Cafè de l'Òpera — Restaurant in Barcelona

Would that man could live on churros alone - these churros, to be precise.

Partway through a lazy first morning in Barcelona, we ventured out onto its bustling and sun kissed streets to savour our recent escape from England’s foggy vales. I had Cafe De L’Opera in mind for breakfast largely because of its classically appointed interior, and was promptly blindsided by the culinary onslaught that we then enjoyed.

With cherished dining companion some days into a concerted effort to consume all available mushrooms in her vicinity, the fried mushrooms (prepared in some sort of cumin or curry powder perhaps?) were a highlight. But thought of all else fled like so many shadows in the light when the churros arrived with a cup of thick dipping chocolate.

I’m not sure if I can do justice to these churros with only the written word as my medium, but suffice it to say all other churros I shall eat in my life now stand in their esteemed shadow. They weren’t covered in sugar or anything else, the dough alone had been fried to perfection so that they were inestimable toothsome even without the dipping chocolate. For once I gave thanks to the social expectations that bind us to reasonable behaviour, or I should have sat eating one order after another for the remainder of the day.

To top it all off, we were dealt with by a team of suited and booted local gents who were each personable, funny and kind, bringing the traditional furnishing and decor to...

LOVE THE TAPAS!

The boyfriend, his fam, and I were strolling down La Rambla and were in need of a quick bite amidst all of the touring. We were in the mood for tapas but didn't want to go out of our way to look for something spectacular so we decided to give Cafe de l'ópera a try.

Now the name of the restaurant is a bit deceiving as it's French but in Barcelona but it was still worth it. Since we had arrived in the middle of the day it wasn't too packed which was a rather good thing considering it was pretty tightly packed inside like most European restaurants are. Don't be fooled, however, this restaurant is actually two stories and has even more seating inside along with a full service bar at the ground level.

We were definitely thirsty for SANGRIA and it did not disappoint. The pitcher itself was good for about four or so glasses each and if we were going to try for a siesta then we probably would have opted for another pitcher.

The tapas were pretty tasty as well. I can't remember what they all were but they included sausages, olives, croquettes, fries, and some other breaded item that I can't recall. They also served some bread with cheese which was just lovely.

Overall, we had a good experience here and while I can't say I'd actively return here if I was ever back in the area, it is still a viable option for some great food and decent service.

Props to their super cute bathroom that I sadly did not get a...

It’s not getting a great review because I was disappointed with the recommended combo. The higher priced one naturally. It’s what they call the tapas combo. It was just lightly fried potatoes, meatballs in sauce, fried mushrooms, and piece of frittata and cheese balls with a side of bread. I’m calling it what it is. Don’t be fooled by the sound of the dish they try to push. It’s not anything worth eating. Dorm food is better. The waiter cashed us out early so he could end his shift and when I asked for a beer, I guess there’s just one kind. He gave me no choices. That’s the reason for bad service star. You pay for the atmosphere if you eat outside. Literally, it’s added to the bill. Inside isn’t...