Talla Restaurant — Restaurant in Cadaqués

The food was delicious. We ordered 7 dishes. Everything was fresh, flavours were well balanced, tasty. It was perfect. BUT the service was not as good as the food, which was a bit disappointing.

We ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate my birthday. So we would have expected to not pour our glasses ourselves. We had to ask twice for the salt. My boyfriend spilled over his glass, the manager saw this, did nothing. My boyfriend told the waitress when she took off his plate. She said she was sorry. I used my napkin to clean it myself. And never had another one to enjoy the next dishes.

The weather was a bit windy, the team told us when we made the reservation earlier in the day. And they called us one hour before to confirm our booking knowing that it'll be cold. Which was great. We saw two people inside at the bar having one last glass after their dinner. So we asked if we could do the same. It was not possible because there was only one chair available, even if one us could stand. But there were two chairs available. The couple was sitting in between. I think they would have been OK to move so the four of us could sit there.

I asked the waiter if I could talk to the chef. They sent me the manager. I double asked if he was the chef, if he was cooking, he said no. He asked me if I could wait for 5 minutes cause the chef was busy. I said yes. We 've been waiting for ten. Manager came back and told me I could go directly to the serving hatch. Been there, complimented the chef about the food, and told him the service quality was not as high as the food, which was sad. Explained we couldn't have a last drink at the bar. He thanked us for the compliments and said he was happy with the team.

Don't get me wrong, the staff was very kind and friendly. But the food quality and the prices require a high standard service. And taking the time to wait under the rain to talk to the chef, giving him an honest feedback that had been totally ignored was very disappointing. I feel like they know the food is good, they got good reviews on google, the place will be full anyway cause Cadaquès is very touristic. So who cares about client feedback? Good...

In short: the restaurant is the perfect example of how admirable artistry of chefs at the kitchen can be spoiled by cold and inconsiderate service. Starting with off-putting experiences.. table reservation system is somewhat untransparant and seems that places are booked through other systems as several days ahead only a place at 22-30 available. When we ordered a table at 22-30 and arrived at the time, we noticed that there was only one table prepared and empty. we were pleased to see we were expected. Up until the moment when we checked in with a waiter, after which she kicked out a couple sitting at the table by the road to finish their wine in two chairs by the entrance, hastily cleaned up their table and let us sit. When we asked if it's possible to sit at the table that was and remained empty (as it also was located closer to the water), we were given a 'Noo' without any further comments. We also immediately identified the 'rude' waitress people were talking about in other comments. She was not exactly rude, but rather arrogant unwelcoming. About the atmosphere (as Google suggest we give a score).. Well there is no specific distinct vibe there, nothing to note. The food is indeed delicious all our admirations go to the chefs and the kitchen people. Very thought through and good restaurant level dishes, kudos to the guys. Hope they'll get balanced with a perfect service...

The food and location are outstanding. We visit Cadaqués once a year, and Talla has always been our go-to restaurant.

Unfortunately, the service has declined over time, and this visit was disappointing enough to feel the need to write a review.

We had a 20:00 reservation, which meant we had the table until 22:00. While two hours is rather limited for a fine dining experience, we accepted this in advance. At 21:35 we still had one dish to go and asked if there was enough time to order dessert and another bottle of wine. The waiter assured us it was fine, so we placed the order. However, shortly after, the bill was presented while we were still eating, with the expectation that we pay immediately. When I pointed out an error on the bill, the waiter dismissed it with: “Does it matter? It’s only a few euros.”

When leaving, I asked why they let us order if we wouldn’t be given the time to finish. The response was rude and defensive, blaming us for the situation.

For a high-end restaurant charging €350 for four people, this level of service is unacceptable (the bill is included as a photo, we decided to leave no tip due to this experience).

I am no longer sure I would return. By contrast, the next day we dined at El Viatge, where the food was equally excellent, but the service was far superior—though without Talla’s stunning...