Restaurant Casa Delfín — Restaurant in Barcelona

I will start with a positive... location is great. However, the rest of the experience was terrible, especially the barman. We waited 25 mins to receive a menu, and when we were ready to order, we ended up with an abrupt and unfriendly waiter to take our order. I ordered a bottle of water, and before he had a chance to open it, I asked if we could get one that isn't cold as my elderly mum is recovering from a cough. The barman rolled his eyes and huffed, which I thought was ridiculous, but I just smiled and apologised for the inconvenience. We had paella, which was ok, and then spent another 20 minutes trying to get the attention of a waiter so we could pay. When we finally received the bill, I thought they had made a mistake as it was more money than the price on the menu (found out there is a 15% surcharge for sitting outside. It is on the menu but easily missed, so watch out!) so rather than wait another 20 minutes longer, I went in to ask for a menu to check the price. Barman responds there is a menu on your table and then walks away. I said there wasn't, then he waves a QR code at me. I ask, "Can I please have a physical menu?" it is behind him, and he rolls his eyes again and responds, "Ugh, something wrong with your phone." I was so shocked by his rudeness I brought up that his attitude was so unnecessary considering I was and had been polite. He laughed and waved me off. One of the other waiters had to step in and apologise for him, but...

One can simply not visit Spain and not eat a sizzling pan of paella 🥘. Honestly, I feel like we could have visited any restaurant in the city and been served a delicious plate of food, but this was a little recap of my dining experience.

We were seated on the edge of the restaurant, getting the best of both worlds - the warmth of the sun and breeze, and the vibey atmosphere of the restaurant. We spent around €79/ $133 AUD altogether, which is on the pricey side, but luckily it delivered 😫

FEATURED FOOD: 🥘 seafood paella - full of flavour, rice was cooked nicely despite not having much socarract, and the seafood was delicious.

🌭cured chorizo and manchego cheese - very umami, fatty, and mildly salty chorizo that went superbly with the manchego. Honestly I’m becoming obsessed with this cheese, it might actually be my favourite. It’s a semi-soft sheep cheese, which usually isn’t my thing but it has the crystalline sweetness of parmesan, while being milder than any cheddar I’ve had.

🌶️ roasted chillies - a great starter which made me ready to eat. Was mild spicy and very fruity.

🚨 Attenzione pickpocket note: while the food was fantastic, we unfortunately had two of our bags stolen at some point during the meal. They were taken from our seat and none of us noticed any suspicious behaviour- it was near ghost work. So please be hyper vigilant when travelling in Europe in general. Always hold your bags...

We came in without a reservation after trying another place, a day earlier than we had planned to visit. It turned out to be meant to be.

My partner was craving scallops, and they were on the menu—a real highlight for her, as she had never eaten the entire scallop, including the roe. I started with the confit tuna belly, which was a fantastic way to begin the meal.

For the main course, I had the traditional oven-roasted chicken, and it was absolutely delicious. The meat was perfectly cooked, tender, and fell right off the bone. My only regret is not asking for bread to soak up more of the incredible flavors. I would return to Barcelona just to experience this dish again.

For dessert, we shared a cheesecake with a pistachio crust, topped with berries and a mandarin sauce. The pistachio added a subtle contrast to the sweetness of the cheesecake, while the mandarin sauce provided just the right amount of tang. It was a truly flavorful finish to the meal.

The service was excellent. They were quick to bring the drinks, and we didn't have to wait long to place our food order. I also appreciated the timing between the entrée and the main course, which gave us a chance to cleanse our palates with wine and enjoy some conversation...