Restaurant Cadaqués | Barcelona — Restaurant in Barcelona

We had lunch here on a Tuesday, a bank holiday, without reservation, but the waiters were able to find a table for us after half an hour. Very grateful but we would have appreciated a drink or an appetizer during the waiting. The place is very nice and welcoming, very enjoyable atmosphere. Most of the fresh fish was no more available (good sign: we were late and they use fresh material only), but the waiter was very kind to recommend us the best they had and to accomodation our requests.

While deciding on what to order, we were welcomed with olives and a signature-dish beautiful appetizer. We had the esqueixada and the tartare of beef with heart of tuna. The esqueixada was beautifully presented, and very tasty. Very fresh cod, nicely persisting taste of the vegetables. The tartare was amazing. It comes like a beautiful ingot of meat, and the waiter would then grate on it smoked tuna belly; the combination was unexpected and just perfect, with the tuna adding that umami flavour to an already rich meat. We then had redfish cooked on wood embers, with a garlic sauce. The fish is portioned at the table, and the head and backbone are left in another plate for those willing to try them, and I would strongly recommend to do so as they are very rich in flavours. The fish was perfectly cooked and very tasty. I specifically asked to have only a vinaigrette on the side, to enjoy the pure flavour of the fish, and I enjoyed its texture and taste. We also had a green salad with onions and an escalivada, both very nicely presented and well prepared. We closed this nice journey with a crema catalana, cooked to perfection. The price is right for the quality of the food, the very enjoyable and welcoming service, and the place.

We did not have any of the rice dishes, but I would recommend try an arroz on the wood.

I would strongly recommend to make a reservation and to ask for specific food to be reserved for you if you have something...

I rarely do a review but now I have to. I don't understand why the Cadaqués Barcelona restaurant got 4.4 out of 5 reviews. This restaurant was a rip off and we learned our lesson, 98 euro for a lunch for two. You have to be careful when ordering because you may be paying for the bad food and twice the price in the menu because it was for two people.

It was our first full day in Barcelona. We came early to the restaurant on recommendation from our guide after a tour. We ordered a paella for 34 euro to share among other things. The paella was so salty and the rice was chewy like uncooked. We tried but only finished one quarter of it.

Upon getting the bill, we were charged 68 euro for paella. We told them we had ordered only one portion to share but they insisted it was made for two. They asked if we wanted to take out the leftover paella and of course the answer was "No, thanks". Imagine we had to pay 68 euro for terrible food that we could not eat.

For almost an hour we were at the restaurant, there was only one couple entered the restaurant. Upon exiting we saw people lining up waiting to enter a restaurant across the street. What a pity... we had picked the wrong one!

Bad food, rip off and 4.4 reviews... I had no idea how and why. My only explanation is that this restaurant is probably under a new owner and/or...

I usually don’t put much weight on 1–2 star reviews, but I should have listened this time. Maybe it was because we went toward the end of the night, but that shouldn’t affect food or service when you’re paying €50–100 per person.

Things started off well with a friendly hostess, but it quickly went downhill. Our server rarely came by, and when he did, the energy was low.

The highlight of the night was the tomato salad—it was excellent and gave us high hopes for the paella. Unfortunately, the paella was a complete letdown. The rice was undercooked and very hard, simply seasoned with saffron, and topped with a few pieces of meat. That was it—no depth of flavor, no variety, nothing memorable. I almost never leave food on the table, but this was the first meal I couldn’t finish in Europe. We left about half the dish untouched. Duck Meat was also very bland.

When we mentioned this to the waiter (who hadn’t even checked on us until much later despite the restaurant being nearly empty), he just shrugged and walked away—no explanation, no effort to do anything.

I would never recommend this place. I found it on Google, but wish I hadn’t. I won’t judge paella as a dish based on this experience—I’ve had far better versions outside of Spain—but sadly, this was my first one in Spain, and it was a major...