and very easy to drink.. maybe a little too easy ;D The white anchovies were addicting as was the calamari. The snail eaters of the group enjoyed the dish while the non-snail eaters wasn't too fond of them (they did like them at another tapas place though). The omelet came out hot and was very filling. The tomato bread was a bit too wet for me, but was still great with the anchovies. We had manage to grab a standing table but our superhero waiter was able to get a sit-down table of us (which the girls greatly needed from the day's excursion). Watching him running around all night was crazy. Don't know how he manages to remember everyone's order (he didn't write anything down) and have them coming out fairly quickly (and correct) as well. He was so friendly and cheerful the whole night. We HAD to give him a big tip (which apparently goes into a house pot) so they rang a bell and cheered. How fun! Definitely try to have some patience to get a table. It's worth the wait! read more

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While I can't tell you most of what I ordered outside of the octopus and anchovies--there was a lot of pointing at mysterious pintxos that looked tasty and quickly devouring them--what I can tell you is that El Xampanyet is worth putting high on your list of food destinations. It's slightly harder to find than a lot of other small plates restaurants, so that might explain the higher ratio of locals:tourists that I witnessed during my visit. It was packed to the gills with lots of folks that seemed to know the staff personally. Including a guy that looked like Albert Einstein who played harmonica and let strangers eat off his plate. Perhaps that's his way of scoring chicks, but it was entertaining to all in his aura. Get there early if you want to nab a table, otherwise you'll be crammed against the bar eating in the restaurant equivalent of a packed subway car during rush hour. Not ideal, but it's also part of the appeal I suppose. read more

Well deserved reputation. Not cheap (€ 33 solo) but worth the experience. House cava: surprisingly good and great value (3 small glasses; 1.60 per glass). Winners: calamari, beef fillet with green peppers, little tomatoes with cheese. Done, dusted, got the T-shirt. Don't intend a repeat. read more

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Just love love love this place. Went here 2 years ago and the owners were so welcoming to my family so wanted to come again. Was going to the Picasso so first in line for lunch. Did not disappoint! We had the chorizo omelet, potatoes with chorizo, garbanzo beans with pancetta, octopus, tomato bread, charcuterie and more. Loved mine - the person that ordered the octopus said the potatoes underneath tasted a little off. But it was the only dish less than 5 stars. Great service. Come early before it gets jammed! read more

El Xampanyet - Packed at lunch - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

I would definitely recommend going here and eating. I went twice consecutively, the prices are reasonable and the food is absolutely delicious. You must try the macorrons and ploma ibérica. read more

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Excellent #tapas and #cava in this cute little cafe. #barcelona #restaurantreview Waiter asked if we wanted "mixto" of tapas. We said yes and let him bring whatever he chose. Everything was tasty. High quality meats, bread, oils and seafood. Known for their anchovies, and also their cava drink (like champagne). We particularly enjoyed the bell peppers stuff with cheese, and crackers with tuna and baby tomatoes. Get here early! It gets crowded quickly even on the weekdays. Accepts credit cards. read more

El Xampanyet - A few different tapas plates and our glasses of cava - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

Este lugar es toda una experiencia de 100! El servicio que se te ofrece es impecable, la comida deliciosa, pedimos de muchos tipos de tapas distintas para probar y todo sabia muy bueno, incluso nos aventuramos a probar las anchoas que son su especialidad y estaban muy sabrosas! Ahora deja te digo que te puedes comprar una cosita de cava, cerveza o un vermuth.. Muy buenos los tres, pero mi esposo y yo decidimos volver mas noche por una botellita de Xampanyet y si mal no recuerdo la botella solo cuesta a 10€ , y pues ordenamos una segunda. Great place with GREAT food, and excellent service. They have bottle of delicious cava for only 10€!! This place you must try! Anchovies are their specialty, if you are like me I made a face of doubt and grossness when they said anchovies but my husband and I tried them and their anchovies are actually really good! read more

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This is as authentic and local as you can get. House champagne was perfect. Small, intimate, and a local spot near the Picasso museum in el born. Perfect size amount of food and worth waiting for. Crowded, simple, and quaint. I'm coming back for this one. read more

This is a tiny tapas bar right near the Picasso Museum. We were really lucky to snag a table way in the back of this place, as seating is very limited. Service was friendly and they tried very hard to describe each item in english. You order at the bar, and they will bring you your selections to your table. The food was pretty good. We had some tasty cheese, meats, and veggie dishes. I particularly liked the roasted potatoes with garlic mayo and mini cheese stuffed red bell peppers. The food was good, but I'm not sure I can justify the prices being so high. We were shocked at how much the bill came out to. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but it's a decent option if you're nearby exploring the gothic quarter and need a place to eat. read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

Arrive before they open and smash yourself against the crowded bar, I promise it'll all be worth it. El Xampanyet was a favorite stop on my trip to Barcelona. Maybe THE favorite, in fact. A lively tapas joint just a hop skip and a jump from the Picasso Museum, you might think this place is going to be mobbed with tourists, but in fact it's a well balanced mix of locals and visitors alike. I wish I could give you more detail about the things we ordered but we more or less did a whole lot of pointing and scarfing of various delicious things. The octopus was fabulous, tender and light, and the pan con tomate provided a perfect vehicle for the iberico ham that crossed our path. Shrimp with tomato were delicious as well as a mysterious pinxto topped with crab salad. As a big fan of anchovies, these were a must as well. From my experience, you really can't go wrong. read more

So. Good. We can around 8:30pm and the place was crammed out the door. We came back after our first dinner and the place had calmed down a bit. The drinks were so cheap. The house white wine was really good and went well with the tapas. Those muscles. Omg. They were soft and creamy and oily. The calamari was also so delicious. We wanted to try the Spanish omelet but weren't hungry enough. Everything looked so good. Well priced food and drink, great eating atmosphere, helpful staff go great with good ingredients and an appetite. Worth a good trek to find this place (near the Picasso museum!). read more

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ITS A MUST! This was by far my favorite tapas place in Barcelona. My friends and I stayed for about 5 days, and tried various different places. We stumbled upon El Xampanyet because we were at the Picasso Museum and that place was packed with people. The wait that this place has is always well worth it. They can serve you drinks as you wait. Staff is super friendly. Once we sat down, we told the waitress to give us whatever she thinks we would like, and oh my was everything amazing!! We probably had 8 different things and it was delicious. We had the bread with tomato, little red peppers with stuffing of cream cheese, green peppers with pork (the pork is mouthwatering good). The Cava is amazing also!! I can't wait to go back one day.Everything was beyond expectations. Side note; It is casual and very loud , and tiny spot. So if you aren't into noisy places or small places this wouldn't be the place for you. read more

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Came here on a food tour. AMAZING!!!! Food and service was awesome. We tried so many new things that we never would have before. read more

El Xampanyet - Husband trying anchovies for the first time! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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I liked how you can see what all the food looks like before you order it!! I had the: -spanish omelet on top of bread -jamon on bread -cheese on top of a potato (best one!) -each bread dish was 1.50 Everything was ok, I'd probably stick to the potatoes, though!! Everyone was super friendly and helpful-the menu's only in English, but they're good at explaining everything! read more

Long line out the door. Every night. That's a good sign, right? Very noisy and crowded. And still worth it. We were lucky that we could share a table with some others. I walked to the bar to look at the food. When I came back...here's the conversation: L: When you were away, I ordered 2 more dishes. And I don't know what they are! Me: Huh? L: But they are good! Yeah...when you were away, the waiter came and said there are 2 hot dishes coming out the kitchen. And they are goooood. Do you want them? So I said yes! AND they are good! One of them was really really good: pimentos and meat. So...when you're there, and they tell you there's something coming out the kitchen, and it's good...ORDER IT :) read more

good lunch spot near picasso museum. It gets really packed, so hard to navigate if you are not comfortable pushing through a crowd. It's a bit pricey compared to similar tapas places. I think it's because it's near the museum, but if you don't want to venture far from there its a good choice. 1. grilled beef and fried peppers - it was overcooked 2. sardines in oil - way too salty for me Ordered some other seafood items that weren't memorable read more

Don't miss! Vegetarian dish was Delicious! Great atmosphere, delicious food, fun bar tenders. Don't miss! read more

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Really great place to go! The place was super crowded when my girlfriend and I walked in but a waitress caught us right away and told us that she would help get us a table. She gave us a corner to stand in and took our drink order while we were waiting for a table (which didn't take too long). The place gives you more of a local vibe but the staff is still very accommodating and nice to tourists. They didn't have an English menu but the waitress translated the whole menu, on the spot, which was super impressive! She was happy to repeat things and make recommendations. We ended up with the anchovies, tomato bread, octopus, and little clams- all which were delicious (we had the same octopus dish elsewhere a few nights before and it wasn't nearly as good). We would definitely come back here if we came back to Barcelona. read more

This place was recommended to us by a friend who is from Spain. The place is relatively small and I can imagine it will get crowded later in the day, but we usually have lunch by the time tapas bars open in Barcelona, so we could get a table easily. Unfortunately, the menu is only available in Spanish, but the staff was really helpful. We had no idea what to order, so we got a selection of various kinds of tapas food in the end, and the waitress told us something about every single item. Of course, everything we got here was absolutely delicious and perfectly in harmony. El Xampanyet may be little on the pricier end, but I still definitely recommend it. read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

Stopping by El Xampanyet first certainly made the tour of the Picasso Museum a little more interesting. The house made cava is dangerously inexpensive and easy to enjoy. I snuck in bite sized red peppers stuffed with cheese between sips. Ate my fill of pan con tomate. And then it gets a little fuzzier! This went on until we couldn't eat anymore. It's a hot spot so their English is pretty good. read more

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This place is a definite MUST!!! No if's or but's!!! Do not get discourage by how busy this place is because it will be, but just wait it out and order something to start while your table becomes available. Trust me, you will not be disappointed! Order anchovies, tomato bread, chorizo omelet, and the calamari! These are the definite must! read more

Come early (line up started at 6:45). Food is great, loved the homey atmosphere! People are friendly but it gets packed. We went twice and let the awesome servers decide for us since we don't know Spanish and couldn't read the menu. Make sure you get the baked potato with aioli (basically potato bravas but not with French fries), the stuffed peppers and cheese, the pan seared Iberian ham and roasted podano peppers (my fave)! The sparkling wine was fun and cheap. They ring the bell when you tip. Don't know the name of our server but he was great!!! Definitely recommend. It seemed like a neighbourhood or cult fave! read more

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Amazing tapas restaurant. Very busy and chaotic so you are lucky if you get a table. Provides for a unique dining experience. Food came out very quickly. We had steak and peppers, calamari, bread with tomatoes, biscotti, truffles and the house white wine. All of the food was delicious. Best food we had in all of Barcelona. The staff were all very efficient and great at their jobs. Also, we do not speak very much spanish and they were very helpful with making recommendations. Overall great experience. read more

El Xampanyet - Steak and peppers, calamari, bread and tomato - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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We had seen Anthony Bourdain make a trip here on television; this guy is my idol. So, naturally, it was an obvious first choice to be introduced to the tapas culture while we were in Barcelona. We ordered cava to start which is Barcelona's white/sparkling wine. It is dry but my wife loves it so we indulged. While we drank, we ordered tapas. They have the best Catalan bread that we had during our trip to Spain. This is a baguette that has fresh garlic rubbed over the top and then smeared with fresh tomatoes and then drizzled with olive oil and salt. This is something that would be served to us as a starter in every restaurant in the Catalan region of Espana. Perhaps one of the best things I have ever eaten was the fried squid. It has a fresh pesto that was amazing along with a tomato tapenade, I ordered two servings since it was that good. As we snacked on olives and cheese, I became friendly with the server and also met interesting people from all over the world in here. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we came back the next evening for drinks and tapas. The same server was there and brought out the squid as he knew how much I loved it. I miss this place. read more

El Xampanyet - Best thing I have ever eaten. Pesto calamari - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B