Would give 10 out of 5 stars if that was even possible. Best. Food. In. My. Life. From the staff, to the homey interior, to the amazing food, everything was perfect. The line was out the door and the hostess/waitress was able to triage everyone and kept checking in on us. Once we got inside, everything that we ordered was jaw dropping perfection. We ordered the beef with peppers, olives, tuna with leeks, chorizo tortilla, and the Catalan pasta. Topped it off with truffles and another dessert that the waitress recommended. The staff is exemplary. Even though they were closing at 11, they told us we could order anything we want and didn't try to rush us. Even asked if we needed more cava! Don't forget to order their house cava- best one we've had the whole trip. Goes down smoother than water! I'll dream of this place in my sleep- will definitely make multiple trips back to Barcelona just to come to this restaurant. read more

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El Xampanyet is a xampanyeria or champagne/cava bar on a narrow pedestrian street (go figure, aren't they all). It has about 11 small tables and a standing room only bar area. I arrived right at noon when they opened, and within 15 minutes it was packed--a walking tour also happened to stop in right then. An entire liter of cava was set in front of me. It's tough to resist drinking the whole thing, but I limited myself to 2 classes. I was charged for however many glasses I filled, even though they provided me with the option of drinking so much more! I asked my server for some suggestions, as the menu was difficult to understand (no English menu offered here). I started with an interesting potato dish called patata escalibada con sobrassada ud, which I believe means roasted potato with sobrassada. It was a small bite, and my server described it as a baked potato. It was small and served at room temperature, filled with allioli, and topped with sobrassada (similar to chorizo) and melted cheese. I enjoyed this a lot! I also really liked the pimiento con queso, or tiny red peppers stuffed with cheese. They were served cold, but really excellent. So simple, but yet when the ingredients are good, that's really all you need. Pan con tomate made the cut once again. It was lighter on the tomato, but heavier on the olive oil. It so hit the spot! I also tried the octopus, which was a bigger dish than I expected, more of an entree apparently. It was topped with Spanish paprika and served over mashed potatoes. It was very good, had loads of flavor. I would have liked to share this with someone since it was such a generous portion, but finished most of it on my own. I felt like I needed something else, another bite or two, so my server asked what I like, and I said vegetables or meat. He brought over grilled pork and padron peppers. He said it was the best. I ate one pepper and it was great! The pork, however, was super fatty and practically raw. Even for folks who prefer fatty pork it was legit raw. This was not for me. I tasted one less fatty slightly less raw piece and the flavor was great, well seasoned, if only it was trimmed and cooked just a bit more, it could have truly been awesome. I was actually quite full at this point and hadn't expect another large dish, assuming he'd bring over another tapas dish. I couldn't eat the pork and just sent the dish back rather than recooking it. My server was super friendly and helpful though, and minus the pork situation the meal was fantastic! Despite that weird finale to my meal, I would still highly recommend this place. Maybe just don't get the pork! read more

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Just a perfect little authentic restaurant, you may have to wait for a table but it's worth it

This place is CRAZY, but it a good way. This is a small place, but it gets packed to the brim full of people waiting to eat. When we got there, we were told getting a seated table would be impossible so our server Achilles (like the tendon) hooked us up with a table that we stood and ate at. The tapas here was phenomenal as was the in house Catalonian champagne. We had the beef and pepper dish, some kind of chickpea dish, and a calamari dish. Everything was amazing! Also they don't have a menu in English, so you tell the server if you want beef, chicken, veg, fish, etc. and he just brings out something tasty. Don't expect a quiet romantic atmosphere. This was place is loud, crowded, and hectic, but that's part of the appeal. read more

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We came for lunch on a week day recently & had to wait standing at the bar for a bit, but I told the servers when we entered we preferred to sit & as soon as a table opened up it was offered to us. The cava & food were incredible (do yourself a favor & get the tortilla española con chorizo) & the servers both very helpful & friendly! I am a Spanish speaker, but I did hear Americans in the restaurant speaking English with servers & it did not seem to present any issues. read more

Best tapas and service we had in Barcelona. Very busy but still got good service. Vermouth is superb!!

Best tapas we had in Barcelona! We stumbled upon it and had the most amazing first meal there. It's small and crowded, but don't let it deter you from trying it out. The staff were so nice and helpful, gave us a lot of good recommendation. If you get overwhelmed and can't decide, let them tell you. You're in Barcelona, just go with it! We tried the potatoes with egg and chorizo, anchovies, bread with tomato paste, streak and peppers, the artichokes, ham and their house cava. Every dish was out of this world good. The steak and peppers were the most expensive (17€) but worth it and probably my favorite. read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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El Xampanyet is the best. Awesome tapas, house cava and owner, staff make you feel like you are part of the family. I visit this place every time I'm in Barcelona read more

Best tapas bar in Barcelona. Everything was delicious. The garbanzo beans with pancetta was the best thing I ate my whole Spanish trip. Go early. They open at 7 go at 6. But it is worth the wait. The sparkling wine is delicious. Must go! read more

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Muy delicioso! Located on the busy side street of Carrer de Montcada, this little gem is popular with locals and tourists alike. To find your way here, just follow the signs to the Picasso Museum, because it's just down the block. We ordered: - mejillones (mussels) - espárragos (asparagus) - Boquerones (anchovies in vinegar) - Atún (tuna) - Potatas rellenas (potatoes stuffed with sauce) - Salmon, pescado blanco y tomate (salmon and white fish) - toastada de sardinas con pimento (sardine toasts) All of it was quite tasty. We were planning to just have a little snack here, but seeing all the delicious food behind the glass at the bar, we couldn't stop ordering. Our "snack" came up to 60 Euros, which is almost $90. Of course we ordered drinks: cava y cerveza. read more

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Warning -- the menu is in Spanish and if you can't understand it...well, you've going to have to trust your server (which we did). These tapas were all something I have never tried before...in a good way! Flavors were amazing here. My favorite was the truffle pasta. Heavy truffle flavor and bits of bacon -- complemented each other well! The sauce on the escargot was so good I wish I had rice (soooo Asian of me) on the side. We also ordered anchovies, steak and peppers, peppers stuffed with cheese, tuna belly w/ leeks, omelette, and I can't remember what else, but everything was really good. This was one of the few places that toasted the bread w/ tomatoes on top, which I appreciated. This place usually has a wait, so don't come when you're hangry! I would definitely return if I'm back in Barcelona! read more

The place was recommended by our photography tour guide, absolutely amazing experience! We came at around noon and the place is packed! You will need to embrace the intimacy and be ok with standing by the bar if running out of space. The food was excellent! Snail was easily our favorite! The house beer and house sparkling wine was a nice touch as well. read more

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Just the BEST tapas in Barcelona ~ This place has excellent vermouth. The salted anchovy with a bit of shallot on top is delicious ~ the iberico jamon is fine. Hot octopus with mashed potato is amazing. Get everything. Come here often while in Barcelona Come when they open! Best! Stand at the bar. Dont sit. Locals only!! read more

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Small place and gets really crowded. But it is worth it. Food was really good and the cava was good too. We ordered beef with peppers, anchovies, calamari, Octopus and clams. Seriously, everything was so good! Flavors where outstanding. This is a must try restaurant. Staff was all friendly and helpful. read more

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Cannot say anything bad about this restaurant. When they say "everything is good on the menu", literally EVERYTHING is good on the menu. We had this on the first day we arrived to Barcelona, and since it was recommended and close to our hotel, we thought we should go try it, and thank god we did. The servers were very welcoming and one of them spoke English, so we didn't feel as stressed when it came to ordering. Instead of ordering from the Spanish only menu, we showed screenshots of images from yelp that we wanted to order which worked great. We had the house cava (must order), tomato bread, sea sails, egg with mashed potato, and baked potato. Everything was so delicious, but the sea snails were out of this world! The order only came to $25 and we were stuffed. It was so good we came again the next day. The next day, the server recognized us and seated us right away even though there was a lot of people at the restaurant. This time the sea snails were already sold out (only 1:30pm), so we ordered some other things we saw on yelp. We had three glasses of house cavas, the calamari with eggplant (my second favourite food I had at this place), cream cheese stuffed pepper, pepper with steak, tomato bread, egg with mashed potatoes, and mussels. The order came to $52 between the two of us and it was worth every penny. Too bad we can't visit this place the third time, it's Easter and they're closed from Thursday till Monday; maybe next time we visit Barcelona Must order: - House Cava - Sea Snails - Calamari with Eggplant read more

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Extremely lively tapas place packed with tourists and locals. I wanted to experience something unique to Barcelona and I definitely got it here at El Xampanyet. When I first entered, I really had no idea what was going on since I couldn't find a menu and I don't speak spanish. After observing for a bit, I realized you just walk up to the counter and just start pointing at stuff you would like to order. The anchovies were salty, but I'd recommend ordering it since it's not very often you get to order them. The oysters looked like the were drenched in oil and that's exactly what it tasted like. The meat broke apart really easily when you bite into it, almost as easy as butter. The prosciutto on bread tastes good except it was the least unique dish I ordered. The bacon sticks were really delicious although extremely oily and fatty. The beer is only about one euro, which is super cheap and definitely helpful in washing down all this oily food. I had such a great experience here and would love to come back. read more

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We stumbled upon this place on our way to the Museu de Picasso. A local recommended it and said it was the best tapas restaurant in Barcelona. The service, without a doubt, was fantastic. They were sooo friendly and super helpful in recommending pairings and picking dishes for us based on our culinary preferences. I really liked the cream cheese-stuffed cherry tomato, tuna in oil, and cheesy baked-potato-like tapa. Tasty, but overpriced, like all tapas. Nothing to write home about. Next! read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas from upper left, clockwise: Sardines on cracker, jamon on bread, egg on potato, tuna in oil, tomatoes. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

I was wandering in this area and spotted the name of this place. I remembered in my travel book so I went directly in. It was my first time in Spain, first time in Barcelona, first time eating tapas IN SPAIN. I did not know what I was doing only knowing what I saw on travel/ food TV. Uh hi, first time, what should I get?! I stood at the counter and started pointing at things I must have - cava, jamon, artichokes, bacalao, red bell peppers, longostines! Knowing how good it was looking back, I wish I had ordered more!! This is definitely one to bookmark for the next time. Getting the attention of the servers was a little challenging as they are very busy but you just have to step it up for what you want! read more

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After visiting the Picasso Museum (which, side note, you should get tickets online for because the line for tickets there is absurd), we were hungry for lunch so we headed on over to El Xampanyet, which is less than a block down from the museum. Don't be too intimidated by the line outside. Remember that when it comes to tapas, you need to put your food down otherwise you won't be served - so be aggressive. Thank the heavens because we were able to find a seat immediately, even though it was a little cramped. You can order things off the menu (which, by the way, is completely in Spanish), but there were some bites I wanted that were at the counter. Being the frightened tourist I was, at first I was extremely reluctant to go up to the counter to get some grub. But hunger got the best of me so I went up and ordered and was rewarded with beautiful potato and chorizo, salmon salad... great, great stuff. I went up again and ordered a plate of jamón iberico with a side of tomato bread. It's a must for sure. El Xampanyet is easily one of my favorite places in Barcelona. It's authentic and the staff, even when I stumbled on a couple of words, were friendly and most importantly, quick. read more

El Xampanyet - A variety of tapas at El Xampanyet in Barcelona. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Best meal in Barcelona by far. This place is not overrated! Get there before it opens and stand in line for a table. We tried the anchovies, squid in special sauce, steak, and the macaroni. Each items was magnificent and I can't wait to go back. Great scene and thank you to our waitress for being so helpful. read more

Probably one of the top 5 food experiences I've ever had. We came here on a recommendation from our Airbnb host our first 3 nights in Barcelona then came back again the night before we left, we wanted the food that badly. The atmosphere here is fast and loud, so don't come here if you don't want to stand to eat or be bumped into - but trust me it's worth it. If you don't like raw to medium raw meat DO NOT ORDER THE MEAT Didn't understand the menu so we ordered based off of what other people had. For starters get the bottle of cava it's only 10€. We got the stuffed red peppers - AMAZING. we ordered it a total of 5 or 6 times (2 visits and myself and my boyfriend). MUST get the beef with green peppers again we ordered this about 6 times - pork version is just as yummy. Hands down one of the best meats I've ever had. PS try the chocolate truffles - they're drizzled with olive oil, DELICIOUS we literally licked the plate clean Everything else we ordered was as equally delicious, try it all!! read more

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Omg!!! This place was fantastic!!!! It's a long wait but it's totally worth the wait! We had squid, sardine(little salty) octopus, peppers with cheese and the olives!!! So yummy! read more

It was crowded at first, but I ended up not having to wait long for a spot at the bar on a Friday night shortly after 9. The staff behind the counter are busy but attentive with both food and drink. The house cava is on the sweet side but goes down easily. I like the character and history of the place, and there definitely is a mix of tourists and locals alike. This worked in my favor in terms of seeing what people around me were eating. I have high praise for the pulpo, gambas with tomato and olive oil (my receipt said they were actually langostinos), a cracker with a sardine/tomato topping, and a potato tapa (half a potato filled with a seasoned meat and cream filling). This is the kind of place that I would recommend to others. read more

This is small, very friendly bar, run by the same family since the 1930's. The interior is covered with coloured tiles, a collection of bottles and bottle openers and other such homely items. They serve (as the name suggests) their own local cava, as well as beers, ciders and wines, and they provide a wide range of really good tapas. It's close to the Picasso museum, and is listed in most tourist guides, so it's hardly undiscovered. But for such a touristy area the service is both efficient and friendly, which makes a refreshing change from some of the others venues close by. Worth seeking out if you're in the area. read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Echoing most reviews, this is a good choice for tapas. They specialize in their small fish and some of their vegetables. I went for lunch at around 1pm and had no problem getting a small table. I ordered the anchovies, red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and beef with peppers. The first three in particular were bursting with flavor. Can't complain. read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Happened to walk by just as they were opening, as we were on our way to find a new tapas place to go to after learning that Cal Pep was closed for the holidays. There was already a line of about six people out the door just before they opened, which is always a good sign. I had recognized the name from a list of best tapas, and I am so glad we came here. We got a seat at a table, and the restaurant filled up within 20 minutes. People were standing in corners waiting for a table as we were getting our first course. They do not have an English menu but are happy to explain the menu. What we got: Anchovies Octopus in a green oil based sauce Tuna belly with what seemed like white asparagus but not sure Jamon Iberico The food comes with a side of the ubiquitous bread that's spread with tomato and garlic, which they refill as needed. Everything was absolutely delicious! Loved the busy atmosphere and dining with locals and tourists alike. read more

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Stopped in for lunch while waiting to get into Picaso museum around 2pm. Got lucky and waited less than 10 minutes for a table. All EXCELLENT! Went mostly with basics: spanish omelette, bread, tuna belly w/ leeks, maybe one other dish, a glass of cava. Very fun meal. Service was good and very fast. Lived up to reputation read more

I rarely give out 5 stars but this place deserves it. Service was very friendly and helpful! I came probably an hour before they opened, and by the time they opened, a huge line was forming. You can stand at the bar, but beware, there are no chairs. I chose to sit at a table; they are small, but you'll be eating the tapas quickly anyways! The menu does NOT come in English! So I simply asked the waitress to choose, and said that I loved seafood and meat. Each dish was seriously mouth-wateringly good and fresh! - Bread with tomato and olive oil: I never knew bread could be this good, but it was! - Peppers: slightly charred, warm, and smoky...yum! Slightly spicy too. - Calamari: tender, and doused with the delicious green sauce all seafood seems to come with. - Octopus: sprinkled with some red powder (paprika?) it was tender, and there was also a puree on the bottom (lentil?) that went well with each bite of octopus! - Razor clams: I think the ones here were more tender than at La Paradeta; delicious! - Beef steak with peppers: the meat was CRAZY TENDER. I didn't have to chew much! I would of gotten two if I wasn't so full. - Cheese plate: 3 different types, and cheese is amazing, so you can't go wrong. - 2 different plates of cured meats: drizzled with olive oil and sliced super thin, these were quick to disappear! - I asked the waitress for her favourite dish, which was similar to mashed potatoes with red sauce on top, and a dollop of cream/egg? She mixes it before eating, and it was definitely hearty and comforting. My favourite would be the beef steak and octopus...I could probably eat multiple plates of these! The atmosphere is buzzing as the restaurant was immediately full, and everytime someone gives a tip, they ring bells loudly. I would definitely be back! read more

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so good I came back the day after for more! all montaditos are 1.80 €, everything is cooked with olive oil (asked for a friend that has dairy sensitivities) and everything is delicious! I stood by the counter since I came by myself, it was where all the action was at and the best service. I recommend it over La Xampanyeria. read more

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It's an institution for sure. The problem is fighting to get a table or a spot at the bar. Wen you do though....oh boy. All the tapas are wonderful. I had some anchovies, tortilla, and some cheese. The next time I had the pork and peppers and some pan con tomate. A glass (or three) of cava and your night is complete. Try it at least once, but be prepared to wait in line. It's a battle. read more

The line is insanely long and even starts before they open for dinner, but you NEED to try this place if you're in Barcelona. Easily the best tapas I had in Spain! Went twice in the same week a previous trip, and then tried to get a seats another two times my last time there. The line was too long then, but this place is always on my mind when I think of my time in Barcelona and is definitely somewhere I will be revisiting in the future. read more

Start by getting here early (before open) to assure you get a seat - this place seems to have a cult following for locals and tourists alike. We came for "breakfast" right when they opened at noon. Not the cheapest tapas, but definitely not among the most expensive either, I'd say middle of the road in terms of price for Barcelona tapas. Everything tasted great and was well cooked/seasoned. Get the House cava - as many have mentioned it's delicious and very reasonably priced. For tapas, I recommend getting a variety of cold & hot dishes. Many of the cold tapas options are prepared ahead of time and visible on the bar, which is awesome if you're not sure what you might like. Cold: Pan con tomate - very fresh bread, a light coating of crushed tomato, and some of the most delicious olive oil I've ever had Crostini wrapped in some sort of bacon/pancetta/prosciutto - No idea what this is called in Catalan or Spanish, but you need to figure it out and find some way to try this! Pimiento (Red) Peppers stuffed with cheese - SOO GOOD, we got seconds of this. Potatoes stuffed/topped with chorizo and some other stuff. Very good cold, but this could have been amazing if this dish was hot. Hot: Pulpo - Octopus served Galician style with mashed potatoes and smoked paprika (as well as a sauce). We tried ~10 or so versions of Pulpo dishes over our two week trip, and El Xampanyet is right up there in my top 2 or 3. Heads up: There isn't an English version of the menu, but the waiter we had was very capable of explaining the dishes to us in English. Also, looking at what other tables had, and pointing was very effective. read more

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Great food, friendly environment. A bit tight inside and long wait but well worth it.

Im sure anyone visiting Barcelona has this fantasy about a perfect tapas meal. But then there are so many tourist traps, and so many options. If I'd only have 3h in barcelona, I would go to this place. The food here was mind blowing, I think I almost cried (yes, I take my food very seriously). The menu is all in spanish, but I just showed him some pictures on Yelp of what I wanted and then we said we just want something with vegetable and meat. I usually dont really blindly order something but I think anything here is really good. We got a mash potato dish with chorizo and a poached egg which was AMAZING. Some chickpeas with other veggies, and I swear I have never had anything like that, it was SOO GOOD! Another MUST TRY is the pasta (forgot the name but theres a picture on yelp with the name). Or just get anything, its all gonna be good. The servers are super friendly too, their english might not be perfect but they are really nice. It can be very busy, we went a little later at night and we just squeezed in and waited for a table (we only waited around 10 minutes). read more

This place is my bf's favorite restaurant of ALL TIME. He often tells me he dreams of our meal here despite it being months later... It is poppin' here. When we came, we waited outside with a crowd of people before the restaurant even opened. If you're trying to get a seat for dinner without a wait, you'll probably need to come this early. The place was packed to the brim with people, some having to stand and eat. The iberian ham, bread with tomato and octopus were DIVINE. The house made wine was cheap and great for the price. Our waitress was super friendly and helped us understand the menu since my bf's 3rd grade spanish reading level did not suffice. Food: 5/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 5/5 read more

El Xampanyet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

Cava is a sparkling wine of Spanish, or more appropriately, Catalan origin. Though made using the same champenoise method as French champagne, the French are (justifiably) protective of the label "champagne" and cava itself has DO status in Spain. The Catalans are very proud of anything that come from their region - most cava production lies in Catalonia and and xampanyerias are established to enjoy said cava along with tapas. First and foremost El Xampanyet is a cava bar. They have two types of house cava: dry or sweet. The default serving is sweet so you have to specify for dry cava. However due to being a renowned tapas bar by locals and foodies alike plus its close proximity to the Picasso Museum most people also come to check out their tapas. Even when the restaurant opening hours at 7pm - way too early for Spanish dinnertime - its popularity is as such that it's always crowded no matter what time you go. I barely made it in time when the restaurant opened to get a good spot at the counter. There are actual seats inside but the seats are for groups. There is a formal menu of sorts but most people either know what to order or order on a whim based on what's offered at the counter. The only thing I had in mind at the time was the house cava (~€2). Definitely sweeter than prosecco and served in a specific glass. As for the rest: - House red is a good value (maybe €3?). - Patata escalibada con sobrassada ud. The actual name of the baked potato dish that was directly at eye level. The escalibada refers to the grilled vegetable sauce and the sobrassada refers to the sausage on top. This is their version of a bomba and is very addicting, especially with the cheese incorporated with the potato. - Jamon. I was content with having a sliver of jamon on top of bread but the guy next to me offered half of his jamon plate so as to respect the animal. A very thoughtful gesture, I had my jamon fill of the trip. Similar to Italian proscuitto except cooked. - Pulpo with mashed potatoes. One of the best octopus preparations I've ever had. Because it was served with mashed potatoes this was sufficient carb and I didn't have much use for the included pan con tomate. This place is also known for their canned seafood, beef with padron peppers and their anchovies but since I also had churros con chocolate earlier I didn't have much appetite for anything else. Whenever I go back to Barcelona I'll have to go here again to do a deeper dive of their tapas over cava and wine. read more

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There is always a line to get in but it is worth the wait. The atmosphere is electric with chatter and high spirits. The food is amazing, and the staff are warm and make you feel like one of the family. The beef with padron peppers was so good. read more

Yeah yeah yeah. It the best thing ever. Nothing much more to say. Just please remember to measure expectations. You are not special in this place. You are not a VIP. And no one gives a shillznit if you think you are important. This place is local and awesome. Wait your turn. Check your ego at the door. Bask and enjoy. A must stop. read more

Delicious tapas! Staff is super friendly! Worth the wait. It gets really busy and pack. Everything on the menu was really good. read more

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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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