Got seated in no time without reservation on New Year's Eve, this is a plus since I just walked in 30 minutes before they close for the holiday event that same night. The staff were friendly and very accommodating. You'd have to flag them down to order though and ask for your check, otherwise they'll let you be and enjoy your food which was great for me. Not rushed and not pushy. Meatballs were tasty! Highly recommend the fried calamari, but get the rings instead of the baby calamari since it can get mushy. Sangria is a must! The place was chill and quiet. Nice red entrance and low to no music inside so you can talk with your party. Best of all, you get the 360 view of Barcelona!!! read more

La Lola - Fried baby calamari and meatballs - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

We travelled from afar (USA, Canada, Taiwan) and went there for our 47-year college reunion. It was our 1st on-land dinner after a 11-day cruise. We picked this restaurant because it's very close to the Water Fountain Dance and Music Show we'd like to go after dinner. The location was great, and the view from the outside board walk was AMAZING! I give it a 5-star. The ambiance inside the restaurant was fine. Energetic, tight, and very noisy. I give it a 3 star. The service is mixed. The owner/manager: He was extremely rude, impatient, and not friendly. We reserved 3 tables, and asked to be close to each other. There were several tables in the far corner that were empty, but the guy refused to seat us in that corner, claiming that was reserved. We have to be spread with a large serving station in between and separated from each other. We have no choice but to accept it, only to find out later that they tables were nit reserved at all. They were empty for a long time, then intermittently seated with customers in one or two table on and off. As the night goes on, it got colder and colder and I asked if he can close the huge windows. He was impatient and said "later", but totally forgot about it. I give him a 0-star. The waitress: She was wonderful, patient, filled with smiles. I give her a 5-star. The food was mixed. The tapas and salad were fresh, delicious, and tasty. The paella was a total miss. The quantity was small (considers we ordered double). The ingredients were bear minimum. The taste was mediocre, but worse than what we make it at home ourselves. It's over-priced and not worth it. Overall I give the food a 3-star, since the tapas were good, but the paella was bad. Will I recommend this place? Yes - to go outside on the public boardwalk overlooking the city. No - to the restaurant. read more

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This is a tourist attraction because you are paying for the price of the view. The staffs were friendly. We didn't have to wait to long to be seated. Order seafood paella. Please note the price is per person. The paella takes approximately 20 mins to make, if you are hungry make sure you order something else. You pay extra for the water unless you ask for tap water. Food: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Ambience: 5/5 read more

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Food 3 Service 4 Atmosphere 5 Not the best place for seafood paella. But I wanted to have another try of paella before my trip is over. This paella did not have much seafood plus the rice seemed to taste of beef broth and was so mushy. Presentation of the paella was nice, but taste 3/5. My friend ordered the pulpo - octopus. He enjoyed it. Another friend ordered steak. She had the kitchen cook it more as it was too pink, but she asked for medium well. After that, it was tasty. Another friend had salmon. She liked it but was not wowed. Atmosphere is nice. Restaurant is located on the top floor of the bullring that's turned into a mall in Barcelona. Exterior of the bullring with red and cream bricks reminded me of Cordoba's Mezquita-Catedral with its arches. Inside it's a mall with all the usual stores. read more

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We needed a restaurant in the Plaza Espanya area and after some research decided to try this place despite some mixed reviews. Turned out to be a wonderful evening. This restaurant is located on the top floor of the old bullfighting arena converted into a shopping center. The views were great. They easily were able to accommodate our party of 8. Everybody was pretty much satisfied with their appetizers and meals, mostly consisting of various cuts of meat. They were a little too quick in bringing out the mains so close to the starters. Also, two of out meat orders were undercooked. Instead of taking them back, they bring out a hot stone for the customer to finish the cooking. Some may enjoy this and some may not. Overall, an excellent experience and I would recommend. read more

Horrible! Simply horrible. Steak was like chewing gum. Bread was stale! Service was horrible! Nothing but bad bad bad. read more

La Lola - Horrible steak!!! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

I'd say this place is a tourist trap being located at the top of a used-to-be bull fighting arena, so I really wasn't expecting for the food to be top tier, and sadly my expectations were confirmed. For a steakhouse, I expected much more. Instead the steak we ordered was the most toughest and worst steak I had ever eaten. In fact, it was virtually inedible with all the sinew and unrendered fat on it. We also ordered a seafood basket which I think is hard to mess up. It's fried seafood so what is the worst that could happen? It was pretty decent. It's the steak that was the disappointment. Other than that, ambience was fine and view from the top is gorgeous of course. Sangria was delicious too. read more

This place is on the roof top of a converted bull fighting ring. Very nice location in la espanya with great views of the city from above. The food is very high quality, the moment you walk in you are greeted by a dry aging fridge ah high quality cuts of steak in it. The patatas bravas were good as well as the fries topped with a runny egg and jamon. We even ordered the meatballs here which was of surprisingly good quality to where you can see the seasonsing inside the meatball as it crumbles apart. Great place to eat and it is inexpensive for what you get. Great place, my waiter even charged my phone for me. - Ansel Ponce Diama read more

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I loved this place. Disclaimer: we did NOT try any of the tapas. But what we did try was excellent! - cava sangria - chicken paella - fried milk dessert This was my *first time* eating paella. So so delicious and flavorful. For some reason I always thought paella was a dish I wouldn't enjoy but Barcelona really changed that for me. Since it was our second day we were all about trying new things. We went with the fried milk dessert and it ended up being such a pleasant surprise. So good, not too sweet, and served with ice cream. Also, the service was outstanding. Our host and server were both very welcoming and chatty! We ending up staying for a while because it was very enjoyable. Location-wise, it's on the top terrace of the Centro Comercial Arenas. We kind of just stumbled upon it which made our experience even better. I would imagine all the restaurants up here are super touristy considering the beautiful view you have of the city. You pay 1€ to take the elevator up but we were told the restaurants will take that off your bill (we forgot to inquire about this at La Lola though). No big deal. I would recommend/return for the chicken paella. read more

La Lola - Chicken paella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

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What can one expect. Its located in a heavily touristy area. But for what it was rated, I decided to give this place a shot and voted for us to try this place. First off, the view outside is fantastic. You will definitely have plenty of photo opportunities here. They have an inside and an outside area which usually house smokers. We ordered quite a few items here, mainly their tapas, paella, and the skirt steak. Tapas: We ordered Sautéed Mushrooms, Beef Tips, and Potato Balls. The best one was the Beef Tips. It was tender and juicy, how a steak suppose to be. Chicken Paella, on the other hand, was quite lacking character and finesse. It was quite forgetful after a few bites. Now, to the main part of my experience... the skirt steak. I'm not sure if the medium rare is different in Barcelona than any other place around the world but their medium rare is equivalent to rare. Or at least that's what I was served. I literally was hacking away with my so called knife and barely sliced through the piece! I ask the waiter to have the chef cook it a little bit longer. When the steak came back, it was no different! The patrons next to us was quite concern and amused on how much effort I was exerting to direct this hunk of meat. They took my steak again and finally, decided to bring me a fresh piece which was satisfactory to the knife. By then, my mind was done with dinner and ready to move on. Overall, its a mediocre three star for their food. I would have rendered it two stars but the staff was accommodating with us. read more

La Lola - Get the Steak Tip Tapa. It's good! Everything else is so so. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

Good services great location (no moscow mule.) Food was excellent. Fair prices. Elegant. Food is good. Great view Will be back when in Barcelona. read more

La Lola - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

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I would not recommend. the young man who was our waiter was terrbile! he is in ear 20'a, had a cross earring in his left ear. He didn't ask questions to clarify things. our order was not correct and one waited so long for her food that she just canceled it as the other meals were served 30 minutes earlier. we asked several times about how long until her food would be ready. we were told 2 minutes, then another waiter 10 minutes later said 5 more minutes then in the next sentence said 10 minutes. a third waiter said 5 minutes. they staff was rude and our original waiter never came back to the table He was the main issue. food was so so. nothing special about it in any way. read more

Amazing panoramic views from the top of the old bullring building, inside it has a fun vibe, a nice place to eat and catch up with family or friends. There is a kids menu available and the kid was very happy with his meal. I ordered a glass of wine, an amazing salad with fresh goat cheese, and meatballs that were delicious. read more

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Food is mediocre Eggplant chips are greasy but delicious Paella is ok... the mix has 2 pieces of chicken, 2 shrimp, a few mussels, some ham and green beans. It's ok. 1 person size is enough for two. Seafood is not as fresh as I would have liked Croquettes are salty. Pass. Water is 2.25 euro Service is ok. read more

I had the most unbelievably terrible experience at this restaurant 1. The waitress did NOT submit our order so we waited for more than 30 minutes for our first dish 2. The paella was served with the Rice RAW! Unbelievable 3. We ordered cream catalana but the waitress did not submit this dish even in the SECOND time 4. I did not like the HORRiBLE attitude of the waitress. Even when the restaurant made all of the above mistakes 5. We want to speak to the manager but was REFUSED Let alone the food is pricy but tastes no good. I would give 0 star if I can And I would recommend absolutely no one to this place read more

Good atmosphere.. good service.. price so so.. FOOD.... SUPER SALTY.. Overall disappointed.. read more

The food was pretty decent but it was ho service. Waitress had an attitude the entire time and rolled her eyes at me 7 times when I asked for something. She charged me for two items I didn't order. And then when it was time to pay everyone acted like they couldn't separate a check. So when we tried to separate it for them they made it a big deal. read more

This place was good! I normally hate tapas in the U.S. because you pay full price for appetizer-sized food. Not so here! Good value for your money and great food. I liked everything I tried, including the calamari, paella, stir-fry veggies and more. Service was slow but typical for Europe. The location and views are great... atop the Arenas, a bullfighting ring-turned-shopping mall. You're on the roof of this large structure and can get a good view of the city. The paella was a wee bit too salty, but the seafood was high-quality and delicious. Definitely a good option with something for everyone from the most adventurous to those who'd prefer a little something more suited toward American tastes. read more

Our hotel is nearby and walked around the top of the arena. Our party of 9 thought the menu looked good. Seated quickly and a very friendly wait staff. However, the food is not the best that Barcelona has to offer. I have been here for about a week and I can tell you that this restaurant seems to be a tourist trap and the dishes were not flavorful. The calamari lacked salt, and the seafood salad, although filling, didn't have too much seafood in it ( a few pieces of shrimp, mussels, and I think imitation crab). I also had a bite of someone's paella, and it wasn't the best I've tasted. My suggestion is to come to the top of the arena and maybe grab a drink, but if you're looking for some authentic food, go elsewhere. read more

La Lola - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Great view...great ambiance...really good food. I like the decoration and ceiling. The sangria is good. Menu is nice and you can order from tapas to pasta and soup. Bread is good. I ordered the entrecôte , their specialty and it comes with pimientos padrones and potato fries. It's a good amount for 12oz, cooked perfectly and it tastes really good. It's a must to order. read more

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Excellent sangria, salad and steak. 1 euro to get to top of arena. Seated with a view of the city, kind staff, timely service with enough space to socialize over meal. read more

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Situated on the top terrace of the Plaza de Toros (old Las Arenas bullring) in Plaza Espanya, La Lola offers tasty food as well as spectacular views of the square below and the singing water fountains across the main boulevard. Though outdoors seating was available, my group and I opted to eat inside the restaurant. Our orders ranged from salads to mussels to beef and chicken burgers with patatas bravas! Everything was so delicious and quite savory! We all definitely enjoyed our lunch and the atmosphere surrounding the restaurant. Besides the good quality food at reasonable prices, the staff at La Lola spoke fluent English. This restaurant is good for both for lunch and dinner. read more

Final night for our vacation so wifey says she will like to try a farewell seafood paella. We walked around the arena and decided on LaLola and was not a bad choice at all. The greeter and waiters were all very friendly and spoke English very well. I had some tapas, olives, fried Calamari and Spanish Omelette which was all very good. I must add that the prices are reasonable for the quality of food and service. highly recommended. read more

Food quality: I've only eaten "patatas bravas" and was not as good as I paid for. Quality very normal, just prepared for tourists. Service: delivery of food and drinks was fast. We had to remind the staff several times for the bill. In general nothing special to mention. Place: the best of the restaurant. Good views at the top of "Las Arenas". The place is big enough and comfortable even when it's crowded. Price: I've paid 13 euros for two local beers and a tapa of "patatas bravas". Just unfair. read more

Sure it's touristy, but the food was really good and they pour well. Friendly staff, and an extensive menu. I recommend the nachos and the potatoes with cheese and pesto. Free wifi! read more

La Lola - Nachos and au gratin potatoes with pesto. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

I'll break it down, since I (and my party) were fairly torn in our opinions. FOOD The good: - Buñuelos - Patatas bravas - Coca (bread) - Croquetas The decent: - Calamares en su tinta - Sangria The regrets: - Costellas SERVICE: Slow but typically friendly. PRICE-QUALITY: Overpriced in a touristy way. Nearly 60 euros for 6 tapas, a sangria, a water, and a Coke... definitely not a good deal. LOCATION: Great views from the outdoor seating area & handy heaters for the winter. VERDICT: Not bad -- I enjoyed most of the food and had a generally pleasant experience -- but it definitely has room for improvement. With some minor changes, this could be a great tapas place with prime views of Pl. Espanya and, thus, some serious appeal for tourists and locals alike. read more

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I must temper this with the possibility we might have enjoyed it more if it had been our first tapas experience, but we were already spoiled by two superior tapas bar meals earlier in the week. Our waiter was good, not great. The mussels were very good. The bombas, sausage tortilla, salad with goat cheese, and fried calamari were rather mediocre. The best part was that it's located at the top of Las Arenas, a bullfighting arena turned shopping center. The view was stunning. The food not so much. Try Taller Tapas in the Born neighborhood. Sublime. Sorry, I can't remember the name of the first wonderful one we visited. read more

Food is a bit salty. Definitely not the best paella. Rice was undercooked. Liked that the menu has pictures and they played music outside. read more

Great food, very nice and polite personnel, great location! (And adapt to every kind of food request ) read more

La Lola - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Barcelona, B

I stopped by today with my family and was told there will be a wait of 30 mins. Initially I thought the greeter was being helpful but suggesting that it might not be good for kids to wait. We waited anyways to find out that this place doesn't prefer dining with kids. As others were seated before me even though they came after. And also if you dont drink they want you in and out of the place. One of the worst experience on my trip. read more

I really enjoyed this place. I though the service was fast, it wasnt crowded, we were not there at a typical time. I enjoyed all we ate and I can't say I know the proper names and my Spanish friends did the ordering for me. The calamari, the tomato bread, the squid, the egg, potato and bacon dish, chicken croquettes and the sangria was delicious. The restaurant is located in a huge mall which is a former bullfighting arena that was converted intoa shoping mall. The view from the top is spectacular. read more

This is a really nice place to go. The staff is outstandingly nice so that we decided to eat here again on our last day in Barcelona. Tried the La Lola Burger which is very tasty. Prices are regular. For the perfect service we received and the plates that we got it was fine. The location is very nice and the staff is outstandingly nice so I would definately return! read more

The food is great and the service is excellent highly recommend the aged steak very very good

Excellent food and service. Fried eggplant tapas with honey are my new favorite dish! Mushrooms with garlic were tasty as was the salad. Carbonara and bolognase were very good as well. Wait staff very attentive. Highly recommend read more

The worst servive ever took 30min to take my drink order then over 30 min to bring it out,took 2hrs for the mixed paella I order to come out, this restaurant sucks I highly recommend dont come here the food suck the service sucks read more

Awesome service and delicious food. We were a group of friends visiting and had a wonderful dinner. Especially the service was very kind and helpful. The food was great and the drinks Yordan offered were awesome. read more

Perfect example of a restaurant that has everything but does not have it together. Very disorganized and dysfunctional staff and management. It was like a comedy of errors. Wait staff was extremely tired and overworked. There was zero communication between the wait staff and kitchen. The manager went missing cause he could not fix it. It was so funny. The chef was fighting with everyone. They were very kind to us and took off the dishes that went missing. Good recipes but everything was cold by the time it reached our table. So overall, good food good staff a comic experience. read more

Nice staff, food was 5 of 10, house wine was un-drinkable! I just didn't have an extra €140 for the 2010 Rioja. Yep. Ouch!!! After you take photos of the city from the rooftop then leave the tourest traps upstairs. Go downstairs to level -1 to the food court in the same building (basement). Mas Q Menos has amazing dishes. Iberico, churiso. Lovely food. Nice ambiance. read more

Stopped by on the way to Magic Fountains. On top of Arenas mall with a great view. Lots of smokers. Tapas special had one or two items that were ok. Spinach Bunuelas and egg/chorizo /calamari suggested . Crema catalan like Brule also good. read more