Steps away from the Picasso Museum and not to be missed. The staff was friendly and provided recommendations, which were all outstanding. read more

See all

Phenomenal service! It was packed when we arrived but someone the owner spotted us out and directed us to wait a sec and lead us to a table. The menu as others mentions is only in Catalan and Spanish. But tell the awesome waitress what you like/dislike and how hungry you are, she will bring the best dishes. She spoke English fluently so it was great as she described all the dishes. Despite the place being packed out the door, we were never rushed and enjoyed finishing our cava before leaving. The bill was a little pricey, 5 dishes, dessert and a liter of cava for about 60€. I guess location had a lot to do with it! read more

See all

Without question one of the best eating experiences of my life! We walked in and were immediately wary - too crowded, too small, nowhere to stand. However, the manager (owner) beckoned us in and pointed to a 4-foot strip of empty space up in front by the tapas bar. We squeezed in and he'd poured us each a beer before we were in place, then we started in on the tapas. It was a blast - the food was great, and very distinctive - but it was awesome. Some of the seafood (clams) came out of cans which could initially be off-putting, but it was great. They had really good sliced ham, anchovies, omelette. The best, without question, was something I was going to skip. The owner(?) offered us dessert, but we were stuffed - we gave in and he made us this small plate of 3 different cookies / biscottis / cakes that looked like someone's grandmother had made it - plus a dessert wine to dip it into. It was amazing. We had a blast, we will be talking about it for a long time. read more

Right around corner from Santa Maria del Mar. Menu in Spanish only Calamari - with sweet onions and peppers ( not spicy) Anchovies salted - salted and strong fish taste Razor clams - 6 steamed Grilled squid - with potatoe on bottom Our waiter spoke English and have some recommendations All with glass of house wine was 34/Euros so value is not as good as other similar places. read more

Best place in Barcelona by far. Jamon was the best, most buttery! The Cava was also the best in the entire city. Very very busy place so get there sooner than later, there is usually a line to get in even before they open. Must try while in Barcelona!!! read more

Come here if you go to Barcelona!!!!!! The BEST tapas I ever had ....EVER! This is what I had just in case you folks might want to try it out. Calamaris Plumas finas Pan tomate Tortilla de patata con chorizo The house wine is slamming! Enjoy read more

Great place to go for carquinyolis (Spanish version of biscotti) and a glass of moscatel (Spanish dessert wine, similar to Italian vin santo or French sauternes), although this is a great tapas place. Order your carquinyolis and a glass of moscatel; dip the carquinyolis into the sweet wine and savor. You won't be disappointed. read more

After striking out at another tapas bar we had wanted to visit previously, we ended up at El Xampanyet after a long day wandering around the Gothic quarter. This place is tight, and it gets packed at night - we ended up at the back, squished into a tiny table for 2. Frankly, I don't remember much because the guy who got us seated gave us 2(!) bottles of house wine (probably because we were clearly tourists), and since my fiancee is not the drinker in this relationship, I had to show my interpretation of politeness and down a full 2 bottles. Fun times indeed... Aside from that, though, I do remember that the food here is absolutely delicious. Although one might question the facilities (I took a look around the corner while we were shimmied up against the wall waiting, and the back area where there's a stove looks pretty much like how a regular kitchen at a house would look like), the tapas that are churned out here are great. There's a set amount that you can order, but you can add on if you do want to eat more. This is a really fun place to be, and if you're the sociable kind as a tourist, you'll probably find people to chat up - I would say the majority of people that were here on a weekend night were tourists of one variety or another, so this won't be a restaurant where you feel awkwardly out of place. Don't come too late, though...otherwise, you may find yourself waiting quite a while to get seated! It's worth the wait, though, because your perspective on tapas (if you're a non-Spaniard) will probably change significantly after you've been here, and for the better. read more

Cozy, fresh food, friendly staff! What a great find. I would definitely revisit. It is highly visited and no reservations are possible. If you get a chance to sit for a meal, do it! read more

See all

Delicious, wide menu, excellent service. All you could ask for! Crowded with people who enjoy good food. Busy, efficient, 'real' and not to be missed! read more

What an amazing place. We had read about the crowds and were hesitant to go, but we decided to try it after eating across the street @ TAPEO and watching the scene. The waitress @ TAPEO told us to go on Sunday and go for lunch. So that we did. It was fantastic! The tapas were simple but delicious and the cava was great too. But the experience if cramming into a spot at the bar and having tapas passed over your head to locals who obviously have a home away from home there was worth the few elbows. And actually the elbows aways are from tourists who are demanding their space. :( read more

Tapas tapas tapas! And don't forget the cava! We were lucky to get a small table, as it got really crowded here. It certainly is a hot spot! My hubby heard about this place from one of the travel books, and it was a huge plus this is next door to Espai Barroc (see below) and a few steps away from the Picasso museum. All the tapas we had were so delicious and made our stomachs happy: - Bread with tomato - Olives - Jamon that melts right in your mouth! - Manchego cheese - Anchovies - Almond biscuits with a cup filled with sweet liquor in the middle for dipping! And of course, a full bottle of cava to complement your tapas! read more

What more is there to say about this place. Whatever you do get the razor clams. Small. Sweet. Briny. Maybe the best clam I've ever eaten. Great gambas as well. Loved the tuna escabeche. Loved the cool interoir. Friendly service. Very tourist and they will try to get you to order a tapas plate. read more

Somehow we got lucky and visited El Xampanyet during a not-so-crowded month. During our second visit, we listened in on the conversation that an Irish tourist was having with the owner's son about not being able even set foot in the door back during their vacation in September due to it being so packed! I'm not a huge champagne drinker because it usually gives me headaches, but I will take acception to El Xampanyet. Their house cava is very smooth and worth the aftermath. I still crave their cheese stuffed pimientos, white asparagus marinated in their cava, olives, cheese, and assortment of jamon. The waitstafff (who are all family) is super friendly and accomodating. It's funny to hear them bicker between each other in Spanish and turn around and smile at you and give you the best service. They are atune to the fact that their customer base is comprised of mainly foreigners...with a few locals that seem to not have jobs. read more

This was one of the first places I stumbled on to while vacationing in Barcelona. It was so good we ate there a total of four times in a week. So amazing! Classic tapas, great atmosphere. Heck Chef Albert Adria of Tickets and El Bulli says this place if great. One stand out for me was the atun' con queso. OK tuna and cheese on a skewer marinating in olive oil sounds like it shouldn't work but they make it something amazing. Also they have a great house cava. If you're in El Born and looking for a nibble, this is one of a few places you have to hit. Cheers read more

Right near the Picasso museum in Barcelona's gothic quarter. We were lucky enough to get a table during the busy part of the day. We heard that they specialized in anchovies and that we had to try their house cava. The cava was something like a sparkling white wine. We weren't given a menu and had to tell the waiter what we wanted to try. We tried a sampler plate of different kinds of fish, several tapas with vegetables and anchovies, and one with just cheese, which was the most boring one. The only one I didn't enjoy was the mussels - everything else was good. We came here the day after we had an amazing time at Quimet & Quimet and El Xampanyet didn't quite live up to the standard that was set! read more

We tried to go on Friday night but it was so packed we could not get in. We went back when they opened on Saturday afternoon right when they opened. Great food with very good prices. They spoke good english and helped us in ordering food. We had a little bit of everything but the omelette and cova was my favorite. read more

The BEST tapas spot in Barcelona! It's a tight space and a bit crowded but totally worth the wait. The chickpeas and tomato salad and calamari with eggplant are must tried! They were definitely my favorite dishes there and probably from our entire trip. Both were seasoned so well-a perfect mixture of savory and sweet. We also got the grilled green peppers which were a bit salty for my taste but my dad loved them. Even the pan tostado which is a staple of every restaurant was better here-you can actually taste the freshness of the olive oil and tomato. We also got the octopus and potatoes-it was my first time having octopus and I wasn't the biggest fan of the texture but my brother really liked it. They also have a darker beer that they brew in house which I recommend-way better than Estrella. Our waitress was also incredibly friendly and patient-my mom is a vegetarian which made eating in the city difficult but she was super accommodating and recommended several dishes to us that we loved. read more

See all

Really small and crowded, but the food was delicious. I came with a group of seven right in the midst of dinnertime (8-10pm ish) and we had to stand around for around 20-30 minutes before we were able to get a table. If you're just dropping in for a snack, though, standing at the bar and just ordering there is also an option. Get there early if you want to get a seat! Highlights included the goat cheese stuffed peppers, chorizo, potatoes (with some kind of mayo and cheese and chorizo on top - forgot what it was called, though!), and jamón. Price adds up fairly quickly; we paid around 125 euros for the seven of us, including several glasses of cava (which is a must-try - only had a few sips of it from a friend's glass, but I definitely recommend it!) and beer. Not cheap, but reasonable. Overall - food is great, worth a try if you're in the area and don't mind getting real cozy with the rest of the people in the restaurant. read more

It is so crowded but the food is really tasty. Service is very good. Recommend green pepper and beef, handmade omelette and most importantly, the house sparkling wine. read more

You're paying for the experience as well as the food. The pasta is truly incredible.

Super cute little place that looks like it's been around forever! They have old looking beer taps and an old style refrigerator. The food was light quick tapas which were all delicious! We had the sardines, olives but our two favorites were this little flatbread type thing with chopped anchovies and olives as well as a potato dish with a large circular slice of potato with cheese and something else on it. I didn't expect the potato to be so soft but it melts in your mouth. They also had bacon wrapped around a breadstick which I sadly never got around to trying...looked delicious though! We went around noon and it wasn't too crowded but when we passed by around 2pm after the Picasso museum, it was standing room only... read more

this was probably my favorite dining experience while visiting barca and honestly, i can't say enough good things about my dinner here as it left the greatest first impression of the cuisine, hospitality and the authenticity true to Barcelona. we arrived close to 10PM to find the cozy tapas bar filled to the brim. did my yelp research and y'all did not steer the yelp fam wrong. went inside and stood by the bar and ordered their house cava while we waited for a spot to open up. not even a minute into waiting as i was looking around the restaurant and admiring everyone's food a local standing right next to me noticed me peepin his dishes. what does this guy do? he legit asked me if i wanted to try some of the octopus and raved how amazing it was. i was completely taken aback by the gesture and had to politely refuse. he tried to insist and said they ordered more. i guess me and my boys stood out like sore thumbs being three taller korean men but i was not expecting that at all. we quickly start shooting the shit and we let him know we're on holidays from NYC and he begins to introduce us to his party. a peruvian transplant along with two white women from iowa. could not be a nicer group of people. as we're talking, luck would have it that a table opens up right by the entrance and we sit within 5 min. we thank them for their kindness and sit down ready to order. i already had an idea beforehand what to order from all the suggestions on yelp but looking at the menu... you just want to try everything. the octopus was a homerun review and it was our first dish... FUCKIN AMAZING. some of the best i've probably ever had. i loved how they mashed the potato underneath that perfectly tender and flavorful octopus. ORDER THAT ISH. the pan con tomate which is bread with a generous drizzle of rich olive oil and a lil crushed tomato paste complimented the octopus and every following dish so well. a couple rounds of beers and we began to peruse the menu for our next tapas. we opted with the calamari and it did not disappoint. it's not the typical shit you get in the states where it's deep fried with a serving of marinara, i guess a strong imprinted influence of Italian cuisine. it came perfectly cooked with some onions and tomatoes and this vibrant green crack sauce drizzled on top. FUCKIN AMAZING. we were just sitting there raving about how amazing just those two dishes were alone when the guy at the table next to ours notices our excitement and we start choppin it up wit him. oh, just a german transplant, who is a local chef, who happens to be a polyglot and a general cool motherfucker. came through out of no where and starts recommending dishes for us. seriously, the hospitality of the barca natives is fuckin heartwarming. we ordered the cod omelette dish and steak with peppers upon his rec. my man knows wassup because both were phenomenal. the cod omelette came on top of potato sticks and it was FUCKIN AMAZING. the steak with peppers? more of the same... cooked a perfect med rare and the compliment of roasted peppers, what do you know? FUCKIN AMAZING. we thanked our new friend Jimmy and his date and went about to peep the menu. now as we were sitting there enjoying the fuck out of our tapas a group of girls sat down next to us waiting for a table to open up. we start chatting it up with them and turns out they're Dominicans from the Boogie Down BX. NYC up in El Xampanyet! they were so friendly and just as hungry. we finished our steak dish and offered up our table as we told them we'd stand by the bar and finish our dinner. we introduced them to Jimmy and told him to take care of them with his recommendations all the same. all smiles. all love. we stood and waited for an order of olives along with their jamón ibérico and some more pan con tomate to cap our meal. i'm not all too big on olives but one of my boys was loving it. he easily killed almost the entire dish. when that jamón arrived... good Lord... FUCKIN AMAZING. i went the whole trip trying jamón ibérico from every establishment we stopped in and i still think Xampanyet had the best rendition. i'm a thin sliced kinda guy when it comes to my ham and maybe that's what swayed me. nah, it is that good. if you catch the running narrative of my review, it was nothing short of FUCKIN AMAZING. we saved some olives along with that amazing bread to remix our own lil montadito... FUCKIN AMAZING all that food, a couple rounds of beer and some house cava and our bill came up to about 80 euros. we left them 10 euros for a tip and got that bell rung. don't be a dick and leave these awesome hardworking people a tip. the entire staff was all smiles and nothing but good vibes. 30 euros for an amazing meal along with so many amazing people to share the experience? bookmark this baby and make it a must stop on your trip to Barcelona. it will not fall short of FUCKIN AMAZING read more

See all

Every visit to Barcelona isn't complete without stopping at my favorite tapas bar. It's not a tourist trap. Mostly frequented by locals. The champagne is outstanding, and tapas are f read more

Bomb! Just be careful tourists! Local restaurant owners will want to double charge you.

Super fun and the Tapas are amazing!!!!! This place is usually jam packed so if you are looking to sit and talk quietly-this is not your spot! read more

This tapas restaurant was definitely my favorite tapas restaurant that I went to during my Spain trip. It was packed when we came, almost shoulder to shoulder but I'm so glad we waited. We got a spot at the bar and ordered some tapas while waiting for a table. I'm not sure what the names of the items were specifically on the menu, but we tried the beef with peppers, potatoes and egg dish, garbanzo beans with bacon, chorizo and egg "tortilla", and my friends got the calamari. When we asked what they had for dessert they had biscotti with sweet wine and chocolate truffles. Out of everything, my friends LOVED the calamari and I personally loved the chorizo and egg "tortilla" and the beef with peppers. I'm not sure how to describe the "tortilla" because it's not like your conventional Mexican tortilla but it was more of a savory egg omelette turnover with chorizo inside that paired so well with the toasted bread with tomato spread. The desserts we got were definitely interesting! Service was great and there were a lot of tourists here. It was such a little gem to find in Barcelona and definitely in my top recommendations for food in the city. read more

This place is the real deal! It was the best place we ate at in Barcelona and maybe overall. It is family run with the granddaughters as servers and abuela's recipes (pasta dish). Everything we ate was great: calamares, sardines, Catalan style sausage and pasta dish for my 9 year old. The traditionally styled restaurant was packed so I recommend going early (1:30-2pm) and be prepared to sit right next to the neighboring table; the seating is tight as the place is small. This is the perfect eating experience for adventurous eaters adults and kids. read more

The menu and meal are soooo simple and sooo perfect at this cute spot! Have the truffle mortadella and the anchovies.

The best of Barcelona. Go hungry and be patient. It may seem chaotic at first, but start eating at the stand-up bar, and you will be blessed with a table. What they do they do with love and it comes through in the tastes of their carefully selected ingredients. read more

Alright... reviewing a 90 odd year old establishment is like judging on something that have time tested and proven to be working for locals and tourists. We got there at 7 sharp and sill had to wait for 20 minutes to get a table. Not that bad... then came the drinks.. their champagne was really good. For food.... everything is spot on. But the stealer is their bread con tomato!!! OMG.. the bread olive oil tomato is just a magical combination. We also got an egg dish with potato along with some fried chilies! we had some vegetarians within our group but even they were impressed with variety and taste of food. Gorbanzo beans had good flavor too. Overall good experience... food service and atmosphere... everything spot on. read more

This was our favorite meal in Barcelona. Great house made white wine and loved the dry pink Cava. Food was excellent, our server was really sweet, and the manager (maybe owner?) helped select all of our food for us based on our preferences. We never even saw a menu. Also pretty affordable! We're definitely going back. read more

Small tapas restaurant in Barcelona! We came here on 2 very high recommendations from friends. The inside was packed and there was a crowd of people outside waiting to get in. The place says it holds 55 people max. We squeezed our way into the corner of the bar (standing room only) and we were able to order right away. We had about 1 foot of counter space for two of us, but we made it work. The man behind the counter, despite the crowd, kept the wine and tapas flowing. The menu is entirely in Spanish so we told him our level of hunger and let him pick for us. We had grilled pork with peppers, a chorizo Spanish tortilla, some bread with tomatoes and an octopus dish. And mucho cava of course! Everything was simply amazing. If you can squeeze your way in, go! read more

See all

Stand at the bar for the best experience. The lovely gentlemen at the bar helped us order and we were extremely happy with the following: tortilla con chorizo, pulpo a la plancha, beef with shishitoOrder the house cava and let them keep it coming. read more

Wonderful house made cava, but a very busy place. Had to try this champagne bar though. It was just too busy and crowded to want to order food at the time. Standing room at the bar only. read more

Excellent Tapas restaurant. A very real authentic place. Small so seating is limited. Get there early for dinner or go for lunch, as there is a line most every night. We had 4 adults, two kids (9&6), and a 5 month old baby. Food is great, place is lively, no menus, either pick what you want from the bar, or ask your server for recommendations. read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

There were 3 of us and we went for an early dinner. Somewhere around 8pm. The wait wasn't too long before we were seated. It's a very small tapas place, but it gave us an opportunity to meet this sweet couple from Australia. When we walked in we saw some tapas that interested us then we also ordered off the menu. We ordered a few from the bar area. Potatoes with sausage Olives with Anchovies We also ordered the Ham Manchego Cheese Spanish Tortilla and the House Cava of course. Great time at a great restaurant. read more

Outstanding fantatsic delish. Get the potato egg dish and the calamari squid. Great lively atmosphere, small cozy and busy.

Great tapas and wash it all down with the house made Cava! Can't complain with this stop. Worth the trip

Super nice service, good food and a great overall experience. Very, very crowded, but still fast service and seriously good tapas. The bottle of cava might enhance the review score, but this place is really worth a visit. 45 euros for 2 persons, including the bottle of cava, and we couldn't eat for hours after that visit. Worth the wait to get a table! read more