Cera 23 — Restaurant in Barcelona

We found this restaurant by googling about a month before arriving Barcelona. The reviews were great, so we made a reservation for 4/21/24 at 7PM. When the taxi driver dropped us off and said, "walk down this street and it will be on your right", we didn't think anything about it until it looked like we were in a locals area and thought he must have gotten the address wrong! All of a sudden we came upon the cutest restaurant nestled in with other businesses! We would have never stumbled upon it! Cera 23 was amazing! When we first arrived there weren't many customers, by the time we left, the place was packed and there was standing room only in the entrance. The service was exceptional and every thing from cocktails to every dish was artistic and exceptional with taste! We had eaten at a Michelin restaurant the night before and it didn't come close to Cera 23! The Michelin restaurant was great, but Cera 23 was so much more! It was so unique in character, charm, the service, the food...I have traveled the world and this is the best food I have ever eaten! Not if, but when I return to Barcelona, it will definitely be on my list of places to eat, not once, but multiple times! The Manager, Marse, was such a delight and made sure our experience was nothing but the best! We asked who the Chef was, sorry, but I can't remember HER name, but we told her how thrilled we were with our experience and she was genuinely appreciative! Definitely go, you won't be disappointed. Make a reservation in advance to...

I'll be honest.. I came here because arume was completely full, and so I didn't really know what to expect from cera 23. And at the end of the meal, I left very pleased with my dining experience here.

First of all, the staff was incredibly friendly, and they all speak English, which is why I'm writing this review.

Being a college student traveling, I got one of the cheaper menu option: the Iberian pork jamon €9.50. my first impression was that the portion was very small (16 very thin slices). But the flavor combination of the jamon with paprika, almond, tomato, and kimchi mayo (oh my word I need to find this mayo at home) was an experience of its own. The toppings enhanced the flavor of the ham without overpowering it and gave it a nice texture as well. I ordered a small basket of bread to eat it with as the serving was small.

I had to order a dessert as I was thoroughly impressed with my food. I got a death by chocolate which is kinda like a very thick, dense lava cake with ferrero rocher inside as the "lava" served with vanilla ice cream and condensed milk (I think) topped with a little chocolate crunch that sizzle/pop in your mouth like those rock candies if you know what I'm talking about. It was (also) really good and filled the rest of my stomach up haha

It was quite pricey for my standard, but maybe not for you haha. But I left the restaurant full and satisfied which is all that matters at the...

We came to this little restaurant from review others' reviews. It's not particularly easy to find. It's about 10 minute walk away from Las Ramblas, in the slightly seedier area El Raval. When we arrived at 10:30pm, there were several people waiting outside, all speaking English. A staff greeted us and took us to our table after a short wait, at the reserved time. The restaurant was a lot more expansive inside that one would've expected from the outside. Strangely, the diners at almost every table spoke English, perhaps all attracted by the same English reviews.

The food, though, was very good. We started with the octopus starter (16.5 euro), which was extremely tender and flavourful. The black volcano rice main dish (16.5 euro) was definitely the highlight. It was black (as the name suggested), with a dash of yellow egg yolk, topped with bonito flakes. The rice was so flavourful, they must've cooked it with some broth. There was more tender octopus mixed in, and whatever the black sauce was it gave the rice a thicker consistency. The honey stewed beef (16.2 euro), another popular item from reviews, was still good and tender, but not particularly special. My partner also had a blackberry mojito which was worth a mention, but it was more expensive (6 euro) than my wine. Overall a great dining experience, despite it not being particularly...