El Xampanyet — Restaurant in Barcelona

El Xampanyet is an iconic place in the heart of Barcelona. It's a tapas like place, fast service, lively and loud as it should be, and the concept is small plates to share.

The first usefull information is that it won't accept reservations and it will have a line, so arrive on time, arrive before opening if you want to, and then enjoy.

We got a standing table, but even like that it was such a genuine and great experience.

Don't be surprised to find it full of tourists as well, although the environment is still very spanish and real.

You have a menu delivered to you in the beggining, but you also have tapas disposed along the counter. You can also start a conversation with the waiters, and they will give you some good suggestions for the day.

From the menu we ordered:

Pluma ibérica - diced Iberian pork with padron peppers, so simple and so delicious. The meat was really special, with the flavour of the meat fat, seasoned only with salt. I believe this is a must order.

Xoliç del Pallars - a local pork cold cut, perfect for sharing, and really good.

Payoyo Cheese - a local goat cheese, +- recent, but already a staple in Spanish delies.

From the counter and waiters suggestions we had:

Jamon with bread - a classic, always good;

Pan con tomate - as you don't get enough Pan con tomate in Barcelona;

Tortilla con xoriço - very moisty tortilla, with the flavour of the chorizo, was so good;

Potatoes with mayonese and chorizo - very surprising, well cooked and full of flavour;

and, for me, the most unexpected, some cushion-like toasts wrapped in fatty jamon. I was scared at first, that it could be too fatty, but it was so so tasty, and even better than regular jamon!

The price was 28€/p.p. (we were 4), with 3 beers each, which I believe is fair.

It was a great experience and I would return there when...

We came a little after opening time around 7:30pm on a weekday and already the place was full with a line outside. There is no formal waiting list here - the owner just takes a mental note of who came first and who gets seated at what order. That said, I suggest that when you come here, just make yourself known to whoever is manning the line and how many people you are so he can get you on this “mental list” right away.

The line moves somewhat fast. We arrived and was third in line, got in about 20mins of wait. For a table of three we were seated at a small round table near the door. You might have a challenge getting a table for a bigger group here.

General ambience - Brimming with locals. The place was really loud in a good way, just a feeling that everyone is having a good time eating and chatting. Owner and staff would check up on you once in a while to ask how you are and how you find the food. I found them extremely accommodating.

Food was good as well. We were three people and ordered 5 dishes - the pan de tomate (toast with tomato), pulpo, razor clams, beef with padron peppers and sea snails. All were good but we felt we could have done away with the beef because it didn’t taste anything special unlike the rest. The sea snails were a surprise and came with a very addicting sauce which we enjoyed very much.

For a tapas place, prices were a bit steep hence less 1 star. But overall I really enjoyed my time here and would recommend especially if you are in the area. Just make sure to be...

Came here for Tapas as this place was hyped up to me like Victor Wembanyama and it did not disappoint.

I came right at opening, thinking it was a savvy vet move. It was not. Apparently the vet move is to get here at least 30 min before opening to get a table.

The girl seating people was so talented, calming angry customers with a diffusing smile and doing her best to get everyone in that she could. She was lowkey like cool cute I was crushing a little bit ngl hehehe.

Since I was only 1 person, I waited about 10 minutes and was given a standing spot at the bar. It was kind of cool, something so different than I'm used to but I embraced it and enjoyed it. I even met this cool couple at the bar, shoutout to Priyanka and Andrea.

The Asian guy behind the bar was so engaging and friendly but was talking me into absolutely everything. Fairplay to him. I was initially just going to get a light meal, but ended up getting talked into the following:

Prosciutto w/ bread, Octopus, Calamari, Catalan Sausage w/ beans, Beef Fillet w/Cadron peppers, a dessert, and 4 glasses of red wine. Everything was fantastic, but the beef fillet with peppers was the true standout.

El Xampanyet is an absolute MUST when...