Sensi Tapas — Restaurant in Barcelona

I first visited Sensi Tapas seven years ago and had a great experience. Amazing food, incredibly friendly staff, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It was the kind of place where you could relax, take your time, and truly enjoy the energy and culture of the Gothic Quarter.

Sadly, my recent visit was quite different. The experience felt rushed and transactional. The table next to us had just received their drinks when the staff started pressuring them to move to a different table. Meanwhile, the servers were loudly slamming down plates as they reset the new table, which disrupted the entire vibe. It didn’t feel like the relaxed, welcoming place I once knew. It felt like they just wanted to turn tables quickly.

To their credit, the hosts did try to make up for the situation by removing the last round of drinks from the bill but the damage was already done. It wasn’t just us who noticed but several guests seemed uncomfortable too. Several waiters made us feel uncomfortable too when they wanted to turn our table and rushing us. What’s more, I walked to the other Sensi location just a few blocks away, hoping for a different vibe and was met with the same rushed attitude from the moment I walked in.

If there’s a time limit on tables, that’s totally understandable but it should be communicated clearly and openly. I have no issue with that but be upfront and honest. There are plenty of excellent tapas options in this neighborhood. I would think twice before coming here if you’re hoping to sit down, unwind, and enjoy a lovely time.

In reply to the Sensi response:

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I genuinely appreciate the acknowledgment and the effort your team puts into creating a positive experience. As I mentioned, I had a great visit years ago and was really hoping to feel that same connection again.

That said, my review wasn’t meant to judge the restaurant as a whole or disregard the hard work of your team. I shared my recent experience because it felt like a noticeable shift from what I once loved about Sensi, not just at our table, but for others around us that evening as well.

I understand the need to manage reservations and turn tables efficiently. My suggestion would be to communicate that expectation more clearly and find a way to balance efficiency with the warm, relaxed atmosphere that originally set you apart. In my case, I walked in without a reservation and was seated right away, so I wasn’t aware of any time constraints.

Thanks again for the acknowledgment. I hope to return in the future under different...

Update: thank you for responding. I’d like to clarify that she did not encourage us to order food. She made no mention that food was required. I actually got her attention because I was going to order food. She then took that opportunity to accuse us of not telling her that we were initially there for drinks. We clarified that we did tell her but she got upset and said that we did not say anything. I then cancelled my food order, paid for drinks, then left.

Either way, if the restaurant expects patrons to order food, they can communicate that respectfully, which she did not. She yelled at me in front of other customers which was humiliating.

My partner also notified her that we did not have a reservation but she still let us in. She could’ve rejected us from the very start and that would’ve been fine.

As a tourist, how am I supposed to know what this restaurant expects? I will say again, that she could have respectfully encouraged us to buy food, but she did not. She just yelled at me in front of other customers, which was again, extremely humiliating.

Do better.

———— Start original review:

Wow the lady server / hostess with long dark straight hair was so rude! We came in and my partner told them we would be here for drinks. It’s pretty loud in there so I guess she didn’t hear him because she then came up to me and told me quite rudely that I should’ve let her know bc she had to turn away a couple who might have ordered food.

I told her that she was remembering things incorrectly bc she didn’t even speak to me, she spoke with my partner and he told her we were there for drinks.

There were also 2 empty tables when she told us that she needed to turn others away.

She could have let us know nicely that this wasn’t a drinks place and that we had to order food and we would understand and leave quickly. Instead, she chose to blame us and embarrass me in front of other customers.

She definitely needs a lesson in how to handle situations where miscommunication may have...

Food was okay Creme brulee was bad. Tartare was not a tartare but raw bites. Service was bad. Glass was dirty with a big rest of food. Exchange of wine was not possible. Not even finishing the drinks we are asked to leave.

Thank you very much for your reply. I would like to clarify a few points. The issue regarding the maximum reservation time was entirely on my side, as I did not check the email and the WhatsApp confirmation did not include this information. That said, we were seated at 20:27 and left at 22:06, which totals 1 hour and 39 minutes. I can confirm the departure times through my Uber booking, which may be more reliable than estimation. This would also be in line with your policy of 1 hour and 40 minutes; if otherwise, this should have been communicated in advance, which unfortunately was not the case.

I also want to emphasize that I am absolutely willing to vacate a table when needed. However, I found it unnecessary that two waiters approached us rather abruptly within a two-minute window, even though we had already confirmed we would finish our drinks and leave.

Regarding the wine, I completely understand that a wine cannot be exchanged purely on the basis of personal taste. My concern was not the wine itself, but the way the situation was handled. The wine did not taste as expected from the description and similar wines, which I fully accept as a natural variation. What I found disappointing was the waiter’s reaction — he appeared visibly upset and asked how he was supposed to sell the wine, without even tasting it himself to confirm whether it was in order. If this is considered appropriate service, then I may indeed have misunderstood your standards.

Thank you again for your reply and for being open to...