I've saved my 200th review milestone for my favorite meal of the year. Tickets was indeed, my most memorable dinner during my trip to Spain two months ago. The price was reasonable and the experience was unforgettable! I booked my reservations online through their website almost a month ahead of time, however, they are so popular that there were only few options left. But, this is a very crucial prerequisite - make your reservation! You will not get inside without a reservation. We arrived at tickets, along the diagonal. And this fun and well decorated place totally encaptured my attention. You are greeted by the host at the door, dressed as a train ticket master. Show your reservation email to gain your entrance. The nice thing about tickets is that you can be in fancy outfits or smart casual wear - the place is not uptight unlike a lot of high end dining places. Inside is a carnival - endless things to look at, bursts of colors, intriguing decorations. It's a wonderland for adults! You could either order individual items from the menu, or you could do a tasting menu - comes up to about 250euros for the 2 of us. The most memorable dishes for me was the deserts. Our server was very humorous, trying to trick us what things were edible or not. She was very entertaining!! If you decide to order items individually, don't forget to try: Chicken slide - chicken skin, fried chicken etc Air puffs with manchego cheese Olives That has a texture of egg yolks Fresh oysters Lemon custard cone Chocolate nut dessert shaped as a wine cork I will definitely visit tickets again when I'm back in Barcelona. Can't wait!! read more

Ferran Adria's new spot, Tickets was a must on my list of eateries while in Barcelona. I sat by the "name in lights" area and told my waiter of food allergies and flavor dislikes. He then presented me with 12 courses (there would have been more, but I am only 1 person and couldn't go on). The experience that lasted approximately 2.5 hours was so inventive. Each course left my palate wanting more. I would not miss out on the olives, mini airbags with Manchego, Tepid oyster, razor clam, rabbit ribs and ink-stuffed calamari. My waiter insisted on my having dessert, even though I never eat it and do not have a sweet tooth. If you don't know of Adria, make it your goal to research and check out this spot. It's to-die-for! read more

Oh man. My husband and I just traveled to Spain for our honeymoon with the intention of eating the tastiest food we could find. With the reputation of the Adrias and all that I saw on No Reservations, I knew Tickets had to be part of the trip. So I went to the website at the exact time 60 days before and got us a dinner reservation. One of the best decisions I ever made. Before I get to the food, I want to say that I loved the atmosphere here. So many restaurants with a reputation like this tend to take themselves way too seriously and the whole experience can get a little stuffy. This place was casual, fun, whimsical, and I think that atmosphere really added a lot to our experience. Anyway. As others have mentioned, you can go a la carte here or go with the "surprise menu." That is, let the staff decide for you. Going into this we were all, "A LA CARTE ALL THE WAY!" because we wanted to choose our destiny. Then we looked at the menu and every single thing sounded amazing, so we let them choose. This was an excellent idea. Give a bit of guidance, though. We said we wanted a lot of seafood (true test of a restaurant, right?) so we got a lot of seafood. It was amazing. I'm not going to go through every dish because we're pigs and had about sixteen different things, but here are some highlights: --The olives. Yeah, you've heard about them and you're just going to have that experience. I'd had similar olives at Jaleo (the Vegas one) and Jose does his best but you need to have them Adria style. They gave us two different kinds: one garlic and rosemary and one more anise flavored. --The "air bags." Again, another thing they're famous for. But the light, puffy pastry, and the contrast of the hard manchego on top and the explosion of the creamy manchego inside. OH HELL YES. --Foie gras. Melts in your mouth. Never have those words been more appropriate. --Tuna tartare with avocado and mint. This is the one dish we specifically requested, and it did not disappoint. I now want to mix tuna and mint ALL THE TIME. --Razor clams with black garlic and lemon air. I'd never had razor clams before, and dayyyyum. So fresh, and that little bit of lemon and garlic brings this to the next level. --and finally I must discuss the LOBSTER. For a place known for experimentation, this was a wonderfully simple presentation. Just the freshest lobster one could find cooked and split open. No butter. Dip the lobster in the head juice. YES. A revelation. Wine list was excellent without being overwhelming. We got a bottle of a Xarel-lo simply because it was a white we hadn't heard of before and it was probably the best wine we had during the trip (and we, as you might guess, had a LOT of wine) Service was, of course, quite good, and it's damn expensive but you know what, they could charge a LOT more. (We went to Arzak earlier in our trip and it was twice as much.) Worth every penny, I'd say. If you're going to be anywhere near Barcelona, get on that website 60 days in advance. DO EET. read more

Tickets is above all else playful and creative. Being as prolific as Albert and his team are, we couldn't have sampled everything on the rather large menu, so we simply had all the items marked as a star course. They are mostly great and I won't need to gush over them given the accolades Tickets has received over the years. The reason I'm not giving full marks here is because some of the dishes are a little dull creativity-wise. Dishes such as the codium tempura and clam & shiitake are a step down from the cullinary inventiveness people expect of the place. You'll see the trend here that these are Japanese. And you can tell from the traditional paper fold in the codium tempura dish that they are not messing with tradition. Now, the Adrias' love of Japanese cooking is well documented since the time of El Bulli. And it continued here in Tickets and more so in Enigma. Their respect to the Japanese cuisine and their aversion to fusion means a portion of their menu is just gonna be less interesting than the rest on principle. read more

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I was able to score a reservation through ChowHound! They have a whole forum just on waitlist and reservations and I just posted if anyone was unable to keep their reservation to contact me and I was lucky enough to have someone give me theirs. Tickets is one of those places I do not think you could eat at often, but the experience is a MUST! We had the watermelon impregnanted with sangria, the olives (of course), the air pastries with cheese, a tuna dish, the cheese ravioli, the most amazing mini sandwiches that had ham and cheese and the bread it was on was sweet and just delicious and I think a few more items I cannot remember the names. We ended with The Living Forest for dessert. If you are in Barcelona... make your way here. You will not regret it, I will always remember my trip to Tickets! read more

Usually I'm very skeptical of Michelin star restaurants. I find yes, they are pretty good and inventive, but it's nothing I would crave or remember afterwards. I still prefer a nice, hearty, home cooked meal by grandma. That being said, Tickets impressed me. A lot. The food was art. And it was tasty and memorable. It wasn't stuffy or pretentious, but it was very whimsical and fun. My favorite thing that was both amazingly artistic and delicious, was the Nordic Landscape. I was very skeptical because it looked way too pretty to be delicious, but the sour cream "snowflakes" and the smoked morsels went so well together. Another dish I liked (can't remember the name) was a burrata, uni, and egg white foam concoction. I love burrata and uni but never knew it could taste so good together. Lastly, the Crunchy Kimchi Octopus was perfectly cooked, and very delicious. Everything was presented wonderfully. Some of the disappointments for me were the Basil Air Waffle and the Mushroom Spaghetti. The Basil Air Waffle tasted exactly how it sounds, whereas I think I expected a weird marriage of flavors that created a new flavor. The Mushroom Spaghetti was extra disappointing for me because I thought from the pictures it would turn out to be my favorite dish. It looks like it's spaghetti with mushrooms and mushroom sauce in it, but it tasted like literal mushroom made into a spaghetti. Think enoki mushrooms. They also said they would come and explain what it was after we finished eating it, but they never did. Nonetheless, personally, I was very let down and especially so because it was one of my last items. For the dessert you MUST try the cheesecake. I know I know, it sounds so lame to go all the way to Barcelona and eat a cheesecake. That's what I thought when I asked for a recommendation and the waiter said definitely try the cheesecake. I won't ruin it for you, but take my word and just try it. It was just incredible. read more

We had two reservations before coming to Barcelona. Not really sure why my husband did (neither did he) but we loved it so much the first time we kept the second one. The ambiance and theme was cute and fun. We did a tasting menu where they pick for you and if it's your first time this is the best way to go. Everything we ate was so delicious and literally made me giddy with joy. The second time we came we did only a few dishes and tried what we didn't get the first time. Just when I thought this place couldn't get any cuter we went to the dessert room. I won't give too much away so I won't ruin the fun. If you know you are going to Barcelona please make it a point to get reservations before. If you can't, email them to be put on the wait list (of course you'll need to give a range of dates). The menus are cute and you can purchase the outer book and we had the chef sign it. read more

We've been talking about going to Tickets for a year and 6 weeks ago I made the reservations and finally got to experience it last night. We were led to the bar, which was a little disappointing on one hand because I wanted a more of a restaurant experience and not looking at a television for 2 hours, but we did get to see them assemble some of the dishes and that was worth it. Since it's all tapas for two we pretty much ordered one of everything. Most everything was three bites for each of us, which was about perfect. The majority of the dishes were beyond flavorful. The first bite would always cause the reaction, "Whoa?! What did I just eat?" The second bite was delicious. The last bite of everything was a little slice of heaven. Since everything was so flavorful I think larger portions would have been too much. We both agreed that the tuna tartar was the superstar of the night. The kimchi and crunch texture added it to list of best things I have ever eaten. There we parted ways in how we ranked the tapas after that. David loved the oysters and I adored the manchego miniairbags. The reconstituted olives are the signature tapas for the place and a little more on the gimmicky side, but worth the experience. The Liquid Baileys and Chocolate was the perfect finish. The only disappointment in the bunch was the crab, avocado cannoli. Disappointment? Well, anywhere else it would have been amazing, but in comparison to everything else it was positively bland. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't think twice about eating it again, but I'd rather have a second helping of the tuna tartar. read more

Great food and really fun experience, but the price is truly absurd. We did the server-recommended tapas tasting. we sat at the bar and found it to be very fun. The wine was a good deal and very good. Our biggest gripe was that they charged SO much for the desserts. They take you to a separate room (which is very cool) for dessert and ask you how hungry you are. I said we were hungry so they brought out four desserts. Each dessert was $20+. They were great, but we thought that charging us that much at the end of the dinner was simply too much. Otherwise Tickets would certainly have a 5-star rating from me. Also, the bar room is all glass and the restaurant is located in a big open area, so you do feel a bit on display as there are a lot of people walking by and peering in because it is such a famous restaurant. read more

On a visit to Barcelona, I HAD to tryout one of the best restaurants in the city. As you walk in, you notice the theme to the restaurant is very prevalent. Come to a show and enjoy! RESERVATIONS: They have an online reservation system which you can begin making reservation 1 month in advanced. For Americans this is an easy process as our time zone allows us to book it before the Europeans. I highly recommend you book 1 month before. We were seated next to the bar and as we were waiting for our food Marc Gasol walks into the restaurant. If an NBA player eats here you know you're in for a treat. When the menu came to us it doesn't really mention the Chef's tasting menu. As an american, if you are traveling all the way to Barcelona...get the dang Chef's tasting menu. We had to ask about it and told them we have no food allergies. There's no point in telling you about the food but it was 20 courses along with an extra 2 desserts we got. All in all it was a 2 1/2 hour dinner and it was amazing, inventive, and delicious. read more

Amazing culinary experience! We went for the chef's menu and we were not disappointed, at all. Every food item was unique and unlike any other food combination that I've had. Absolutely fantastic. The dessert round was something special, too! Very casual environment. read more

I have a good friend who is living in Barcelona, and we finally managed to get out there from London. When planning the trip, he told me about Tickets. I didn't even know it existed. So as soon as he told me that his supervisor said it is how El Bulli used to be when it started, I knew it was definitely a place to go. So I got online to reserve. (Sixty days before you want to go, the bookings open up at midnight, so just make sure you log on then and get your table. Easy as pie!) I was really looking forward to this meal on our first night in Barcelona, and it really lived up to expectations. We ordered several of the bar snacks (false peanuts, tempura pistachios, the "olives") and we were really satisfied with all of them. My favorite was definitely the pistachios. Fried nuts? Yes and yes. The false peanuts were really interesting and not at all what I expected. For tapas, we had the Jamon, the manchego airbags, the baby squid, pork ribs, several oysters, octopus and kimchee, foie gras and probably others that I'm just forgetting right now. The oysters were heavenly with such interesting flavor combinations (the cucumber was my favorite). But every time something came out it was superb and delicious and we thought the meal had hit a high point until the next small plate of food came out and we were blown away again. It really was spectacular. Throw in some of the best Spanish wine I've ever had, and it really just blew my mind. We had dessert on the terrace and split the Tickets chocolate that looked like Toblerone and I had the mini ice cream cone. Delicious. And some delicious and spectacular dessert wine thrown in and all three of us left the restaurant happy and content (and quite drunk). The service isn't too attentive, which I suppose could really put off some people, but I take it as the relaxed Spanish attitude to eating. We weren't rushed, and we had plenty of time to enjoy our food and catch up with each other. Tickets was definitely a highlight of the trip, and it should be seriously thought about for any foodie heading to Barcelona. read more

Every positive thig you've heard is truly. A remarkable dining experience. The food was unforgettable, the wait staff deeply knowledgeable and professional while being remarkably relaxed, A high levelof food, yet no pretense or stuffiness. Te whole ambiance is fun/enjoy yourself/be taken care of in a remarkable manner read more

Walked in early with no res and got seated! Score! O.K. I've seen pictures, had dreams about it, watched Anthony Bourdain make O faces while eating them so to finally get my face around the famous olive spheres was a really big thing. And yes they are bloody good. As with any modernist restaurant some things blow your top off and others are just not your thing. The hope is that the majority of things blow your top off. I'd have to say yes they did. I won't bore you with a play by play because this place has been covered by every foodie with a computer or celly. The only thing about this meal I'd change is that I let our waiter choose for us. Next time I'll take the reigns. Not that his picks were bad but there were a few things I really wanted to check out that we didn't get. Cheers read more

This is a great place and I understand the need for 2-month-in-advance reservation. But if you decide to accept reservations through online system only (!), and that system is as poorly done as it is right now... that's just plain inconsiderate towards your customers. If I'm booking for 3 people, please don't show me a list of _all_ times for a certain date and then tell me "sorry, no tables available". Jut show me already available times! I don't mind coming back every morning to check available tables 2 month in advance, but also going through dozen (!) of time slots just to find out if a table for 3 is anywhere within "the reach" is just nuts. So... yep, 1 star well deserved. read more

So this is what food heaven looks like. Tickets is a whimsical tapas bar. They are very creative in the way they express their food creations and the decor of the place. Reservations are hard to get, but not impossible. Worth a visit when in Barcelona. read more

Tickets - crab rolled up in thinly sliced avocados. skills - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

Amazing, amazing, amazing, a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-mazing! That's how good it was. From start to finish ti was simply the most amazing dining experience in my life. read more

I have to say first and foremost I could not believe we were able to not only get a table on one day's notice but get maybe the best seat for 4 people at prime time. I had no idea we knew someone in the It's All Who You Know crowd but our friend had a direct 'IN' and there we were the next night. Unbelievable! Now the experience. Before visiting Barcelona we toyed with the idea for the past couple of years of staking our claim at El Bulli and paying the roughly $350 per person dinner. Upon discovering the closing of the world famous restaurant at the end of the month and not really wanting to spend $700 eating for 3 hours we waved the white flag and gave up. Tickets books reservations on a sliding scale 3-4 months out and people scoff and laugh at you if you want to get in as a walk up. We saw that a we times while waiting outside for our reservation. The staff are dressed like ushers for a high end circus or theatre with nifty fitted suits with the restaurants name in LED lights on the back. Really cool touch. When seated we met the person (unnamed) who would be taking care of us in the way of our experience and ordering and who was responsible for getting us our table. We did a total of 23 courses of the absolute most innovative and incredible food I have had. We toured the menu from Ferran's mind blowing 'olives', foams, pork rind styled seafoods, lemon ice cream that looked like a real lemon and on and on and on. One of the most memorable and enjoyable was the oyster with it's pearl. The oyster itself was maybe the best oyster on earth but the play was all about the pearl and how Ferran used the water from the oyster and suspended it inside of itself to create the 'pearl'. Again whimsical and incredible. If you don't know of Ferran, google him and do a little research. If there is a chance to go and you appreciate food as a whole the experience will cost you around $100 if you go big and trailblaze. I highly recommend it and will go again. read more

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One of our MUST EATs while in Barcelona, now that El Bulli is closed. The menu changes with the season so it's hard to know what's "good' from prior reviews (though some things are there all year round, like the olives). We let the chef/waiter choose our courses, but did make sure we put in some requests (like the olives and minibags of manchego cheese). I won't bore you with the individual items, but suffice it to say that it was an interesting experience. Each item was definitely a vision - some things prepared and presented in a way I'd never seen before. Taste-wise - honestly, I've had better, tastier meals. This place is definitely an experience. Would I recommend it? Sure - only because of Albert Adria and the overall fun, one-of-a-kind experience. Would I go back if I returned to Barcelona? Probably not. Note: Try to get a reservation. You can do this online about 2 months in advance (to the day, at midnight Barcelona time, which translated to early afternoon Los Angeles time). Otherwise, you might get stuck in the line outside - and it's really hit or miss. We saw poor foodies sitting out in the rain all throughout our meal, and while some did get in, the majority were still out there when we left... read more

Was an amazing meal. Sure not everything was my favorite, but I loved the theme and the food choices. Great selection that let us sample the menu. King crab leg was just wonderful. Moving to the dessert room was great fun and the desserts were superb. I think Michelin blew this one. Two stars all the way. read more

This review is a tough one. There are many things about this tapas bar that's overrated but there are also some taste winners that even out the entire experience. So I waited more than a month to get a spot. I was alone and there was a long line to enter. It was strange that the number of us dining alone were seated at awkward spots. I had the luxury of facing the kitchen and could see three chefs plating one dish at a time. It screamed attention to detail obviously. But some of the dishes like the peanuts, watermelon, olives and squid were alright. They were delicious but they didn't exactly wow my tastebuds. Then there were these: The chicken burger, which sounds so boring had two pieces of crispy skin on top of the chicken bits. Insane flavor with some gravy, this burger was amazing. Pasta made of basil. Gelatinous texture, the pasta tubes in a cream sauce was light and refreshing. Snow crab wrapped in avocado skin. Simple combo that really worked. A reverse gazpacho - a clear tomato jelly that packed a punch. Cheese puffs - filled with cream and served with manchego were so light and tasty I inhaled them in no time. Chocolate dumpling. Passion fruit ice cream filled in a chocolate dumpling. It was great! One thing I wasn't thrilled with was the cheap cava they serve. I react to cheap bubbly and their cava made me break out pretty quickly. Nonetheless it was an experience. I recommend coming here with friends and not being too hungry. I ate a lot but didn't feel stuffed by the end of the meal. Defo worth a shot getting a table at tickets. read more

This place can't be overhyped. One of the single best meals of my life. Highlights: -Cherries served hanging on a miniature TREE, covered in foam. Accompanied by acorns made from who-knows-what-but-it-was-amazing. -Cavier wrapped in Toro, basted with ham fat. Melt in your mouth amazing. -Air puffed pastry filled with Manchego cheese foam, topped with Cavier, Parmesan, and spice. We got 2 of these. -Pork Belly mini ciabatta sandwich. The most tender, melt in your mouth sandwich. -Tuna Cones. Incredible. Don't miss. Rivals my favorite sushi joint. -I don't usually eat Olives, but these extremely pickled olives were an experience so crazy, the entire table sat back in their chairs and their eyes bugged out. They evaporate in your mouth, and the flavor is fantastic -I don't know what it was called, but we ordered this salmon egg tapa on top of a marshmallow like cylinder with a foam squishy texture. It was very unique and delicious. -The cheesecake was so fresh and soft, it reminded me of a gourmet Brie. -The strawberry salad for dessert tasted like nature incarnate. The whole table could have ordered this all day. Dried, pickled, fresh strawberries mixed in a bowl over Basil Sorbet. I should also mention the atmosphere, service, and decor were perfect. This will be my first stop every time I visit Barcelona. They recommend reservations, weeks in advance, but I was able to walk in on a Saturday afternoon and book a reservation for 4 to come back in an hour. read more

There are some places that you should just go without doing the pre-reading and tickets is one of those places. Its a fun night with food continuously being brought out in small bite, sized dishes. We did the chef's menu and the food just kept coming (we had 3 big eaters at the table of 5). Staff were friendly and colourful, making the experience feel unique to the table. Dinner lasted 4 hours and was a night I won't forget. Reservations are hard to get, so keep your eye on the website (reservations are ONLY through the website) read more

Best meal for me in Barcelona. Arguably the most creative in terms of play on textures compared to other Michelin starred restaurants I've visited. You can order a-la-carte, but we opted for omakase style. My favorite part of the meal was when they took us to the dessert room. Reminds me of Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. Whole experience was very playful / whimsical. Expect to stay about 3.5 hours. Service was great. Our waiter and sommelier were very knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and easy going. Total cost for 6 people and about 15 dishes + 3-4 dessert dishes was ~180 dollars/pp. Tips: -- Book 2 months in advance! -- They have the "olives" (see picture) on sale in jars. Buy them! read more

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Amazing one of a kind restaurant.. By far one of my favorite gastronomy experience..Spectacular service, delicious food and superb presentation.. This place takes care of all your 5 senses and leaves you with a 6th one. read more

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Absolutely ingenious concept. Loved every morsel and had my best foie gras to date - cold and marinated..... Albert was in the restaurant and wonderful to watch in action. Let the staff come up with their recommendation for you - it's quite the experience and service was excellent! read more

We ate a Pakta first and didn't know what to expect at Tickets. Well, it was a whole different experience but equally as good. We loved everything. Our server ordered for us and it was everything we wanted. We were not disappointed! read more

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I'm not going to say much since this place has a pretty solid team and reputation, so whoever goes there is aware that food is going to be good. The good All the food was great. The olives were amazing. Desert and coffee also wonderful. The bad The restroom had a broken sink (sorry, I'm weird about restaurant's bathrooms) The ramen dish was way overpriced for the serving. I mean, I don't mind expensive places but this dish was totally out of place price wise (although pretty tasteful). The awesome The service is great The decoration of the place is also wonderful The textures and presentation of the dishes Tickets is a must Be aware that reservations go fast and have to be made in advance (they take reservations 60 days in advance) Cheers read more

Absolutely phenomenal. "Would you like to go to the dessert room?" Why yes, I would! Incredibly tasty dining in an incredibly fun and un-fussy atmosphere. A+. read more

Extremely disappointed!!! We had such high expectations for this restaurant. We watched the Chefs Table on Netflix, made our reservations well in an advance and highly anticipated our visit. Upon arrival, we were already a little disappointed as no one offered to take our coats. We were seated at the bar in a bench for two people when we would have preferred a table. After we were seated, the server's assistant recommended a good wine which was the only highlight of the night. We opted for the "surprise" tasting menu and shared our preferences and allergies with the server. Despite saying that we did not prefer raw or undercooked fish, the majority of the flight was raw or cold fish. Other than one or two courses, the dishes were not memorable or surprising. The portions were also very unsatisfying. Around the time of dessert, another waiter offered us a box with a postcard that was our "ticket" to the dessert room. This room was supposed to be special, but again we were seated at the bar with an unpleasant view of the staff leaning over the counter chatting to each other and making jokes to themselves. Our desserts were lackluster. The bill was over $300 euros and there was nothing magical about our experience. Don't waste your time or money!!! read more

Tickets - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Being Albert Adria's restaurant we had very high expectations and were not disappointed. The whimsy of the restaurant's decor and the food made a great dining experience also a lot of fun. The mini airbags, the razor clams, the avocado cannaloni with crab sauce were just some of the fantastic dishes we had. The presentation of the food and how to eat each dish made the meal even more fun. The only disappointment was we weren't able to spend more time there as we had to get to a Barcelona soccer match. read more

PARTIAL REVIEW SEE BLOG Solid Watermelon Cocktail infused in Sangria A fantastic boozy-slice of sweet crisp watermelon, adorned with an aromatic selection of orange zest, mint and anise. A fantastic first-bite. Parmesan Pizza with Mozzarella Cream and Basil By far the most fabulous frico I think I've ever tasted. Light, crisp, and full of flavour and yet, gone in an instant after it hits the heat of the tongue. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Tempura of Pistachios What a fantastic idea- I can't believe I've never seen nuts battered and deep-fried before. Salty, crispy, yum. False Peanuts Easily one of my favourite little bites of the night. Imagine a peanut buttery cream surrounded by a light candy shell that bursts in your mouth when it hits your teeth. I wish I had asked for another round of these babies at the end of dessert. Crunchy Nori Seaweed and Sesame Super airy light crisps that deflated in the mouth while the sesame offers that satisfying second layer of crunch. Great party snacks. Tickets' Olive-S These "olives" were made with the briny olive juice suspended by spherification. In other words, it was merely a thin skin holding in the potent liquor so that when you closed your mouth they exploded to coat your palate. A senses-spanking experience- that's for sure. Anchovy with Tomato on Toast This was one of the more traditional of the dishes, but sensational in all its simplicity. The crispy hearty bread, the sweet acidic tomatoes and the salty meaty anchovy- it's no wonder why this is a Spanish staple. Seaweed Tempura with Seaweed Jus Perhaps not much to look at, no, but boy, was it ever tasty. I'm sure Albert wouldn't appreciate my saying this, but if you closed your eyes, it kind of reminded me of "fresh" (I'm not sure I can say fresh without quotations in this case) McDonalds fries - in the best way possible. Salty, mildly sweet, crispy and light- addictive, to say the least. Cheese Mini Airbags Little tiny pita crisps packed with creamy salty manchego cheese and topped with briny Caviar. We all know airbags are a real lifesavers, and these little culinary heroes really nailed that home. Crispy Bread with Iberian Ham It looked like a heavy, bready dish, but in reality, the bread was hollow, crisp and light, and was wrapped in the most succulent, savoury meat I've ever had. A beautiful way to highlight good quality Spanish ham. Foie Gras Tribute to Lucuio Two generous chunks of foie glazed in a sweet and bright escabeche sauce with little nuggets of sweet and crispy freeze-dried corn. I was a bit concerned about the portion of foie gras as we were told to pop the whole rich bits in our mouth at once, but the light sauce and crunchy corn helped cut the fat. Basil Macaroni in Parmesan Cream with Pine Nuts The herbaceous pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente, paired with a luxuriously nutty creamy sauce and delicate mini fricos for a balanced textural experience. A perfect sized dish for a boldly flavourful dish. Nordic Landscape With limited experience of Nordic cuisine, this dish brought me back to the place where I actually met Albert, where our field trip to Niagara on the Lake featured lunch by a selection of innovative Nordic chefs. The combination of rich flavourful raw beef, smoky cheese, bright pickled onions and acidic vinegar powder made for a light, bright, yet simultaneously satisfying course. Oyster with Soba Noodles and Shitake Consomme [39] I've obviously never seen an oyster served like this, but it sure worked well. The meaty nugget of sweet meat was to be consumed first and alone, then the nutty noodles and umami-rich broth was slurped down in one fell swoop. A new oyster experience for me, but definitely something I hope to see more chefs at home adopt. Avocado Cannelloni I'm not sure how they maintain such a beautiful shiny coat and bright colour on the avocado, but my goodness, does it ever draw you in. The sweet snow crabmeat was moist and decadent against the vegetal flavour and creamy texture of the avocado shingles. Simple, yet divine. Tomato Salad with Gazpacho Gelee There is nothing better than ripe, fresh tomatoes- though Tickets really upped their game with this. The already juicy fruit were paired with delicate morsels of a gelatinized clear tomato water aromatized by basil, cucumber and other bright vegetables. A fantastic vegan dish. Mussels in Marinara Sauce I don't think that mussels are hard to pull off, nor should be a simple marinara, but to do them so perfectly is undoubtedly skill. The shellfish were flawlessly cooked to retain their delicate texture, and were enhanced by an aromatic sweet and tangy rich sauce. I could easily plow through an entire pot of these. Spaghetti "King Oyster" An earthy (gluten-free) take on pasta with mushrooms standing in for noodles. The Kings had been .... read more

The one thing I looked forward to during my trip to Spain were the tapas. Initially I wasn't very impressed even though I had been visiting some very highly rated restaurants. Then I visited Tickets and everything changed. Tickets was the one place that lived up to the hype. Their tapas are creative, elegant and explosive. Every dish was a new and welcomed surprise. Tickets was easily the highlight of my culinary adventures in Barcelona. Overall it was a fantastic experience well worth the price of admission. If you find yourself in Barcelona, Tickets isn't too be missed. read more

Tickets - Cheesecake. Unique and amazing. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

All hype. You NEED a reservation for this place and reservations fill up within minutes online. Sounds like a place worth going to, right? Wrong. We made reservations and were SUPER excited about going given all of the positive reviews. When we first arrived they had us sit outside for a cocktail. It was beautiful out so this was a nice start to our meal. Cocktails and wine were enjoyable. Once our meal started inside the food was generally mediocre. I'm pescatarian so I have a couple dietary restrictions. They were okay with it but I was served a dish with chicken broth (not pescatarian). I politely refused. No biggie but I was later charged for this on our bill. Moving on - our table went with the "surprise tasting menu". Having just gone to Disfrutar the previous day the food (and service) at Tickets was generally fair. Nothing repulsive but definitely lacking for a one Michelin star restaurant. Food in general lacked creativity and focus. I mean the food looks pretty but if it doesn't taste amazing then I don't want it. We had about 11 courses and then it was time for dessert. We heard so much about this great "dessert room". Well they don't "invite" everyone so don't get your hopes up. The table behind us with a party of two were escorted to the dessert room and we had our dessert at the table. When I asked our server how they pick what tables go she suggested there's not room for everyone to have that experience (even though we paid the same price for our meal). Dessert was good and actually a highlight of our meal. I just feel like I couldn't enjoy it fully since I had a sour taste overall from the lack of hospitality and fair savory courses. We got the cheesecake and the stroopwafel ice cream sandwich. Overall, fair experience. Would not recommend. Go to Disfrutar instead - real talk. read more

Once in a lifetime experience! Reserve your table 2 months to the day you want to go. Don't want to spoil the experience but when they say..."Would you like to go to the dessert room?" ...you get up as fast as you can and follow your waiter. Pros: * experience a different, new type of tapas. * fun, playful atmosphere * get the Vaca Viejo, any of the oysters, anything with pork. Cons: * didn't leave enough room to order every single dessert. read more

Amazing experience, you cannot visit Barcelonna without eating at Tickets, a great meal in a casula setting without seating for three hours, they are 27 on the San Pelligrino list and deserve it. read more

Spectacular!!! I was worried that Tickets would not live up to the hype and anticipation...silly me. It is truly a feast for the senses. The décor is fun and fantastical...the service is stellar....and the food...oh, the food....fan-TAB-ulous! Each course is lovingly created and stunning in presentation. We went with the option of letting our waiter choose our plates, and I'm glad we did. Two plus hours of tapas-sized tastes of perfection! Although everything was wonderful, 2 particular dishes make my mouth water as I remember them. The first was the signature Olive dish. (How do they do these?? It's basically olive skins filled with liquid that pop with flavor in your mouth. Wow.) I seriously wanted to go back a couple of days later, and just ask for this dish. It is truly unique and a must-try. The other dish which has taken up a permanent spot in my mind was the dessert cheese. It was creamy, delicious goodness. I've never had anything else like it. What a spectacular way to end the meal. So, even though it's quite tough to get reservations for Tickets, it's definitely worth the effort. And quite reasonably priced at only about 200 Euros for 2 people (including a couple of pre-meal drinks and a bottle of cava). All I have to say is, it's probably a good thing this restaurant isn't located in Chicago, or I would be stalking the Website daily for reservations! read more

Tickets - Tapas Bars Near Me - Barcelona, B

This was one of the most memorable meals of my life. 18 course tasting menu, every course (except the final desert) were incredible. Creative dishes, fresh ingredients,. Fun room - not stuffy but not too casual. Service was perfect - the staff are clearly proud of the place and want you to have a great time. Really special experience. Book way in advance. read more

*No .5 system here but this would be a 3.5 star place for me!* Tickets is one of the most famous restaurants in Barcelona as it was opened by Ferran Adria, the chef of elBulli, (elBulli for many years the best restaurant of the world before it closed in 2011) and his brother Albert. In order to dine at this restaurant, you need to secure a reservation exactly 60 days in advance via an online reservation system and spots fill up quickly. We were looking forward to this restaurant a lot and pretty much counted down the days until we could dine here. We decided to do the tasting menu which your server helps you craft and we were able to try the majority of the items. Perhaps it was because my hope for Tickets was so high that I unfortunately felt that the restaurant did not fully reach my expectations - the food was delicious but not mind blowing and I did not get wowed by every single dish. That being said, there were some stand out dishes: -Air Baguette and Jamon: This was an El Bulli hit that made it onto the tickets menu. Empty baguette crust wrapped with iberico ham. This was a light and interesting take on the traditional ham sandwich that you can find all over Barcelona -Crunchy Octopus with pickled piparra: The taste of this dish was unique and different than the traditional grilled octopus you get served in restaurants. The texture was not rubbery at all and whatever made this dish crunchy was fabulous -The Spicy Lobster: the lobster comes cracked for you already and they serve pillowy steamed buns on the side that you can dip into the flavorful lobster sauce. -Crunchy Suckling Pig with its mini ciabatta: This was like a miniature bahn mi. Because I could eat this in one bite you could taste all the flavors of a bahn mi sandwich in your mouth! -The Trip around the World Oysters: I can't remember which flavors our server chose for us, but all the preparations were very unique The cocktail menu was fantastic and you must order the chocolate cocktail drink! read more

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After two months of waiting, last evening was it! And Tickets didn't disappoint. To repeat the sense of what someone wrote, it's fun. There's no pretension. It's not a temple to haute cuisine. The food has a delicate-ness to it without ever losing the sense that you're in Spain, especially Catalonya. I knew we wanted a few dishes and then left it up to them to "surprise." Most everyone got the same surprise but that's fine. We started with the "olives," of course. According to our server it's take about six olives to make one "olive." And then they're put in a jar that has olive oil with some peppercorns, a small cinnamon stick and ???. She was very clear that it's just one bite/swallow. Wow. An explosion of olive taste. (Let me say that if you've already been here, this is probably boring you but I'm still bowled over!) We had four year old jamon Iberico, cut paper thin. The "ham man" was slicing when we arrived and didn't stop for a long, long time :) It came out with the pan con tomate which is pretty much ubiquitous here. But, of course, theirs was the best :) The outer parts of the bread were wonderfully crusty and the inside had lots of air pockets. Another must-order were the "mini-airbags." They look like a small gougere but the inside is mostly hollow with a manchego "something" (foam perhaps?), a stamp sized piece of manchego on top and some little pearls of something (I assume man-made). Between that and the "olives" I don't know which blew me away more. This is in no particular order and far from good explanations but snapping ONE pic was as far as I was going to go. Unlike some, I wasn't going to spend the time making notes and analyzing :) About now we had tuna belly in these wonderful little cones. The inner part of the cone was nori and the outer was some bread-y products that I assume was applied to the nori and then somehow cooked. This was nicely spicy. See the little red 'thread' on the top of each? That was cayenne. A real photo moment was with avocado canneloni with king crab and some kind of cheese (I think). Tasted as good as it looked. A local specialty is butafarra, a Spanish white sausage, served with white beans. Previously we'd had it room temp and super thinly sliced as a tapa. This was even better. Perfect. (I could say "perfect" for every dish.) Oysters with pearls. A little (always) contained foam-y thing was the pearl. We were sitting at the counter directly across from the woman shucking the oysters. She smelled EVERY ONE as she shucked it. A little change of pace were pieces of fried fish with little dots of what I believe she said was romescu. Oops, almost forgot the brioche with pork belly (I could be fuzzy on that one but believe I'm right.) Just crazy good. Then we got to what I thought was "dessert" but in fact is called "The Finish." They call it ravioli with payoyo cheese and a minute piece of "toast." I could eat 20 of those :) THEN we got to dessert. Lava cake with an almond "cream" and a raspberry sorbet. Lord, you can take me now :) OR, if there's a heaven and I make it there, let it be Tickets...PLEASE. Regarding wine, since we've been having at least one glass of cava every day for the last week, we stuck with that. Very nice and modestly priced. I believe I've covered all the dishes. Albert Adria, Ferran's brother, was on hand and it was lovely to speak with him. Our server, only 20 y.o., spoke very good English which was a plus since my Spanish is very limited. From what we could tell a lot of the diners were visitors or transplants from other nations. We had kind loosely set a budget of 150+ Euros and were willing to go up to 180. Tab came in at 145. For us, that's a very expensive meal. Not for The French Laundry crowd but for us. Even with our frugal nature, we considered this reasonable. Our next trip to Barcelona will be built upon getting the Tickets res first and then booking the air :) I could NOT recommend this restaurant highly enough. read more

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