El Xiringo de la Barceloneta — Restaurant in Barcelona

Terrible Experience, Unfriendly Staff, and Mediocre Food

I recently visited EL XIRINGO in Barcelona with my wife during our holiday, hoping to try a local restaurant with amazing reviews. Unfortunately, our experience was far from enjoyable, and I strongly advise against visiting this establishment.

Upon arrival, the host displayed a clear lack of interest in serving us. His unfriendly demeanor made us feel unwelcome from the start. We later discovered that this rude behavior towards tourists seems to be a recurring theme, which would have been helpful to know beforehand.

The quality of the food was highly disappointing. The Russian salad we ordered was old and had gone rancid. We couldn't eat it, and when we informed our server about the issue, he showed no concern or remorse. In fact, I even suggested that he try it himself, and after a few minutes, he reluctantly admitted that there might have been some kind of acid in the dish. However, he failed to offer any apology for serving us spoiled food.

Furthermore, the mussels we ordered were not only old but also extremely dirty. It was evident that proper cleaning had not been done. Considering the subpar quality and poor presentation of the dishes, the prices were exorbitant.

To add insult to injury, the overall atmosphere left much to be desired. The unwelcoming attitude from the staff overshadowed any positives. The only aspect we enjoyed was the music, which was a small consolation amidst the disappointment.

In conclusion, based on our experience, I absolutely cannot recommend EL XIRINGO. It is evident that this restaurant does not value its customers, particularly those who are not Spanish or Catalan speakers. The combination of unfriendly staff, mediocre food, and overpricing makes for an utterly unsatisfying dining experience. Save yourself the disappointment and explore other dining options...

In search of a good fish restaurant, particularly for paella, we came across El Xiringo and decided to give it a try due to the positive reviews. Unfortunately, we cannot agree with these reviews at all:

We ordered a paella listed at €19, and were told it was meant for two people. In reality, they simply split the dish onto two plates and then had the audacity to charge us each. The portions were extremely small, and the paella itself was more than mediocre. Paying €40 for a bit of rice two shrimp and two mussels is an absolute scam. On top of that, the paella itself was mediocre at best and nowhere near what the reviews here suggest.

At the very beginning, we were offered water, which we assumed was a courtesy. Instead, it was added to the bill as well, which, at least in europe, is something highly unusual and dishonest.

To make matters worse, immediately after our plates were cleared, the dessert menu was thrown onto the table clearly with the intention of squeezing even more...

I’m not sure how this restaurant received such a high rating. First off, someone posted that the locals received more paella. When I had initially read the comment, I assumed this person was being a bit dramatic. But it’s very true. Two locals came in after us and ordered paella. Our paella barely came out to be 2 bowls. The paella the locals revived was more than ours. Next, the owner is not very customer oriented. His altitude was very demeaning. We walked in and the first word he said was “do you have reservations”. There was no one in the restaurant and yes we had reservations and the whole time we were there dining, there was 3 tables, including my table. Also, he was a bit impatient when we couldn’t decide on what to order. Next, this restaurant is nasty. There’s dust along the countertop. I happen to tilt my head and I see gnats or some other bugs just crawling on the ceiling. Definitely not a sight you want to see in...