Telefèric Barcelona — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

Unfortunately I will never be returning to Telefèric. The food is amazing and the staff is usually- from past experiences, great. Today we seen the complete opposite. Let me start by saying that I am no one special, and I do not expect people to cater to me and my every need immediately and push other customers out of the way just to get my food there first by any means. My partner, and I made prior reservations for our visit there today as well. Upon walking in the restaurant appeared to be a lot less busy than usual, I typically come at peak hour times and have still never received such poor service. For example, we get seated first in an empty section- we put our drink orders in with the waitress first as well as 3 appetizers. After she records our order- 2 separate parties are seated in our area. Mind you this AFTER we placed our order with her. The two separate parties sitting right next to us, received their food and multiple appetizers before we had received anything. Each time I have been to that restaurant mind you I have been there over 10+ times we have been told that the paella takes about 45 minutes or more to make. The party next to us. I got seated about 15 minutes after us received three orders of paella, and proceeded to order appetizers after they receive their paella, and we still at this point had not gotten our food. The couple next to us ordered appetizers we sat and watched them, eat all of their food, and still had nothing there. We finally received our drinks and appetizers. I asked the waitress where the other appetizer is and she looked a bit confused and said it will be right out.. We received that one appetizer that she said would be right out about 20 minutes later. The couple next to us had ordered even more food, and at this point had already finished their food and paid before we had even gotten half of our order and again, this was seated way after us with no reservations. When ordering my favorite appetizer, which is the Spanish meatballs, while I was chewing my food, I felt like there was something strange in my mouth. I thought it might have been a piece of food that just wasn’t cooked correctly or had a different texture to it, however It was a piece of plastic Piece of plastic that I could have choked on or gotten sick from. Because I love this place so much I’m a practical person and I understand that things happen and it’s not intentional so I did not raise concern to this, and just disregarded it for the moment. Came back to ask if we wanted anything more to eat and we still hadn’t received the appetizers that we put in for initially and she came back to ask if we wanted to order anything else when I asked her if we were still waiting on the food that we had put in initially, she said it’ll be on the way. I started to raise concern when it had been about an hour, and we still hadn’t received anything. We were literally just watching people eat and sipping on the melted ice from our drinks at this point. As I started to look around the restaurant, I noticed that our waitress was serving food to people that had gotten there almost 45 minutes after us and here we are still waiting for our initial order of appetizers. I’m not sure if our younger age or the way we were more casually dressed. Had anything to do with it and they were just disregarding us because we were just some dumb kids in their eyes or whatever the case is- maybe they didn’t think we were capable of paying for our food because of our young age or because of how we were casually dressed in leggings and a hoodie and I really don’t want to turn it into some thing like that, but I had more than enough money to probably pay for everyone’s food there. Whatever the case may be, I have never experienced such poor service from such an excellent well-known restaurant. My partner and I have gone at such busy times and still received better service and received all of our food and then some. We left not even being able to get all the favorite appetizers that we ordered because they were...

Telefèric Barcelona continues to be a standout destination for exceptional Spanish cuisine in Walnut Creek. This family favorite never disappoints, offering a perfect blend of delicious food, outstanding service, and a beautiful atmosphere.

Pros: Authentic Spanish cuisine under Chef Oscar's guidance Standout dishes: jamón ibérico, croquetas, paellas Accommodating service for dietary restrictions Beautiful indoor and outdoor seating options Perfect for special occasions and family gatherings

Cons: Patio can be hot on warm days (but still beautiful)

Detailed Review: Telefèric Barcelona has become our go-to spot for annual birthday celebrations, and for good reason. The culinary experience, led by Chef Oscar, is consistently outstanding and true to its Spanish roots.

We always start with the jamón ibérico, a true delicacy that sets the tone for the meal. The croquetas are another must-try appetizer, perfectly crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. This visit, I tried the tuna tataki special, which was a delightful addition to our usual favorites.

The star of the show, however, is always the paella. We typically order two to share: the ibérico paella and the paella negra. Both are absolutely delicious, showcasing the kitchen's skill with this classic Spanish dish.

Service is top-notch, with special mention to our server Moises, who was incredibly attentive and accommodating to our table's various allergies. This level of care really elevates the dining experience.

The atmosphere at Telefèric Barcelona is another highlight. While we dined on the patio this time (which was beautiful but a bit warm), the interior is equally stunning, transporting you to a chic Barcelona eatery. It's the perfect setting for a special meal.

Don't skip dessert! The French toast-style dish we had was a revelation - crispy and flaky on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfectly complemented by ice cream. It was a fantastic end to an already stellar meal.

Bottom Line: Telefèric Barcelona continues to impress year after year with its exceptional authentic Spanish food, attentive service, and lovely ambiance. It's an ideal spot for special occasions or when you're craving a taste of Spain in the East Bay. Whether you're a regular or a first-time visitor, Telefèric Barcelona is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Tip: Make a reservation, especially for special occasions, and don't hesitate to ask about daily specials - they're...

My wife and I had 2 of their specialty cocktails (craft versions of espresso martini and margarita), the pulpo teleferic (octopus in potato pureé) tapa, bruselas (Brussels sprouts with aged cheese and honey-lemon dressing), and the lobster paella with socarrat (crisped rice). Total for everything before tax and tip was about $120. Considering the drinks were sufficiently strong and all the food was tasty and filling, we had a great dinner here. The 2 things that would definitely draw us back would be the octopus tapa and the lobster paella...sooo good!

We were there on a busy Saturday night and glad we made reservations for high counter seating earlier that afternoon. (They also have standard table seating, but reservations for these go quickly on busy nights.) Our reservation was at 7:15, we checked in at 7:10, and we were seated at 7:20...perfectly acceptable, especially given the somewhat full waiting area.

Service during dinner was very good, considering how full the restaurant was. We never got to a point where we were wondering where our server had gone off to. After taking our orders within 5-7 minutes of getting seated, he regularly checked in with us during the meal and brought the check soon after we declined to have dessert.

The atmosphere was a bit busier and louder than is our normal preference, but it wasn't to the point where it negatively affected our dining experience. The high counter seating was just barely enough room for our drinks, small dining plates, and dishes we ordered, but we were fine with it. Next time, we may try to make reservations a few days before for the standard seating, but we'd still be fine with high counter.

By far, the worst part is parking. There's a small metered parking lot next to the building, but there are 2 other dining establishments in the building, so there was no parking to be had there. There's also metered street parking, but no availability nearby either. Google Maps indicated some other parking lots available within about one block, most not free. Since we were there about 20 minutes early, we opted for a parking garage at the nearby movie theater where the first 4 hours are free. It was only 1-1/2 blocks away on a pleasant evening, so it worked out well for us. Short story is that if you get there early enough, there will be parking available within a block or two.

For us, based on this meal, we definitely plan to keep going back to...