Telefèric Barcelona Long Beach — Restaurant in Long Beach

Teleféric Barcelona at 2nd & PCH is visually stunning -- white lattice walls, vibrant Mediterranean tiles, and warm oak accents transport you straight to Spain. It's the kind of setting that raises expectations for an equally elevated dining experience. Unfortunately, on our Dine.LA night, beauty was the only thing delivered on time.

We had an 8:00 PM reservation but were seated at 8:30 under a ceiling drip from condensation. Service began politely, a very polite server took our drink orders and confirmed our three-course Dine.LA menu: three tapas, paella, and churros. Tapas arrived unevenly. The third tapa was delayed after being served to another table.

By 9:35, paella has not arrived and no news. We learned after inquiring, the kitchen had run out of medium pans and were offered a large one "ready in five minutes." Fifteen minutes later, still nothing. When we asked again, the manager debated our wait time before apologizing. The paella finally arrived a few minutes before 10PM -- over an hour after our first bite.

Sangria - A sangria should be a conversation between wine, fruit, and subtle sweetness; here, one voice spoke far too loudly.

Food notes:

Tuna tartar mini taco -- fresh, cleanly presented, my favorite bite.

Mini eggroll -- crisp outside, juicy inside.

Fried potatoes with aioli -- comforting but ordinary.

Paella -- shrimp, pork, chicken, octopus; passable flavor, modest portion depth.

Choco churros -- gooey chocolate filling, satisfying finish.

The manager offered a 50% discount, which we appreciated, and we left the included 18% tip plus $10 cash.

Some restaurants aims to feed you. Others craft an experience. The exceptional ones achieve both -- but that requires flawless execution across the board. This restaurant, I thought, tries to aim for both.

Dining is both an art and a business. Teleféric Barcelona aspires to offer not just a satisfying meal, but a memorable experience. On this particular evening, with our table, that aspiration didn't translate...

The food tasted very good. I had the shrimp and bacon ravioli in cream sauce. With that I had the roasted brussel sprouts in aoili sauce. Both were delicious. The foamy cream sauce on spicy, nutty brussel sprouts was tasty. The four raviolis had seemingly very fresh shrimp in them,

These menu items came with in less than 7 minutes. My dining companion waited over 20 minutes for her salmon. The establishment was not crowded when we arrived so I am not sure what took so long. The server apologized.

When the salmon came the cauliflower sauce was very good and the salmon tasted very fresh. This is a fancy establishment so I expected the portions to be small and they were (see my picture of the salmon plate). But the paella portion was not small ( also pictured).

Because the staff knew it was my birthday and because my dining companion waited so long for her salmon I received a complimentary piece of french toast cake with a dallop of ice cream. The icecream had just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the french toast cake.

The atmosphere was hip. The establishment has fancy food but l saw people coming in in flip flops and backwards baseball caps with sweatpants.

The piped in music when we arrived at 5pm sounded like Regatton. It was loud. That was okay when there were few people there. By the time we left the establishment had filled up and it was a bit too loud.

Our bill for the grilled salmon plate, the shrimp and bacon ravioli, the roasted brussel sprouts plus sparkling water was $75. Tips are included in the bill.

I would recommend this restaurants for nights out with friends. I would not consider it a place to bring kids. I am not sure I would consider it for first dates because it is loud.

The restaurant also has a bar. In addition they have got baskets for sale of food items from...

I'm glad this new location opened closer to home, as I've been to other places and enjoyed the experience. However, it might be dangerously close. Teleferic faces the street along E. Marina Dr. in the 2nd and PCH Mall. It might be a good sunset dining spot. As pricey as it is, Teleferic Barcelona is a perfect place to treat yourself or celebrate a special occasion.

FOOD As I've been to other locations, I knew what to expect. We ordered a few favorites and some items we had yet to try. Overall, we enjoyed the tapas and entrées we ordered. The dinner highlights were the Lobster Paella with crispy rice bottom, Empanadas, Crab Croquetas with tuna sashimi, Pulpo, Patatas Bravas, and Prime Wellington. The Paella Negra is also a delicious option I've enjoyed in the past.

For dessert, we shared the Trío Selection and La Cookie. The Trio was a great option for trying a few popular items. Our server also recommended La Cookie. The cookie with nuts and vanilla ice cream was delicious, and the half-baked cookie dough and chocolate filling were decadent and rich.

The drink menu showcases crafted cocktails and sangrias, and a full bar will satisfy all your libation needs. Our table enjoyed the Teleferic Sangias and the Virgin Gothic Mojito.

ATMOSPHERE We made reservations for a 7 p.m. dinner and were seated within a few minutes after checking in. The atmosphere is modern, with proper lighting in the main dining area and more moody near the windows. The noise level was moderately loud, so our conversations and hearing the server were challenging initially, but we managed.

OVERALL We had a fantastic dining experience. Our excellent server (Edy?) and staff were kind and attentive throughout our meal. We were satisfied with all the food we ordered and didn't feel overly stuffed or needed...