Arc Iris — Restaurant in Barcelona

This place has two names: "Arco Iris" in Spanish and "Arc Iris" in Catalan. (I think it means "rainbow" in English.)

Arco Iris was absolutely my favorite restaurant in Barcelona. It's all vegetarian food, inspired by Spanish and Catalan cuisine. Each person pays 9.50 Euro for a four-course meal (price as of July 2016). For each of the first three courses, they offer 2-4 options to pick from; and for the last course, there were at least a half dozen dessert options.

FOOD. The food was astounding. The ingredients are always fresh and the dishes are tasty. This is a vegetarian's and vegan's paradise. I was the only vegetarian in my group of 6 and every one of the meat-eaters enjoyed their meal and didn't miss the meat. The dishes are consistently flavorful and well-balanced. We enjoyed the meal so much, that we ate there a total of 3 times during our 2-week visit to Barcelona.

SERVICE. The service was very friendly. The the guy who seats you (possibly the owner) is so kind and tries his best to get you into a seat as soon as possible. The servers are unbelievably patient and so nice. I can read Spanish, but I don't know a word of Catalan. Between my broken Spanish and their broken English, they helped me understand the menu and each of the options. They remembered us each time we came back and seemed genuinely pleased to see us.

PRICE. In Barcelona, you won't find another place that will give you the same bang for your bunk. For only 9.50 Euro, you get an delicious four-course meal. You can add a fresh-squeezed juice for just 1.75 Euro. Affordable and tasty? Count me in.

LOCATION. It's very walkable to/from Sagrada Familia. It only serves lunch, so plan your visit to the Basilica with lunch at Arco...

my family and I came to the restaurant right before going to la sagrada familia- we came right at opening which was great for us because there was already a line of regulars (all locals) waiting to enter. there’s a fixed menu that changes everyday and you get to choose between two options for every course. there were four courses, including dessert, which were all excellent. we started with a zucchini and basil cream soup, followed by the most delicious rice any of us have ever eaten (desperate to get the recipe for this one) and then a fantastic moussaka. we all got different things for dessert- truffle balls, a slice of pumpkin cake and coconut muesli. everyone had a great time and it was just 12.95 euros per person (a literal steal). beyond the stellar food and the homey, cozy feel- the service was truly incredible. the servers were unbelievably nice (especially to americans who don’t speak much spanish) and the owner of the restaurant is simply one of a kind. even with the language barrier, he made my family feel so appreciated and valued and made sure to let us know about his daughters new restaurant, Samsara, that recently opened in La Barceloneta (where we are currently sitting awaiting our food). special shout-out to the waiter who heard us speaking hebrew and joined in! if you’re headed to barcelona, or if you’re a local, Arco Iris is a...

DON'T go if you are vegan. Thoroughly disappointed. The food was all pre-prepared, uninspiring, bland. In a menu that boasted 4 courses, there were NO main meal or dessert options for vegans. When I asked if I could have the pizza made without cheese, I was told that all the food was already prepared and this would not be possible. I tried to reason, saying surely it wouldn't take that long to make one vegan pizza. They were having none of it. However, when I left, I noticed the two chefs sitting in the kitchen doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. As for dessert I was allowed a choice of fruit. And when I say fruit, I mean an unpeeled banana, or whole apple, presented on a plate, with a knife. Unbelievable.

The customer service was also questionable. This is clearly a money-making business over above an establishment that provides a pleasant lunchtime experience. We were pushed to share a table when they got busy (we declined, but were made to feel bad doing so), and every course came within about 12 seconds of finishing the last one. Getting customers in and out seemed to be their priority.

I plan...