Summary: Los Caracoles needs to fire the host/table cleaner and Claudio the server or fix their attitude. The food was good and very traditional, other servers were very polite and friendly but we were still very angry at the first two men. Service: I wish I could give four stars but our initial server was terribly RUDE. If you have a server by the name of Claudio ask for someone else. Younger maybe mid-20's and has a darker complexion and tall and did not have any empathy for the tables he served. Others in the room were also upset at him. We were a table of 5 and came in 6:30pm-6:40pm which is very early for dinner in Barcelona. I spoke in some broken Spanish and after ordering drinks he repeated the order which I couldn't comprehend the first time. He then yelled it back at me in an unprofessional and disrespectful way. Completely unacceptable. After getting our drinks I told him to give us one small minute before we order food. He didn't come back after 30 mins and he has to ask the host who leads the first floor to clean the table and change the tablecloth. The host then responded "Sorry I cannot do anything, do I look like the waiter? I cannot take your order" I later found out that he was serving the other tables in the back room. Only 4 of them. Waiters typically handle 4 tables at restaurants and even more abroad so theres no excuse. We were so displeased with their service the staff could tell that we've had enough so they switched our server after giving us our food. The two servers afterward were so pleasant, helpful, I cannot give this place 2 stars. Food: Very traditional to Spain and the dishes were delicious. People next to us suggested not to get the chicken because they thought it was mediocre. Definitely get the coulant and the creme bruelee for dessert and the suckling pig for the main course. read more

Located along a side street off of La Ramblas, this hole-in-the-wall joint serves up some good eats in a very unique atmosphere. Right when you walk in, all you see is a long wooden bar with a kitchen in the back. You actually have to walk through the kitchen, past the flaming hot stoves, to reach the large dining area in the back. The colorful tiled walls are covered with pictures of famous guests, showing the history of this aged restaurant. I especially liked the decor on the second floor by the stairs, where from the ceiling hangs iberico ham. As Los Carcoles is one of the more popular tourist destinations, the menu conveniently had multiple sections for all different languages. I couldn't resist ordering the roast chicken, after seeing them on a spit fire rotisserie through the window outside. The chicken had a crisp, well seasoned skin, and the meat itself was very moist. I also really enjoyed the Sausage w/ white mushrooms. If you like nutty nougaty goodness, I highly recommend the Spanish Nougat ice cream. Since this is a popular tourist spot, the prices were a bit on the higher side, but overall I had a great and filling meal. read more

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Los Caracoles was quite an experience. We couldn't get a reservation so we decided to walk in, put our name down, and wait by the bar. We ordered a glass of wine and within 30 minutes got a table. Everything they do here is pretty old school. We watched one of the cooks slice cured pork fresh to order and torch the creme brûlée with this old school torch. They roast chickens right outside their store front, Amazing! It was pricier then other restaurants we had been to, but as one of the oldest restaurants in Barcelona, we couldn't pass up the chance to eat here. We waited 20 minutes after we were sat, before our waiter got to us. We just figured this is the way things are done in Spain, everything more slow and mellow. We ordered a bottle of Garnacha and started with a plate of Spanish ham, and salted cod. For our entree we shared the suckling pig that came with a side of potatoes, this was enough for two people. There was a band that came and sang by our table, pretty cool. The only thing was that when we got our bill, which was about 100 euros, the server pointed out to me that the tip was not included and that the percentage added was the tax. So I handed him 20 euros, even though his service was pretty slow and not attentive. Later my Barcelona friend told me he shouldn't have asked me for a tip and that people get paid well as servers and they do not expect a tip. I don't know which is right, but I do feel he shouldn't have pointed that out. But the food made up for slow service. read more

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Stumbled upon this place while in Barcelona. The restaurant accommodated us (party of 2) despite no reservations. The chicken was good, but the Paella was even better!!! Ordered the house special Paella. It was just the right size packed with squid, clams and shrimp. Waiter speaks english and was very nice. It did take them some time to get us our bill but it got to us eventually. read more

Los Caracoles - Half Chicken with vegetables - Spanish Near Me - Barcelona, B

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I've been here 3 times over the last 20 years (or so my parents say). First two was when I was a child. The only thing I remembered was that you walk through the kitchen to get to the restaurant, which is very unique. Fast forward to 2 days ago, when I went back with my husband and 2 of my best girlfriends, you still walk through the same kitchen through the chefs and get to see them cooking. Highly recommend the paella. I got the mushroom tournedos which was perfectly cooked and amazing as well. The waiter was very friendly to us. There was live music, and overall it was a very authentic Spanish experience. Dessert was our favorite part, the nouget something, don't remember the name exactly but it was delicious. read more

Los Caracoles - Bridget eating some amazing paella - Spanish Near Me - Barcelona, B

Amazing building with comparable food. You can smell the outside spit roasted chickens from a mile away. The service is great because in Europe is is a profession, not something done by college students. Of course the Paella is wonderful but for a truly memorable experience try the Roast sucking pig or "Cochinillo". Unbelievable. And great cheap local wine. Don't forget to also try Creme Catalana...like Creme brulee but bigger. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187497-d717325-r131981187-Los_Caracoles-Barcelona_Catalonia.html# read more

A fine restaurant, with plenty of atmosphere and charm. However the food was at best three and a half stars. The eponymous snails, were insufficiently meaty. The sauce was also had an off putting aftertaste. The langoustines again were fine, but not as well prepared as some others that we encountered elsewhere in Barcelona. The bread was quite tasty, and creatively presented. The service was attentive. read more

Los Caracoles - The decor does have a certain charm to it. And they are not likely to run out of jamon iberico. - Spanish Near Me - Barcelona, B

We stayed down the street so this was our go to bar every night before going back to our place. We only every had drinks, didn't eat in the restaurant. But, I will say the restaurant was always crowded and hopping so they must have had great food. I did have two tapas plates that were delicious, though. Mainly had Estrella beer and their own homemade Sangria (delicious!). The bartender was great and extremely accommodating. Would definitely go back again (and again). read more

Los Caracoles - Great bartender. - Spanish Near Me - Barcelona, B

Classic dining experience. This unique building along with the decor, white linen table settings and friendly and served us well. The food exceeded our expectations. We had mussels, 2 different kind of paella's, pasta, shrimp, squid. Wine and Cava were excellent. Must not miss, great historic experience. read more

If you want a beautiful, authentic Spanish dining experience you should definitely come here! At first glance from the outside, this just looks like a modern, casual bar with one row of seats in front of he bartender. BUT, if you walk to the back you will find a a gorgeous restaurant that wraps around the whole building and goes down what felt like 10 floors! It's like a maze, and all along the path where are tables set us with decor on the walls as if you're in someone's family home. WOW. There was a band walking around playing music for everyone and people enjoyed their time singing along with them which created a very intimate environment. The food was okay, I got the meat cannelloni with truffles bechamel. I personally did not like the meat inside of the cannelloni and did not find it very tasty to stomach. The sauce was delicious though! And the portion was a good amount for one person. I had the snail appetizers as well, it was my first time trying snails so I don't have a frame of reference but I thought they were delicious and buttery, quite chewy but no complaints! My biggest gripe with this place was the heat, it was in Area my hot. There was no ventilation or circulation of air and this is a big underground restaurant, so it was mucky. There were also not many exits aside from the main one which is not only a hazard, but made foot traffic difficult as it piled up every once in a while. You had to walk through the kitchen to get out which has a charm because all the chefs say hi to you, but it also isn't very hygienic and is dangerous because every stove is very hot. read more

Great restaurant founded in 1835. Probably one of the most famous food spots in Barcelona. HOWEVER food is great, service not so great. Coasting on past reputation a bit read more

Great old restaurant. I was sent there by a friend, and had the chicken from the rotisserie and a beer for 23 euro. It was great food; and the atmosphere of the place was fantastic - with the restaurant seating in the back of the place, past the kitchen. Well worth a visit. read more

Los Caracoles - Spanish Near Me - Barcelona, B

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The worst type of restaurant. It was listed as "inexpensive" in our guide book, which is laughably inaccurate. Least expensive entree was €15. Most were €20-30. Some were €40+ The real problem was that, similar to at least one other review I read, we were seated at our table and then *not acknowledged whatsoever* (not even water glasses filled or menu options explained) for well over 10 minutes. AVOID THIS RESTAURANT. read more

Was a great meal and service to match. Only odd thing was the waiter at end of meal says "service not included". I asked where I could charge the tip on the credit slip and was told that tips must be in cash. I left feeling a bit ripped off as there were other "local tables" who got their check with no similar instructions. Anyway, food was good and I was not gonna argue this one in front of my guests. read more

Food was very average but overpriced. Service was horrible. Last visit 5 years ago was so much better. Very sad to see such a historic place take a nosedive like this. read more

I enjoyed everything in this charming restaurant except the service. The Paella Los Caracoles and the specialty roasted chicken were extraordinary and amazing, which justify their above average price. The interior decor reflects the unique Catalan culture and there were a lot of pictures of celebrity coming to this place. The only thing that disturbed me is the attitude of the waiter: it was simply mediocre. By all means, come for their food and reserve ahead of time because they get full fairly fast. However, to enjoy good service, you would need to order a lot of food and drinks, then you will be treated properly. read more

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Best dinner I've had in Barcelona by far !!! Came here long ago and luckily found it once again. Said to be the oldest operating restaurant in Barcelona with 5th generation family running it. A true treat to feeling the Spanish culture. Wonderful ambience, excellent service and most of all delicious food. Had to have the rotisserie chicken as you see them being roasted in the front entrance. Bathed in oil these chickens are the most succulent and tasty chickens I've ever eaten. Also had a house salad which was enough for two people to share. The salad had olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and a tasty dressing. The pitcher of sangria was also amazing. To conclude dinner this is one of the only places I finally found the traditional flan dessert I had been wanting. Decor is amazing and the live Spanish guitar players who played wonderful Spanish music topped it off as a true 5 star rating !!!!! read more

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This is a fabulous restaurant and an institution in Barcelona. We didn't book, turned up and were ushered through the kitchen to our table on the ground floor. I wanted to eat everything but had to rein myself in. We started off with bouillabaisse to share, it's probably the best soup I've ever had and now on my girlfriend's death row meal list. We both had paella. I had the mixed which was full of chicken, various sausage and squid, my gf had cod and vegetables. The rice was perfect and finished with a rich brown sauce. We finished off with the creme Catalan which was lovely. The food was accompanied by a half bottle of cava with the starters, a half bottle of Chardonnay with the mains and pacharán to end the meal. Pacharán to me, is the taste of happiness as it was the end of many a meal I had when I lived in Spain. it was the perfect way to finish our meal. I love everything about this restaurant, from the architecture, to the food, to the friendly old world service. Come here, eat here and love it. read more

Not even average so in a City like Barcelona with so many great restaurants, this is a pass.

I ate at this restaurant twenty years ago, long before Yelp was even a glimmer in Mr and Mrs. Internet's eyes. It was my favorite restaurant in Barcelona. The chickens were roasting on a roaring huge wood fire on the outside corner of the building. The delicious aroma drifted all around the Gothic quarter, calling you inside. Great Chicken. Great potatoes. I don't think it was terribly expensive. Maybe a slight tourist trap, but hell, so is the Eiffel Tower. Go Enjoy Relax Drink some wine read more

We knew what we were getting into before we went to Los Caracoles, and you should too. First, the negative: Los Caracoles is a total tourist joint. It's way overpriced. It's the kind of place that features a trio of dudes outfitted in vague 16th century garb wielding nylon-stringed axes who will inevitably hover near your table and plow through various fragments of "Malagueña". Lots of garrulous North American visitors, some of the fanny pack variety, will likely be dispersed around you. The waiter might try to milk you, as he did me, for a U.S. style tip at the end of the meal. Now for the positive: the food is good. Crazy inventive, avant-garde Catalan fare this is not. But for old-fashioned Spanish standards, it does the job. I got the padron peppers and the negra arroz imperial, which is paella with rice that's been blackened by squid ink. It was exactly how you'd want it: classic, hearty and tasty. Was the rice dish worth the 20 euro price tag? No. Especially since it's easy to find great and inexpensive food in Barcelona. The restaurant itself is a quirky, memorable experience just to walk through. There are chickens perpetually spinning in a rotisserie outside the entrance of the place. While being seated, you get to walk through the large and sweaty kitchen. And then there are like 4 different split levels of dining rooms with all kinds of goofy memorabilia scattered on the walls. So if you're a sucker for the spectacle of an old school, 150 year old establishment, or with a large group of people that aren't willing to explore the outer neighborhoods of Barcelona and just want to have a typical Spanish meal, this is your joint. read more

Los Caracoles Calle de los Escudellers Bafcelona Spain Our party of 5 enjoyed an early lunch of buratta salad along with fried garlic shrimp and padron peppers. Our main plate the roast chicken, was simply amazing. When delivered our table fell silent making only mmmmm noises! Service was top notch, with our waiter answering all our questions in spite of language barriers. We are only here for a couple of days and are considering going back today. Definitely a must on the next trip. Urban Cowgill May 2015 read more

Visually, one of the most impressive, beautiful restaurants I have ever been. Atmosphere, good but somehow not excellent. The staff is well trained and professional. The food wasn't the greatest I tasted, but I still give this restaurant 5 stars, cause I would definitely go here again. read more

This restaurant should get five starts purely for ambiance and the very cute snail theme. From decorations, to bannister ends, to bread, it was woven throughout the restaurant in whimsical, cute ways that I just really enjoyed. I happened to be in Barcelona and was wandering through Las Ramblas and really just stumbled upon it. There was this magical smell wafting out through the kitchen, which serves as the entrance and walked in past a big pot of bouillabaisse and into a restaurant with different rooms until finally being seated in what seemed to be the grand room. I was smitten. First, before all, try the sangria. I mean, in Spain, do as...but, seriously, do it. It will be the best sangria you've ever tasted. Pre-dinner, my friend and I were served these warm snail-shaped rolls that were soft and delicious. It was hard to eat them, they were so pretty! We then both had the t-bone steak that was cooked perfectly. I'm not sure why we didn't have the seafood as that seems to be the specialty here. For me the defining moment came when the dessert was brought out. It really is all I distinctly remember, from taste to texture, it was a divine chocolate ganache cake and it was so rich and creamy that I won't ever forget it. Try it, it's a decadent dessert experience. We had such a lovely time here. The wait staff was so polite (we spoke no Spanish, was not a problem) and so accommodating that it really helped to round out our delicious dining experience. Do go, you won't regret it (I recommend it to all my friends going to Barcelona!). read more

Had a great experience. Amazing service and ambiance. Old restaurant circa 1835 with tight staircases. Entrance thru kitchen was cool. Not snotty but warm and professional service. Cute snail motif items everywhere. Food was good. Snail bread cute but hard. Snails give you a lot. Sauce/gravy was ok. Little salty. Think I prefer butter and garlic only. Fish soup: nice! Creamy and amazing seafood taste. Chicken: good with amazing fries Live music. Waiter asked if we wanted to add tip to credit card which was great. Not sure why there isn't a tip line already. read more

Hands down the best restaurant in Barcelona. Not only is the food amazing, but the service n atmosphere is phenomenal. The atmosphere is further enhanced by the live music played by a Spanish trio moving from table to table. This place is so good that before we had even eaten anything we were saying we would be coming back. The snails were delicious as was the rabbit, ham and melon, croquettes, chicken and paella. It was all amazing. Don't be fooled by the modern dark exterior once u are inside u will b transported to old time Spain with a welcoming family feel. If we ever come back to Barcelona we will be eating here again. read more

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Definitely a nicer dining experience than your average touristy point. Food was a bit salty, but overall very good. My steak was cooked perfectly. Wait staff was friendly and accommodated our party of 9. What kept this from being 5 stars was: overly salted paella, you have to pay for bread and water (I know more standard In Europe but we were not asked about whether or not we wanted bread). Also please note TIP IS NOT INCLUDED. You'll read that tipping isn't required in most places in Europe but you will need to do so here or they get a bit ummm snippy. read more

Character, great food, interesting layout. Overall a very nice meal. Steak with potatoes, salad and wine. The potatoes were lacking. More like potato chips. The salad was good with great olives like you get in Madrid. Great wine selection too. The uniqueness was in how you must walk through the kitchen to be seated. Nice views of the cooks. Quite pleased with this meal, in a city that generally relies too much on iberico and bocadillos. read more

FOOD POISONING More frustrating is that I got food poisoning from overpriced, average food. I knew this was a tourist trap as soon I saw the binder of menus in several languages. read more

Decor, decor, decor, decor, decor - one of each star for authentic vibe this place has in its walls, ceilings, floors, and furniture. My family has been coming here for 40 years and it maintains. And the foods quite good too. read more

Good restaurant great Decore and ambiance. My Asian friends said the food it was a little salty. As an American mine was not. Had a good time and staff was friendly. read more

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The restaurant deco is very Spanish , I had the seafood soup which very tasty and lovely , but the lobster paella was not good at all , it was very salty not worth the money and only half the lobster so I won't recommend it read more

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Well Established Spanish Restaurant in the middle of The Gothic Quarters. I highly recommend it, the rotisserie chicken was spectacular along with some typical tapas like Jamon Iberico , mushrooms sautéed in garlic, beshamel ham croquettes. The restaurant was very Elegant and Cozy. They had photos of famous personalities who had visited and the decorations were incredibly tasteful. The service was impeccable and the prices are above average. read more

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A very touristic restaurant near Rambla. We needed place for 20 people and that's not that easy to find. The ambiente is nice, the food good if you don't choose fish. Specialty is chicken grilled over wooden coal. All the meat dishes have been as good as the tapas have. For me, there has been a bit too much fried food, but everybody has another taste. And the dessert was delicious, the best I had during my stay in Barcelona. We had a bit of a problem to receive a wine that we liked - like nearly everywhere. Here, in this touristic restaurant, the service was very friendly - not to be taken for granted here. read more

The food was very good. The wine was better. The atmosphere was great... Especially when you walk through the kitchen to get to your seat. I had the turkey leg... It was translated as "kid", so I assume it was turkey. I only ordered it because my very young waiter insisted. It was very good. I probably wouldn't arrange my day around eating here, but I would go again. read more

First time trying paella, and the restaurant gave me a great first impression. The seafood version was very juicy, and the shrimp was flavorful. Although I'd prefer more flavor for the chicken version, the paella was nice. Would love to eat there again. read more

Very disappointed. My lamb chops were over cooked and small. My sister's steak was also not great and very expensive. The service was not great and very slow. And the bread made into little snails was hard and you are billed for it even if you don't order bread in the first place. All in all our meal was over priced, terrible and the only people at the restaurant were tourists. Their only saving grace is the room itself. The entire area in Los Ramblas is full of tourist trap with over priced food of poor quality. read more

Well, six of us tried to have dinner, didn't have reservations, so we made them for the next evening. When we arrived 30 min early, we were met with a less than enthusiastic host. We asked to sit at the bar to have a drink before dinner. After sitting there for 10 min w/o one person taking our order, we figured they didn't need our business and left. read more

Wonderful atmosphere and professional service. Desserts were excellent especially the flan with nougat ice cream. We loved the floors and balconies, but the main courses were tired. Nothing exceptional. And the snails and very lackluster paella was especially salty ( we had the paella with sausage and squid and ? No idea but it wasn't good. ) the rest of the meal- chicken and the cannolini very plain. Disappointed. read more

We waited for a good 15 minutes & were never even acknowledged by the wait staff. We had a reservation for a party of 8 & were seated, but never served. They didn't get our service. read more