Palosanto. Tapas Bar (Raval) — Restaurant in Barcelona

I had high expectations for this place but was unfortunately disappointed. First of all, although the place opens at 6 PM, when we arrived slightly past 6, we were told to wait outside awkwardly for 10 - 15 minutes before we could be seated. The place was obviously empty, but it just wasn't ready to receive the guests yet. Well, we didn't care at that point, as we thought such things can happen.

Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that although the place opens at 6, they don't serve food until 7 PM. I thought it was slightly odd for a "tapas bar", especially that you only find out about it once you already enter the place. Nevertheless, I didn't think of it as a big issue, as you can simply sit back, relax and enjoy some delicious sangria (for example 😉).

Thirdly, and most importantly I think, we weren't received in a friendly and welcoming manner. Right from the start I felt like we were a bother to the person in charge at that point in time. They weren't rude per se, but they weren't enthusiastic either. I don't expect anyone to jump from happiness, but simply a genuine smile wouldn't hurt one bit.

On top of that, the person attending us simply brought us our dishes each time without opening their mouth at all. I mean, it is nice to hear at least "here you go" or "enjoy your meal", for instance. They just looked like they really didn't want to be there. I understand that attending guests at a (somewhat) busy bar/restaurant can be quite tiring or you can simply have a bad day but I am just describing my personal experience. I don't know if anyone else felt similarly, but if the people attending guests at this bar are always like this then maybe it's not the right place for them.

Lastly, overall, the food was good. However, the octopus a lot of people were raving about wasn't that tasty after all and definitely not worth its high price. Same goes to the chicken fingers, which were just okay and pretty expensive. Patatas bravas were really good and their olives and croquettes were simply delicious! Nonetheless, I think that white sangria stole the limelight that evening. It was the best sangria we've ever tried.

I really wish I could give this place a better rating, but there were a few factors that have negatively influenced our dining experience. I would visit this bar again and maybe try other tapas, as I am sure it's worth it, and to see whether we were simply unlucky to come across not so enthusiastic...

We have visited this place twice, food was amazing, but unfortunetly we could not come and continue our experience here again because of bad service. The very first time we came waiter seemed just a bit bothered when we asked if we can have a sit outside, so we thought, fair enough he may be a bit tired, but well when we visited the second time it was much worst. When we arrived the only free table there, was reserved for later on, so we talked to this “cool waiter” that we will be hoping for someone to finish soon and will jump to their one ( still he did not even take drink order or has given menu ) After 15 min we did jump into empty table, being happy that we will be able to possibly eat what we had last time, we waited for our lovely waiter to arrive and take our order, instead he skipped us and went to a table behind, and all the way back to restaurant, like that we waited for 15 min again, finally he came but not to take order or with menu but to put a sign on our table “reserved” and left, we decided to walk towards actuall restaurant and place an order for take away, which now after all seems naive, we should have left straight away. I don’t think I was ever treated this way, that is our third visit in Spain, to be frank never met a waiter like that in my life, especially Spanish one, put me off completly...

My Unexpected Gem: Palosanto Tapas Bar in Raval

I stumbled upon Palosanto Tapas Bar in Raval on a whim, and what a delightful surprise it turned out to be! The place greeted me with a cozy vibe that felt just right for a solo dinner adventure.

Romina, my waitress for the evening, was truly wonderful. Her English wasn't perfect, but her spot-on dish recommendations and her genuinely kind attitude made my visit special. It was clear she really wanted to make my dining experience memorable.

The food was a standout. Those artichokes were unexpectedly amazing, and I don't think I'll stop thinking about how delicious that lobster was anytime soon. And the sangria? Absolutely divine. Every single tapa I tried was a winner, making me eager to plan my next visit.

Dining alone at Palosanto was an experience I’ll cherish – it was not just about the amazing food but also the warm, welcoming atmosphere that made my evening. If you’re ever in Raval and in the mood for some fantastic tapas, Palosanto Tapas Bar is the spot. Can’t...