LA PAPA Aribau — Restaurant in Barcelona

I discovered this restaurant randomly, just walking by. I had already had my lunch and was completely full, but I decided to stop in because I was so impressed by the restaurant’s magnificent design! My goal was just to hang out inside, so I came in for a cup of tea. I ordered a cup of Earl Grey tea, which cost €4. It was definitely a bit overpriced, because in many places in Barcelona a cup of tea costs around €2. But in the end, I didn’t mind the money I paid because aesthetically, what I got was just priceless! It was an absolute joy the way they served my tea. The teaware matched the restaurant’s design style, which was such a smart touch. And those little flowers on the tea plate… gorgeous! My eyes loved what they saw! On top of that, the Earl Grey tea was super flavorful and delicious! I only wish the cup size had been bigger; if it were twice the size, it would’ve made me very happy, and the €4 price would’ve felt more worth it. The next day, I made sure to leave some space after lunch and came back to this restaurant for dessert. The dessert and pastries selection isn’t very big (the full menu is quite limited), but I found exactly what I love: a pistachio croissant. It cost about €5, which again is a bit overpriced, since similar croissants around Barcelona cost closer to €3. But the one I got was tasty, I really loved its rich pistachio flavor. I also ordered the Earl Grey tea again and was absolutely happy with it. A big plus of this place is that all the guys working there on both days spoke good English, so I could communicate with them easily. Everyone was super sweet and friendly to me. This place accepts Apple Pay, which is great. Conclusion: Aesthetically, this place is absolutely perfect! The menu and food selection is not big, but there are some really nice items. The prices are high. I absolutely recommend visiting this restaurant even once - just for the experience. I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic, chilled time there like I did. I personally want to come back to this restaurant next time I’m in Barcelona and try some brunch items...

We came to La Papa for a late lunch at the weekend. I had been looking forward to trying it for a while but unfortunately it was just okay, but didn’t impress me very much. We were seated at a communal table that was far too small and narrow to be a communal table so it felt very awkward and uncomfortable to sit at and to eat at. Other customers seemed to have similar problems as a couple who were seated on a shelf type table facing the wall moved to the communal table when two people left. In this area of the restaurant, there is a lot of wasted space occupied by nothing or by merchandise that isn’t needed. This space could be better used by adding more and better tables.

When you are seated, you then have to use a QR code to view the menu (common these days but something I dislike, I much prefer a real menu). Then, you have to get back up and go to the till to order your food which is kind of annoying. There was just one staff member serving tables so service wasn’t efficient and he didn’t seem to care much about customer service or what he was doing. The same for the other staff. For the price you pay, it is expected to be getting better service - being given a menu, more staff tending to tables, staff taking your order at the table. Otherwise, prices need to reduce as the current price doesn’t reflect the experience in my opinion.

Our food arrived at different times which is not good. The food was good, I liked it, it was delicious and it looked great, the coffee was good, but the egg was very raw, especially the egg white. However, the plates that the food was served on were too small for the food so it made it very awkward to eat. This combined with the awkward communal table didn’t create a comfortable eating experience.

Overall, it felt like the aesthetics were prioritised above everything else. It was okay and not the worst but I wouldn’t return for the...

All style, no substance.

On the last day of our trip me and my girlfriend came for brunch as it looked like a lovely place to come however we were very disappointed. My girlfriend ordered the banana toast which came on sourdough bread (one measly slice by the way( that was so burnt neither of us could physically cut it with a knife. We saw several others in the restaurant at the same time as us having similar issues which was baffling to me as surely someone must have seen all the uneaten slices of toast coming back to the kitchen? This meant that we essentially paid €11.50 for her to eat some bananas and chocolate spread. To make her experience worse she ordered a decaf coffee due to a medical condition and they served her a regular caffeinated coffee which then made her ill for the majority of the day. We mentioned both of these to the server but he just said “oh, okay” and took the plates away and never came back with any apologies. You pay upfront in La Papa so we felt trapped by this situation.

My acai bowl was okay but lacked any real substance or flavour for €9.50. There looked like some nice dishes around but everything looked so small for the price you pay. It seemed like your paying for the opportunity to post a picture of your food and that is where all the thought and money has gone to here, not on the actual taste or quality of the food.

I imagine this place will continue to have a large line outside but believe me, the place is not worth the price...