TLDR: Avoid! Overpriced and only popular among tourists recommending it to themselves. You can get much better food for less. Don't feel obligated to tip when they try and force it on you. Long version: The food was serviceable, but quite expensive for Barcelona. Watch out for the bread basket, which is for pay even if not asked for. Unfortunately, generally when you're paying such a high premium you expect at least a moderate level of attention. Our server frequently forgot items--at some point I stopped correcting, assuming that he would just forget. After our meal when we were paying he also insisted that we leave a tip--insisting that service was not included--this is the only restaurant during my time of Barcelona eating out in many varied restaurants that did this. read more

We are new to yelp, so this dinning experience happened in Oct. of '01. We were on our honeymoon and we ate at Los Caracoles for the last three nights in a row. It was especially wonderful. We love all the old and varied rooms, the kitchen you walk right through, and the fun pictures on the walls. The food was perfect, just what we needed. I am a pescetarian (fish eating veg head). They made me fish only paella. It was so good. I had it with the Mediteranean Lobster. So sweet and fresh. My husband loved his traditional paella with sausage and chicken. When we are next in Barcelona, we will be eating at Los Caracoles!! read more

I had dinner here. I have to say everything here is overpriced. The good thing is the decorations in the restaurant are very nice. It is kind of nostalgic. read more

The most pathetic food experience in Barcelona! Absolute tourist trap! Most horrible service and food with no taste, no color, no personality! 200 euro for 4 people for starters, main dish, 2 glasses of wine, 2 colas, one water, 2 horrible burnt crema catalana! Don't even think about trying this place! Run away! read more

We started off with the mussels which were amazing. We ordered a nice bottle of wine. After that it was all downhill. We tried to order dinner for an extended period of time. Our waiter didn't seem interested in waiting on tourists. It was right out of the twilight zone. We were finally sent someone else. We ordered the chicken and the goat. We were told the goat would take 20 minutes. So we said that is fine we will take 2 orders of chicken instead. We were surprised to get our food and see that it was one order of chicken and one order of lamb. Would not recommend this place. Very unfriendly if you are not a local read more

Los Caracoles is a place with a rich past and a colorful present, a great spot to settle into and call home for a first meal in Barcelona. It's easy to miss as you wend through one of the many tangles of car-free alleyways in the Gothic Quarter...we went by, and back, and by, then back. Through the front door unfolded a dimly lit but vividly expressive cavern of stone floors and walls graced with familial and cultural icons. Reaching the kitchen means squeezing behind a boisterous row of sous chefs tossing paella, juggling gambas and creating a din of energy and exuberance for their craft: a lineup of characters in place oozing with it. Our trio of superstar seafood dishes made me swoon, not to mention vow a return to Barcelona if not permanently at least as soon as possible, with my seafood- and character-filled-restaurant-loving girlfriend. The obligatory gambas al ajilo was too-die-for: I had heard the shrimp found in this part of the Mediterranean were of a different sort (superior), and sure enough, we peeled our way into the sweetest, most creamy-textured, most garlic-adhering shrimp I'd ever dreamed of. (N.B. with the benefit of hindsight: all gambas aren't created close to equal - this was far and away the best of six different version I had there!) Secondly, we ordered the chef's monkfish - that's all it said on the menu, and that's all the description we knew, and when the waiter pointed enthusiastically it was a done deal. Thank goodness: what came out was a perfectly cleaned and gutted whole fish steamed and basted with olive oil, herbs, lemon, bay leaves...a process that produced a product of unbelievable tenderness and deliciousness. The climax of the evening was the lobster paella, unlike any paella I'd had to date. The rice has a lovely nutty crunch and the sauce was rich and aromatic, the lobster fresh (albeit not terribly abundant). With a steady stream of sangria and server attentiveness that was modest by American standards but magnanimous by Spanish, we completed a truly excellent meal, a great intro to a fantastic food city. read more

Talk about stepping into a time gone by. If the roasting rotisserie chickens displayed from the street draw you in then you won't be disappointed. This place is almost medieval inside with its old world charm and curing hams hanging from the ceiling, but then having to duck low, descend steps and work your way through a live kitchen like the castle kitchens of old. Then the food. Simply mouth watering read more

Perfection! This place is certainly a destination restaurant. I was referred to it by someone who had been decades earlier. It was just as it had been then with spanish tiles everywhere, a meandering dining room, and entry through the kitchen. The name refers to snails, and the fresh rolls are shaped like a snail and shell. We shared the lobster paella, and it was a dream! If I ever return to Barcelona I will definitely stop by again to reminisce. read more

Authentic Spanish Tapas. Fresh seafood. The paella is amazing! A little hard to find, but worth the effort.

Beautiful restaurant, but the setting is really all it had going for it. Our waiter was surly from the start, rolling his eyes when my sister and I ordered the mixed seafood paella to share. We got gazpacho to start, which was creamy and delicious, but were disappointed when the mixed seafood paella included sausages (my sister is pescatarian). The grumpy waiter seemed to believe we should have known it would include meat because "mixta" was in the name of the dish, though nothing in English or Spanish indicated any ingredients but seafood. You'd have to know, going in, that mixta meant meat was included; nothing indicated this, so it's a bit frustrating. The waiter grabbed the dish, tossed it onto a sideboard, where we watched it get cold as we waited for another forty minutes to get a new version of the paella. I totally appreciate that they replaced it, but the rudeness just cast a pall on everything. We eventually got our dish, and it was fine, but oversalted, and being repeatedly glared at by our waiter sort of tainted the experience. The last night of our trip we got paella at Txikiteo, which tasted better and was a much more reasonable price: https://www.yelp.com/biz/txikiteo-barcelona I think it'd be great to stop in here for a drink and to soak in the ambience, but the food is overpriced and the service left a lot to be desired. read more

This was one of the worst meals I've ever had. I can't believe that anybody could rate this place as a good restaurant. Don't eat the special snails. They are in a salty gravy and have tiny pieces of shells In the sauce. The lobster paella was left sitting on the table. I guess the reviews were done by people who have never had a great dining experience. read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem in the Gothic District, frequented in the past by countless international celebrities and passed down by five generations of the same family. The restaurant is surprisingly large, with many different rooms decorated uniquely with countless pictures. When you first walk into the restaurant you walk past a bar decorated with fresh ham along the ceilings and the kitchen where you can see the chefs preparing dishes. Overall, the environment is very homelike and inviting. As the name implies, you should order the snails. The lobster paella is also outstanding -- the rice has just enough crunch to it, the flavours are rich, and the seafood is relatively fresh. The only setback is that the execution of the dishes isn't always consistent, which left me with a small sense of disappointment one time because I knew that they could do better. read more

Well, in Barcelona the usual way to spend an evening is to leap around the tapas bars with a glass here and a nibble there until you are either sated, inebriated, both, or just dog tired. Whichever way, I'd say this place is a 'must-visit' for everybody. The dining room upstairs has a collection of photos of the great and good who have eaten there, but is not a tourist joint. You might have to wait, but that's probably because people don't bother to book. One of the specialities is spit roast chicken which was fantastic. As for the wine it's fine if you know what to ask for. I've seen reviews saying that the staff can be a little curt but didn't experience that. Learn a couple of words in Catalan ('Please' and 'Thank you' are sufficient) and they visibly appreciate it. It also seems to help them give that good old bottle of Carlos Primera a bit of a flourish when pouring. ;-) The decor is very typical with the tiles. Lots of old wood and appetizing things like hams hanging from the roof above the stairs. (http://photobucket.com) What is fun is that you have to enter through the kitchen, which is quite an experience. (http://photobucket.com) Not wildly expensive and certainly outstanding value. Do it! P.S. The correct address is Escudellers nº 14, Barcelona 08002 (near the Ramblas) read more

Had the special snails , seafood casserole, seafood platter, lobster paella and everything was delicious! Looks like a tiny space if you just peek inside, but it is huge as you head toward the back and past the kitchen read more

Los Caracoles - Spanish Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Well there was a lot of different reviews on this place as I have researched. When you first walk into the restaurant it looks like a simple narrow bar, then you walk further into the middle and there is a kitchen as the cooks are making meals. You have to walk into the way back in order to be seated and enter the main restaurant. There are signs as you walk in that points down making you think that you need to go downstairs but it really means that you need to head towards the back. Drinks were ordered; my husband had an Estrella (Barcelona star beer) and I had to try the Sangria because the other reviews ranted and raved about it. I have to say that the sangria here was not my style. They mixed it with Red wine, grape juice and water. I asked the bartender and he told me that was how he mixed it. *urgh* It was so terrible I could not finish. My husband ordered a 1/2 Rabbit and I ordered the rack of lambs. TERRIBLE! The rabbit came out extremely dry & burnt and my rack of lamb came out very skinny with nothing but fat on it. There was no meat on my rack whatsoever. The side that accompanied our main dish was a whole tomato thrown on the grill with extra extra seasoned salt on top ( I didn't bother trying it). We also ordered two starter dishes of snail (very bland with lots of sand still in it, as if they didn't bother to wash it) and an order of pasta (decent but felt like it was just a dry meatloaf under pasta and melted cheese). The only good thing about this restaurant was the nice decor in the bathroom, cleanliness and the dessert! We had the creme brûlée and it was great! I gave it two stars, one for the bathroom and one for the dessert. haven't had a bad meal in Barcelona yet. This was the first terrible experience, expensive and very disappointing. The concept of walking into a mystery of a back restaurant was great but the food was not up to standard. We paid 90 euros plus tip for such a disappointing experience. Will definitely not come back. read more

We ate here in April during a visit to Barcelona. We being american tourists were of course not on the same eating schedule of the natives here in spain and had to sweat out some low blood sugar moments, it was touch and go when we passed by this place with chickens roasting in the window a good hour before the place was open to the public. Torture! Although passing by the door was open and what we peeked in and did see was the entire cookstaff chowing down on their own food. Thats when you know you should come back! Nearby was an awesome local arts and crafts type store that we waited the seemingly endless hour away inside. Once the place was open and of course we are the first guests of the day we were walked to our seats. What seemed like a small storefront on the outside opened into room after room the first being the bar area and second a walk thru kitchen where you could see and smell all the magic. We were seated and had a lovely simple grilled chicken meal with some side veggies. This place is great! Ambiance, quality, and service. Thanks for the food! read more

Los Caracoles - Cute bathroom snails - Spanish Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Very crowded - would violate all fire codes in America. Noisy but Spaniard in all the right ways. And, really good. We loved our squid ink paella. Expensive - 4 medium sized shrimp were like $20. But, this place is an experience and I highly recommend it. read more

A dark little hole in the wall joint... From the front it looks like a bar that is packed and you are left wondering where you eat.... Make your way to the back and put your name on the list and go enjoy a drink from their wide selection. We had a glass of suntori hibiki 17 year which was a nice pour and in a few short minutes we were called to be seated..... Walking through the kitchen avoiding everyone you make it to the dining room. The menu was in a few languages and the staff was friendly. The food was excellent we had. Started with Serrano ham plate and we had 1/2 chicken which was prepared well. The dessert was Spanish ice cream with nuggets of goodness. There was some live music for a while but it wasn't too loud. A great place to eat. read more

I stumbled upon this place while I was in Barcelona. It looked really cool and it certainly did not disappoint. I have also recommended it to friends who were visiting Barcelona and they too enjoyed it.The first time I had the rotisserie chicken and it was so tasty. The second time I had the paella which was really good. It's not cheap, but the food is very good and it is worth the price. It's much bigger than it appears from the outside and the service was very good. read more

It was our first time in Barcelona and after the third day of typical Spanish food (ham, cheese, paella, etc), this restaurant was a refreshing change. From the start, walking to our table through the kitchen, set the tone for a unique dining experience. It was 8 of us in our group and everyone had a perfect meal and dessert. They have a wood burning oven which was a perfect fit for our suckling pig meal. I didn't find this to be a tourist trap, I actually saw some locals dining here. I'm sticking with 4 stars! read more

Excellent food, charming location and friendly staff. After my 5th day in Barcelona this is my favorite restaurant thus far. The seafood platter is spectacular! read more

heard about it from a friend. it was my first time in barca. so we tried out this spot spontaniousely. it was really full. but we just had to wait 5 minutes at the bar, which was really nice decorated. after that the waiter escorted us to our table. very cool trail to walk!:-) you walk lets say: through the kitchen... 6-10 chef's stay around a "fireplace" and cook the meals for the people. really on and old school fire ofen! nice to see. you can smell the different tastes in the air... we ordered some entrees. jamon iberico, artichokes, melon.... everything good. the artichocks with jamos were deep-fried. it was ok, but not the best stuff i've ever eaten. as main corse i had de fillet of beef with special potatoes. that was really good. my friend had the paella. that was great.- all in all. its a nice place to eat spanish. a bit touristic and in a not so cozy alley. but good food, good decoration, good personel.... read more

Stumbled across this restaurant in Barcelona - it was closed at the time, but looked interesting, so we went back in the evening. Great atmosphere; they BBQ chickens on a grill built into the exterior wall and you have to pass almost through the kitchen to get to your table. Great steak was had. Keith Floyd cooked in the kitchen years ago. Heartily recommended. read more

Great ambience and food! The service was also excellent. A bit over priced, but it's worth it.

Ok. Two things first. If you think it's expensive you probably shouldn't be here. And if you think that the food is not good, you must be an American and should stick to your burgers. Now, having said that : the food is great. The service is great. And the ambiance is unique. Hope to be back someday. read more

Great atmosphere, tasty foods,friendly staff, just meat might be cleaned better from its tendons. A good place to sit with friends and have a good dinner, not hesitate. read more

The roasted chicken was excellent, moist. Tender and flavorful. Los Caracoles has the best Sangria I have ever tasted.

The food isn't good. I had way better tapas off of las ramblas and this restaurant is definitely not worth it. It is beautiful inside though. read more

Went here for my birthday with my boyfriend as it was recommended to us. It is one of the biggest restaurants I have visited. The ceilings are low and the waiter took us from the bar, through the kitchen and to the eating area upstairs. I was walking about looking at all the decor in awe. I was amazed! We were given quite a small table close to other people. I think they have squeezed as many diners in as possible. We were given snail shaped bread for free which was nice. Decided to try the snails to start. Will not be having snail's again! They were very grainy texture, however the sauce was lovely. I then got a seafood platter which was ok. Not the best I have ever had. The price was quite expensive but we're happy to pay this as it was a special occasion and it is a very well known place. There was a Spanish band which walked around which was a nice touch for tourist but maybe not if I was a local. read more

I had a wonderful steak here with a delicious fresh salad and crispy fried potatoes and my gf had conoje (rabbit) - the food and service were excellent! We plan to return soon! read more

The coulant was fantastic!! The seafood paella was also really good. The waiters were extremely professional and friendly.

We are from America and come to Los Caracoles everytime we are in Barcelona. Had our wedding dinner here as well, all of our family and guests were impressed and happy with full bellys. You must try the Parron while dining! read more

Order chicken at your own risk. The two of us were excited to try this place. We ordered grilled vegetables, bottle of wine, seafood platter, and rotisserie chicken . We figured the chicken is a must since it's being showcase on the outside of the restaurant. The grilled vegetables and seafood platter were good but weren't the best. The chicken tasted as if someone spilled a bottle of salt on it. We ate about four bites and could not eat it anymore. We were hoping that the waiter would take notice and at least ask us if everything was going ok, but he never did. When we were done, he simply took the empty plate of seafood platter and the full plate of chicken away. Still did not ask about the chicken. We paid for the bill, but I couldn't let go of the fact he wasn't concerned if we enjoyed our meal or not. But I guess he figured since we were tourists we won't come back anytime soon. So no need to retain relationships. Before we left, I told him that the chicken was extremely salty. His response was that this is Catelan cuisine and this is how the chicken should taste. Asian people like us probably are not use to the taste. Hmmmm... ok.... This place is overpriced, service is mediocre, spend your money elsewhere. Or simply DON'T order the CHICKEN!!! There are too many great restaurants with better service in the area, don't fall for this tourist trap. read more

I dont quite get those English: yes, this place is full of tourists. And I didnt see those chicken racks they talk about (it was probable too early for outside grilling). I just asked for what they know best to do. And their pimientos de Padron(poorly translated on the menu, I agree) but which even a child can get right were just perfect. Further, I got langostiñas a la plancha - another simple dish - which also came out succulent. To that, I had Albariño from the Rias Baixas which probably no English have ever heard about - and all in all, I had a very good, but not cheap meal. Hey, you want fish and chips everywhere? The service was excellent (at one point, one waiter said to mine that he should get me a bowl to wash my fingers, and he did right away.) read more

Nice paellas. Rice and muscles are great, shrimp and chicken are okay. About €20 for every paella dish but the lobster paella. Some dishes are moderately overpriced. Restaurant has a fun environment. Service is good, but not super quick. They charge you for bread even though they don't ask you if you want it. read more

Very disappointing. This place was recommended by a friend. The decor and ambience is excellent. Very old and quaint, but hugely overpriced, with bad service and sub par food. Not a great combination. The Paella was ok. The rice was too fishy for my liking. Must cook it in fish broth. Overpowered the dish. Wife didn't enjoy the garlic chicken and mushrooms. A bit too bland. The Sangria was good (but it's good everywhere in Barcelona). Overall a disappointment with so many other great places in this city. Won't be back. read more

This has become a tourist trap. Look/listen around, there's not one single local person eating there. I've been to this restaurant 4 times over the past couple years and each time the experience has worsened. It's sad because I used to like recommending this place and bringing visitors here for special occasions. But it's no longer worth the price. PROS - Excellent crema de catalana - The historic space (decor, architecture, tiles...) - their Basque hake is excellent CONS - Service is very poor and slow, waiters are unhappy and look at you as if they're wishing you would leave. They have no pride or interest in what they're doing. - Paella has decreased in quality and size. The seafood in it was dry. We ordered for 2 people and it was clearly a 1 person size. - sexism, both men and women are capable of being equally competent waiters and chefs. But at Los Caracoles only males are hired. - You'll notice a mysterious charge on your bill. They now charge 1.95 euros per person for "Cubiertos" which means cutlery/silverware. I asked them what this is and the unhappy waiter said "por ocupar la mesa" (for using the table)? - about 15% overpriced (which isn't too bad I guess). But considering the poor service and small paella portions, they ought to decrease the price a bit. - music troubadours who play music and then come around to each table asking for tips. I am generally generous in giving to charities, but, while you're eating on a special occasion? Whose idea was this? - even if you don't order it, they serve you bread and then charge you for it. Given these cons, the restaurant owners clearly see us as CEOs do, as mere cash cows. I won't be back and will stop recommending this place. read more

service was horrible, guy told us portions were small but we still ordered the half chicken to split and it was huge. Food was decent chicken was a little dry read more

Fantastic atmosphere, especiallly if you get a table at the back, i.e. right through the intricate maze to the far end. The kitchen looks like something out of Dante's inferno, rather the chefs than me, with a massive Aga sort of thing with hotplates glowing red, and which scorch your face as you pass. Food?? Hmmm. Not exactly fine dining, probably because they are having to cater for about 250 covers. The spit roast chicken was very dry, and none of our party ate it all. Maybe a quarter would be enough. Not exactly succulent. Good drop of house red. But an experience, and the decor was worthy of an admission charge. read more

I strugled a little with this review. First time the atmoshpere was great! Funny bartender, Wonderful chicken, A little background spanish music, Great rioja wine, good deserts and great service from our waiter. Second time i entered the place the atmosphere was low and i didn't even stay! Must visit but for one time only! keep the wonderful taste and atmisphere in your imagimation read more