Tantarantana — Restaurant in Barcelona

It’s a 4.5/5 review and I’ll break down the details in my review. Also we visited this restaurant at less busy times, therefore experience may differ.

I got this place recommended by a Spanish co-worker of mine, whose hometown is Barcelona and therefore we had high hops for this place! Needless to say, I’m glad to announce that we weren’t disappointed!

We went as a group and were seated quite fast. The waiter seemed to be in a hurry, yet friendly.

For the feed we’d ordered a lot and they all came quite fast. We’d ordered a lot of meat dishes and the beetroot-hummus and my highlight was the pork and potatoes dish.

The pork was very tender and juicy and well seasoned with a slight touch of sweetness. I couldn’t eat enough of it and even had the to ask my friend if I could finish the last bit of her meal (since she was the one ordering it)!

I went for the meatballs and potatoes and the meatballs must be homemade, since they differ a lot from the frozen ones you’d get from regular supermarkets! The tomato sauce was delightful as well!

For the beef stew, it was similar like the meatballs, except of tomato sauce it came with a delicious stew-juice and also potato strings

We’d ordered fried eggplant as well and they were something like I’ve never eaten before! Glazed with honey and a fried outer shell it tasted anything like eggplant, but in a good way!

The beetroot-hummus I can only recommend it as well. It’s better to order it as a starter or for discussions within groups!

Now the downsides of the restaurant:

There are only two toilets for both male and female and although we’d visited Tantarantana at calm times, there could be long queues during busy times!

Due to the old house they are located in, there was this undeniable strong smell pf toilet cabins. However, once the delightful food arrived, you won’t smell a scent...

Situated in a quiet side street in Barcelona in El Born, Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine come alive in an intimate tapas tavern. Tantarantana is known for authentic tapas and traditional ingredients served in beautiful presentations. Tantarantana is simple food done right, which focuses on the flavors of the cuisine and highlighting the right combinations of the freshest ingredients.

I had lunch with a friend at Tantarantana, and the restaurant was busy. However, the service was impeccable and the staff was attentive. The outside terrace was very relaxing; with enough tables providing seating though the space feels cozy and intimate.

We started with mini organic beef burgers with foie, batter-fried calamari, and peppers from Padron. The peppers were delicious, a great mix of hot and not, and the beef was juicy and the perfect sampling size. The calamari was fried to golden-brown, crispy outside, tender inside.

Portions were perfect for sharing, so we ordered a variety of entrees to split between us. The cod with tomatoes, capers, jilts and rosemary oil was incredible, and the mix of the fish with the peppery capers and woodsy rosemary was spot on. “Dashed” fried eggs with homemade chips, foie and PX was probably the best-tasting egg dish I’ve had in Spain!

My favorite dish was the mussels with coconut, chili and coriander, because the combination of flavors played off one another and really sparked my taste buds. I couldn’t get enough of it. She enjoyed the tender Iberian pork cheek with straw potatoes, as the meat was succulent and well-seasoned.

I didn’t think it could get any better, but then we got to dessert. The 70% Cacao chocolate mousse was decadent, while the black chocolate brownie was rich and the cinnamon ice cream added the right about of spice and...

Ruined our experience of Barcelona If you don’t order a 3 course meal, be prepared for a second class type of service... to say the least. We came here on a Sunday at 15:00 and there were plenty of empty tables upstairs and outside, we sat down at one of them with the consent of the waitress but as we “only” ordered wine and deserts, we were harshly told we wouldn’t be allowed to stay for long or should move to a small table in the corner of the restaurant should more customers arrive. I absolutely understand that at the end of the day this is a business, but whether we are tourists or whether we are not ordering a main course, that doesn’t justify talking to people like dogs ! So to the staff, let me tell you, it’s not ok to treat people differently depending on how much they order It’s not ok to be aggressive with customers At the end of the day, you really have lost some sense of humanity I felt so unwelcome that we left and I’m sure they were happy we did. When we mentioned on our way out that several tables were free, we were told “gracias, muy amables” in an ironic tone.

Tantarantana, you may think about having a fixed menu course if you have a problem with à la carte ordering. Or maybe put up a sign for minimum spending allowed. You did manage to ruin our experience of Barcelona in a few minutes, so let me tell you “thank you” if...