El Xampanyet image

El Xampanyet

Restaurant Bar Tapas bar

Cozy bar offering traditional tapas, cava & wine in casual surrounds with a buzzing vibe. People often mention service, tapas, good, Barcelona, wait, queue, recommend, time, great, line,


Address

C/ de Montcada, 22, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Contact

+34 933 19 70 03

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (4.4K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: (Epiphany), Closed, Holiday hours
  • Sunday: Closed
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed
  • Thursday: Closed

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: service (12) tapas (11) good (10) Barcelona (9) wait (8) queue (8) recommend (7) time (7) great (7) line (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Mihwa L. 1 year ago on Google
    A little tapas restaurant, super packed with both locals and tourists. But don't be discouraged by the crowd, just squeeze in and wait for a table or space at the counter. Turnover is fast. We ordered the cava, and asked the waiter to recommend 4 tapas. All turned out really fantastic. Highly recommended. But not cheap.
    8 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Pan M. 1 year ago on Google
    This is one of the most famous restaurants in Barcelona. Considering name and location prices are rather cheap. Atmosphere is definitely "Catalan" which means this place is almost always full and very loud :-) so if you are looking for quiet and cozy place then this is definitely not for you. Also if you will not be on time, you might have a problem to find free table! but if you are looking for a great place to eat, with very tasty food and local in house cava then I strongly recommend this place. I've tried there the best (in my opinion) Tortilla de Patatas! Traditional Catalan pasta with cheese was also super tasty! As starter I can only recommend Olives and bread with tomato. Both dishes are really amazing! Unfortunately we didn't managed to spend there too much time because loud atmosphere and many people, but hey... this is Barcelona and El Xampanyet is very famous so I can't complain about the vibe :-)
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yves W. 1 year ago on Google
    We been recommended by a friend who had been before, we didn't realized it is so busy... We visited it on the first night we arrived at Barcelona, but almost couldn't get in as before they opened it's door, the queue already built up... We were lucky managed got a space on the bar area between two crowds. We ordered some simple to eat and really enjoy our first night even without a seat. In the last night of our stay, we decided to return to enjoy before we finish our holiday in town. We arrived an hour before the restaurant open and start the queue which helped us to be the first to choose the seats. We went through almost every popular dishes and enjoy the service they offered. I truly recommend this place if you visit Barcelona.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kurtis J. S. 1 year ago on Google
    A very intense place to review! Lots going on here tapas style, a pleasant place for anyone to check out visiting or living for sure. A bit of an icon. Energy was bustling. We did have a line, waited 1 hour for a table for 4. Met some friendly lads in line so it was very much a conversation and a social wait. Dish speed round—did not try fish, bread of olive oil and tomato good, chorizo very rich and wholesome, grilled octopus great, squid could not wrap my palette around, beef/pork peppers a must try, olives best I’ve had, champagne a must try being light airy and homemade!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 helin s. 1 year ago on Google
    one of the most famous tapas bars in town but definitely not a tourist trap, the food deserves this fame. It's walk-in, so better go at 12:30 for lunch to avoid the crowds and enyoj your food within your personal space.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marco S. 1 year ago on Google
    Awesome atmosphere. But a very small and intimate restaurant. There is usually a line, so be prepared. But if you don’t mind the wait, it will be well worth it, as the tapas are all incredibly delicious and fresh.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 世界市民 1 year ago on Google
    A true Barcelona classic, very historic tapas bar, excellent tasty and high quality food and great service! When going keep in mind it's always super busy because it's a hotspot for locals and for tourists too. Would definitely recommend trying out!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Szarina K. 1 year ago on Google
    Had a great dinner experience at El Xampanyet. The place gets full really quickly, but the waiting queue moves fast and the food is definitely worth lining up for. We thoroughly enjoyed the pulpo and razor clams, but definitely don't miss out on the snails!! The staff was very friendly and the owner himself would go around to chat with diners and make sure everything is good. The lively atmosphere of the place is very contagious!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bob S. 6 months ago on Google
    We had read lots of reviews of this place and it really didn't let us down. The calamari and anchovies are a must have. The calamari dish is made by the delicious, sweet, fragerent pepper sauce beneath the calamari. The most delicious array of olives ever also something to get. I would recommend getting here at the end of lunch to avoid the queue. We went last night and the queue was moving too slowly but today for lunch we had a 5 minute wait. Highly recommend this place. No more than 4 as they only sit 37 so you'd be waiting a while.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Chris Z. 1 year ago on Google
    To be completely honest, the food was pretty good. The sardines (albeit expensive) were well marinated and tasteful. The shrimps were expensive (6 for €16) but fresh. The tomato bread was delicious and so was the Catalan pasta. I got here at 12:04 (4 mins after opening) and it was packed already. Staff were friendly and English speaking. What was bad was that when one staff spilled a glass of xampanyet (sweet sparkling wine) on my pants, they did not offer any compensation, even though they spoke to the manager and many other staff members. I was not confrontational and told them that I understand mistakes happen, but I also was here for business (not holiday) and I had to go buy a new pair of pants because of this, since the sugar wouldn’t come out. They said no. I told them I wasn’t expecting a full compensation on my €38 meal (even though that’s what I expect from my home country Canada, I know it would be unrealistic), but something like a 15%-20% discount would be very much appreciated because of the extra trouble I have to go through. They wouldn’t budge. I figured it would cost me more time arguing, so I just paid and left. All in all, it’s decent food, big crowds, but pretty bad customer service.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Anzac K. 6 months ago on Google
    If I could give this place 6 stars for everything they did I would. Probably one of the highlight dining experiences of my life. I almost always refuse to wait in a line but we did for a short while and it was more than worth it. The atmosphere and service is authentic and top quality. This place is truly on another level. Photos don’t do any justice to the quality of the food. Well done! (Get the squid!)
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Masha K. 5 months ago on Google
    Must not miss El Xampanyet when in Barcelona. Handful of my friends reminded me daily that I want to eat here on my visit. I showed up near closing and am so grateful that I did not miss this meal. The food, vibe and service is perfect. I look forward to many more meals here. Order everything!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Oren L. 3 months ago on Google New
    Best tapas we've been to. Every dish we ordered was excellent: Roasted pork was super tender, one of the best we ever had, The chorizo tortilla was delicious, and even pan con tomate was exceptionally good. Atmosphere is fun with happy service.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Michelle L. 6 months ago on Google
    Hiding in a narrow alley near Picasso Museum, this restaurant seems well-known by locals and tourists. You can see the line even before it opens at 12 noon. Within 10 min of opening, it’s filled. Both exterior and interior are unique and cute. The service is quick, friendly and well-organized. The server helps you to select the foods. The price is at higher side for the quantity you got, but the food is well-done. Recommend this place.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Vera P. 4 months ago on Google
    Had the best evening ever! Sharing plates with friends at the bar, drinking the home made cava, standing at the bar. The whole experience was amazing and the food was incredible. We even went for a second time, since we loved it so much! Unfortunately the second time we had a bit of a impatient waiter helping us, pushing to eat as quickly as possible. Still a very lovely evening, but made us feel a bit rushed!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 N V. 1 year ago on Google
    Good traditional food plus nice experience in such a tapas bar. The bar has such a nice vibe. It was totally full but the service was very efficient, friendly and very good. The food was very good but not sure if it’s worth queuing for so long. I guess there are also equivalent good tapas bar without such a long queue as well. It is quite pricey too.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ruth 1 year ago on Google
    The food is incredible. We visited on a recommendation from a friend and we weren't disappointed. You may find you have to queue, but they turn the tables around quickly (though you never feel rushed whilst inside). Our waitress was lovely, kept our glasses filled and checked in on us regularly to see if we wanted more food. We returned the next day as we'd enjoyed it so much and we were greeted like old friends. Particular highlight was the catalan sausage, which we ordered on both visits
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 JQ T. 9 months ago on Google
    Best food I’ve had in Barcelona. Would definitely come back. Tried their pasta, mussels, pork chops and bacon potatoes. Super good service, waitress was attentive, fun and even recommended us a grape juice that we continued looking for all around Spain.

  • 5/5 Anna D. 4 months ago on Google
    Great cozy bar. We got there at 6:40 (they open at 7) and had to wait in a long line but worth it. We were the last ones let in for the first seating. Service is quick and excellent. Food was great.

  • 5/5 Golf M. 5 months ago on Google
    Very popular place but for very good reasons! After a 20 min wait outside we were placed at a small table in this buzzing tapas place. The waiters are friendly, cheerful and keep track of what’s going on. Drinks and food arrived in little time. We tried many tapas from the menu and weren’t disappointed by any of them. Definitely the best food I‘ve had in Barcelona! Don‘t forget to try dessert! I loved the „Carquinyolis“, small cakes that that came with a glas of liqueur to dip them in. 😋

  • 5/5 Kamran N. 6 months ago on Google
    Very authentic taps place and if you don’t go early with a long queue. Amazing food. Friendly staff. The steak melted in my mouth. Home made cava amazing. For 6 people with drinks and service it came to 250 euros

  • 5/5 Hesham A. 3 months ago on Google New
    This place lives the hyped. A must try when in Barcelona but get in early as the lineup is long. Food is amazing and mostly Tapas, the ambiance is great and service is good as well. Sometime you might feel rushed but that’s because there is a line up of people waiting to get in. Will definitely comeback again.

  • 5/5 Yiran G. 2 months ago on Google New
    Our first meal in Spain @el_xampanyet ! We had such a great time here and it is a perfect start for our days here. The food, the service, is just perfect and makes you feel like you’re at home. The server showed my friend how to eat a snail because she was not doing it the right way lol. There’s a wait but it was worth it. Love it :)


Call +34 933 19 70 03 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Paid street parking
    • ✓️ Difficult to find a space
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Food
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Food at bar
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Organic dishes
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible car park
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✗ Takeaway

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