Bodega La Peninsular — Restaurant in Barcelona

From my personal experience, it’s not what I expected having previously read the reviews. This review is just to manage the expectations of the readers especially I find the restaurant overrated.

Food - la bomba was good but not worth the price (meat inside it was not that tasty / it tasted like the meat was not fresh). Nothing very special on spanish omelet and it was not served warm. I ordered grilled baby squid but they gave me a different one with broth (it tasted good though except that the squid was quite overcooked). I doubt it was a language barrier since I even pointed on the menu what I specifically wanted.

Service - very long waiting time (extremely different from what I read in the reviews that service is fast). I was asked to wait for a long time just for the menu (~15 minutes). Foods were served on a staggered basis and in very long intervals. Spanish omelet was not served warm so it might be kept hanging for a long time (just my guess or probably they didn’t heat it; but whichever it is, they should have served it warm especially I waited for ages). I had to follow up the squid despite I waited for almost an hour already. My observation though is that the service was a bit fast on some tables (not sure what’s the reason for my case). Another point for improvement that they can consider is that they may make available the paella not just for pre-order. I acknowledge I read in the reviews that paella is just on pre-order basis so I’m just saying going forward they can consider it available even for walk-in customers.

Atmospehere - small place but manageable. Table napkins smell not good. They can consider having english translation for the toilet door descriptions (hommes - male? donnes - female?) especially if someone unfamiliar yet of the language is on a rush to use it. Or they can put picture of a man / woman - it’s a small point for improvement but can be very helpful for foreign tourists.

My experience was quite satisfactory but nothing too special so I’m...

6 years ago my partner and I stumbled upon this place by total accident. It was February so quite an unusual time to visit Barcelona and certainly much quieter than the end of May. We were welcomed in as if it was like entering a friends home for dinner and had arguably some of the best tapas/fish in all of Barca. Upon visiting again we just had to go back to see if it was just a fluke or something truly worth shouting about (as we had done to friends and family over the last 6 years when speaking about our trip here). When we arrived the server asked us if we had a reservation as of course this time of year was much busier and a restaurant of this quality will certainly be in high demand. We said we did not and thought that was that but alas he welcomed us in anyway remarking that it could be a 20/25 minute wait for a table but we were fine to sit up to the bar and have a drink….we had queued over an hour only that morning for breakfast elsewhere, so of course we were fine with this! Once again the food was incredibly fast, hot and fresh as you could ask for. The servers (all 3) were attentive, polite and jovial, making us feel so welcome. At the conclusion of the meal I had every intention to add a fairly decent tip to show my appreciation for the experience a second time round. The server politely told me that they only accepted tips in cash but when I responded with disdain that I wasn’t carrying any, he spoke with genuine appreciation that I had wanted to and expressed simple happiness that we had come back and enjoyed the meal/experience. Hands down one of the best restaurants not only in Barca/Spain, but any I’ve been...

This place is everything that’s right with the world.

La Peninsular is the living definition of dolce far niente. One of those rare places where food isn’t just a meal — it’s a slow, soulful celebration of culture, ingredients, and craft. A rustic, unpretentious local gem where time stands still and eating becomes what it’s meant to be: an experience.

The fried cuttlefish? Simply outstanding — crispy yet delicate, full of honest flavor. The Padrón peppers felt like a warm caress to the palate, perfectly blistered. The sea salt flakes sprinkled on top? The touch of a cook who clearly loves what she does — the kind that cooks with memory and pride, not just recipes.

And don’t even get me started on the Barceloneta bomba: a literal explosion of taste, balance, and texture.

It’s places like this that make you fall in love with food, with travel, with life itself. Excellent service, sincere atmosphere, and food that takes you places. What more could I want than to travel through flavor?

Sure — there may be better places out there. And absolutely, there are worse. But what I have no doubt about is that this is one of those rare spots I’ll return to, without hesitation, as part of that eternal search of the soul for great food and the joy of truly...