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Great and imaginative menu. Cute spot. Didn't have reservations so sat at the bar. Was met by a super friendly bartender that took good care of us. Menu was thru a QR code...ugh! But luckily they provided an iPad with the menu loaded so it came in a larger format. Started with a Cops de Garcia red wine, then a Gillis con bacalao, followed by a duck paella and a carrier's de cardo. All were delicious with presented beautifully. Each dish had subtle and unique flavors that blended well together. The portions were on the small side but great nonetheless. An enjoyable evening!
We came in for dinner and although we did not have a reservation, they are able to take us without a wait. The place is small and feels like you're walking through a labyrinth. It has a very intimate feel, and they have interesting photography and artwork on display. Our server was friendly and was able to give great recommendations about the menu. One of my favorite things was that the wine menu is on a tablet, you can select the wine and read about the various notes and see what foods will pair well with it. Based on the server's recommendations, we ordered the duck and mushroom paella along with the classic seafood paella. The duck mushroom paella was so delicious and flavorful. I think we should have tried the seafood paella first, since it seemed underwhelming after eating the mushroom duck paella. The tortilla de Betanzo was simple and delicious. The scallops were accompanied by an amazing sauce, that left me wanting more. For dessert, we ordered the tarta de queso ahumado, such unique and well blended flavors. The food was a bit pricey but the quality was great.
Arume is one of the popular spots in Barcelona for paella, but specifically the duck paella. It's special because you don't often find a duck paella on the menu. Be aware that you don't get the socarrat (crispy bottom) that many paellas have, but the flavor itself is still worthwhile. The restaurant is located along some "sketchy" alleys, but just head straight here and out. Once inside, it's led into multiple rooms into the back that feels like an underground cave. To start off, we had some Bread (€1.50), Butifa Croquettes (€3/pcs), and Bay Scallop (€7.50/pcs). The bread came with a tube of olive oil, which was pretty cool way to be served. The croquette and scallop were both good, although quite pricey for each item. For main entrees, we shared the Iberian Pork (€22.50) and Duck Paella (€18.50). Both of these dishes were incredibly flavorful and delicious. The sauce on the dish was savory and this meat was so tender. The paella was also full of flavor balanced with the cream mixture. It's more similar to a porridge consistency, but still so tasty. This dish is just so unique that you need to try it for yourself. Overall, delicious food, dim-lit environment, and friendly customer service. It's a pricier meal, but everything we had was delicious.
The service here was so wonderful. We loved Emmy! The location is not great and it was hard to find the place, but worth looking for. We tried the octopus and the tortilla de patata and liked both. We loved the duck paella! We also had the marisco paella but two out of four of us did not love it. Overall it was great and we'd love to come back!
Skip this place. First time in Barcelona, super excited to try seafood Paella in Spain. Worst paella I've ever had, flavor was awful. Also worst and most expensive meal I had in Barcelona. We had a paella cooking class scheduled elsewhere that week, I was going to cancel thinking if this is what Paella tastes like in Spain no thanks, thankfully the paella we made in class was delicious, thus confirming it's just this place that has bad paella. I think people see the good reviews and feel bad leaving an honest one, but it was so disappointing I feel it's only fair to honestly warn others because we wish we skipped this place. Also Sangria is flavorless due to being watered down.
One of the best meals I had in Barcelona. There are so many tapas and paella spots that it's hard to find one that really stands out, but I was wrong. Everything I had at Arume stood out. From the layout of the place (there was clear glass over a well that you walk over as decoration) to the music choices, the vibes were just on par. We asked the waiter to choose a white and red for us that she recommended. Each bottle she chose for us was delicious and right on the nose of what we had wanted. Appetizers -- We got the baked scallops (comes 2 per order) and the calamari. Both were flavorful and delicious. Main course -- Get the duck paella! If nothing else, I hope you at least try that. The duck paella is nothing I had like before. There were duck chunks, the flavor was on point and not too salty, and the cream on top helps balance out the flavors. The waiter said it was a single person portion, but we weren't too hungry and had order a lot of apps, along with fried pumpkin, that it was just the right size for 4 people. Dessert -- We were recommended the cheesecake brulee. It was not too sweet, nice and fluffy. Highly recommend making reservations to this place if you're traveling to Barcelona!
One of the highest Yelp ranked places in Barcelona and I know why. The food is delicious, the staff are full of smiles and the price is very reasonable. It's a cute restaurant with a warm environment as soon as you walk in. Items we tried: scallop- wow, fresh and they top it off with something crunchy with a little sauce. Fantastic! Duck paella - first time eating duck paella and absolutely delicious! Bread - bread is fresh and great tasting olive oil to go with it. Simple yet delicious.
We were SO excited to try this, but had an odd experience. The octopus appetizer was pre-cooked; I know this because the flavor was excellent but it was barely warm AND lightly fried. I even had a cold bite. The scallop I received was raw. The second one tasted like vanilla instead of truffle. The croquet was nice but I personally did not care for the flavor. The duck paella was actually not good- too little duck, too rich. Maybe it's me- I did not enjoy the flavor at all. The wine tablet was very cool; lots of details on the wines; loved that! The ambiance was just weird. I felt scared walking away from the restaurant- creepy guys walking around and women in full burkas. I don't know what has happened to this area of town, but I no longer feel safe here. I don't understand how this place is so well regarded on TripAdvisor or here. The photo is a view from inside the restaurant.
Contrary to popular opinion, Arume was pretty mediocre to me. Perhaps I had high expectations for this and it fell short of my expectations or I just ordered the wrong items. I may have not been impressed with my meal here, but other than that the service and hospitality made my experience quite pleasant. We made reservations for 8pm on a Wednesday night. Upon arrival, I was relieved we made reservations because the restaurant seemed rather small, but we soon found out that there's an extensive back area to the restaurant. We ordered the octopus tempura, ceviche, seafood paella and 2 drinks to share. I didn't love the texture of both the ceviche and octopus, but the shining factor of both dishes were the sauces drizzled on top of it. They really elevated the dish much more and helped the flavors of the seafood shine. A lot of people recommended the duck paella, but we opted for seafood paella just because of personal preference. Maybe that's where we went wrong, because I thought the paella was just average. The drinks, on the other hand, were delicious! I would come back here just for the blackberry mojito.
This is a cute tapas bar in a gritty part of town. It looks small at first glance, but there are a few additional rooms in the back. I had the seared tuna and fried octopus appetizers. Both were pretty good, but I thought the yuzu parmentier that came with the fried octopus had a funny taste and was unnecessary (1 star off). The grilled giant scallop was my favorite, as it had a ton of flavor and the sweet corn crema on top added a nice touch. The duck and mushroom paella had a wonderful umami flavor, but had very few pieces of duck and lacked the crispy bottom for a great paella (1 star off). The smoked cheesecake was just okay -- I did not detect any smoke flavor and it seemed days old. Overall, it was a nice place for lunch if you are in the area, but with all the tapas bars around, I probably would not make a special trip here.
Came here based on the other Yelp reviews. The restaurant has more seatings in the back. Ordered the duck paella as based on the other Yelp reviews. TBH, it's a little bit too heavy to eat. The scallops are really good, highly recommend them. The octopus was fried, not the raw ones that I was thinking. Interesting window to look down at the skeleton. The service is friendly and accommodating.
8 years ago
My friends and I came here for lunch on our first day in Barcelona and it was an amazing experience! Barcelona is known for its amazing cuisine and we had to try the paella. Yelp was right to lead us here because it was a truly unforgettable part of our trip First, we came without a reservation and that mat have been a bad choice on our part but the manager was really nice about it and managed to squeeze out four seats for us after ten minutes or so. We had the two portions each of the seafood and duck paellas along with a few drinks. I had the Kinmawa Martini, which was definitely a solid pick but a little sweet for my taste. The aromas of the paella were truly tantalizing. There was a good amount of seafood with a very rich flavor in the seafood paella. As for the duck paella (which I have never seen before), it had a great texture and taste that just made me want to keep eating. IN CONCLUSION, go here and see for yourself how truly delicious paella can be. read more
The paella was amazing!! I really loved the taste!! So good and fresh. And so very busy. That, I think, is a testimonial to how good this place is. It's a good atmosphere place. For anyone who's considering this place, make a reservation and get the blackberry cocktail. It's legit delish~!! read more
This place is great. I was talking to a Spaniard and he told me that paella isn't popular amongst locals, but more like a tourist dish. Nevertheless, I was in search for the best paella around. I stumbled upon this place via yelp and it didn't disappoint. I ordered the duck paella, which was delish!! I loved the fact that they have paella for one. The staff was super nice and they offer an English menu as well. There were a lot of foreigners that dine here, so I'm assuming it's well known amongst international peeps. I also got their specialty dessert that reminded me of French toast. Get it! You won't be disappointed. Ps. The place is located in a dodgy area, so if you're traveling alone, taxi it up! read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
This place was a fantastic experience! We of course got the blackberry mojito as well as a margarita. The mojito was perfection! The margarita was VERY strong! For starters we got the scallops in a foam sauce with something crispy on top. It was very good but small for the price (only two scallops). We ordered the lamb dish as well as seafood paella for our two main meals. The lamb was amazing!! The red onion on top of the lamb was a great touch. The seafood paella could have truthfully been better but still good. I would definitely get the duck paella next time. For desert we got la Torrija de Manuel and it was soooooooo good! Like flan/bread pudding/creme brûlée all rolled into one. The service was fantastic and attentive too... Felt like I was back in the states. I would love to go back! read more
8 years ago
The restaurant is located down an alley and it's can be hard to find simply because the name isn't so obvious and there is a lot going on in the alley with people hanging out. The restaurant itself is quaint and had r&b/hip hop playing in the background. The waiters wear casual attire but the place is definitely a date spot. The food was really good and the staff is friendly. Highly recommended. read more
5 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
Great service, food and value. I had galician octopus as starter, paella for maincourse and "torrija de manuel" for dessert. We drank a bottle of cava which was only 13.5 euros and surprisingly good! The octopus was really good and we also got some nice sourdough bread and excellent olives and olive oil. It was actually the best olives I've had. The seafood paella was kind of a disappointment because they had put too much sugar in it so the whole dish was a bit sweet, when I eat seafood dishes I prefer them to be more salt. The dessert was really nice, but filling. I think you should share the desserts. All and all I think their sister restaurant cera 23 is a little bit better. read more
8 years ago
10 years ago
Came based on search for "paella" in Yelp. Highly reviewed, close to our Airbnb. We did not know that we needed reservations HOWEVER the staff and the manager were able to squeeze us in in 20 minutes - graciously. The blackberry mojito was delicious - we had two each :-). Also on our menu were ceviche and chorizo tacos for appetizers, and then paella and lamb for the entree. Everything - EVERYTHING - from the food to the service to drinks to the appetizers (to the cute wait staff!) was a delight. Thank you to the wonderful people who work at Arume for the dining experience. Y'all definitely made our final dinner in Barcelona a memorable one! (Btw, we travel cheap - so this was our one big pricey meal for the trip. But even with four drinks, two appetizers, two entrees, two coffees, and then the liqueur given at the end ... All under €100.) read more
7 years ago
Duck paella was delicious I love the decoration of Arume! We didn't make reservations however they were extremely accommodating and were able to fit us in. Highly recommend! read more
It's a busy restaurant so make sure to get a reservation. When we got there for our 10 pm reservation, there was a bit of confusion of who to talk to and who would take us to our table. But finally we were led to our table. It's deceptively big inside as it's a bit of a winding, maze-like space. I dig the interior though. I wish I remembered the name of our server so that I could shout her out. She was AWESOME. So energetic (but not in an annoying way), so friendly, and very attentive. Anyway! The food is yet another reason Arume gets 5 stars. The tartare and crispy octopus was good. My entree of the Iberian pork rib was very tender and solid as well. But it's the duck paella that was the show-stealer. Just the right amount of richness, and the duck flavor comes out well. Rice cooked perfectly and brought out hot. Best paella I had the whole Barca trip. If I'm back in Barca I'll definitely come back. read more
8 years ago
Amazing paella, incredible blackberry Mohito, best bread ever, tasty olive oul - served very nicely! We ate at the bar as we did not have reservations. The waitress was high energy and very helpful. They called us a taxi as neighborhood not so great. Nice experience overall! read more
9 years ago
8 years ago
Excellent! Make a reservation. Great service, very creative food. We had Crispy octopus, tartar, paella, duck risotto, goat cheesecake... All was amazing! read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
8 years ago
8 years ago
This place needs it's own rating system because 5 stars isn't enough. Was only in Barcelona for a few days. 1st night, was looking around my place and saw this right around the corner. Strolled over, and the power was out; they weren't taking any new customers. But Lorraine and Rosalynn were so great. They noticed my mom and I are Filipino and reccomended a place we go and gave us directions. We came back the next night because we read how great it was. We had a reservation for 9pm but showed up at 7pm with hopes they could accommodate us. They didnt give it a second thought, sat us immediately. Mother and I had each of their Paella, duck and the seafood. MUY DELICIOSO!!!! the flavors were so rich and we couldnt get enough! We also had a few appetizers. The special they had, and octopus. Octopus was definitely my favorite! It was so incredibly tender and juicy, man that was good. I'll definitely be back. HASTA LUEGO!! read more
8 years ago
I wanted to try paella before leaving Barcelona and this place popped up on yelp. Tried going on Wednesday but they were taking reservations only so we came back the following day. The seafood paella was amazing. It was a little salty but I loved the flavors and the seafood was cooked perfectly. I also ordered the blackberry mojito and it was amazing. Definitely recommend both things. I recommend making reservations on their website. read more
8 years ago
Arume is awesome. We showed up 9pm on a Thursday night without a reservation. The manager sat us at the bar until a table was ready. Ordered sangria and blackberry mojo to both were delicious. Octopus starter was solid. Duck paella was to die for and seafood paella was ok. Ordered some sort of creme brulee dessert that was good too. Service was the best. Truly 5 star read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
7 years ago
8 years ago
What a gem in an unexpected area. One of the coziest restaurants I've been to. The staff was extremely friendly and had great recommendations. We ordered both paellas and they were quite delicate. I'm not a big duck fan but their duck paella was probably the beat paella I've ever had. Don't leave without trying it. Wonderful experience. read more
4 years ago
7 years ago
If you like seafood this is your place ! It is a great restaurant in a bad part of Barcelona ! But it is worth to go . Make sure to do reservation read more
7 years ago
7 years ago
A reservation here is a must! Otherwise you will be outside with a long line of others waiting. The waitress was great and very informative. All of our food came out hot and quickly. We started with the fish tempura appetizer which as delicious by itself, but even better with the tasty mayo dipping sauce. For the main course I had veal for the first time. It was well cooked but seemed to be a fatty cut of meat. The flavor of everything was great, and the prices were on par with most of the other restaurants we tried. I would recommend to anyone visiting the area. read more
This was the best restaurant I tried in Barcelona. The service was very friendly and food was amazing, I tried the Seafood paella and a grapefruit martini and was very pleased. I'm glad we made reservations because as soon as we got there our table was ready for us while others waited outside. The lighting and small space made it an intimate space but not at all too loud. If I have friends visit Barcelona, I'd make sure to recommend because it was the perfect way to end our stay read more
8 years ago
Their octopus and paella were amazing! The paella portion is more individual sized and isn't like what it is in the states. Totally worth the wait but I would recommend that you make a reservation. The wait can easily take an hour. We were at least able to wait inside - some had to wait outside. Even though the place was uber busy the staff constantly had a smile on their face. read more
9 years ago
I can't speak highly enough about Arume - as it was hands down the best paella and sangria my fiance and I were lucky enough to have on our most recent - and first time visit - to Barcelona. Once off the dark and winding, stony streets and into the intimate and warmly lit belly of Arume, you're hit with an immediate attack on the senses - intoxicating smells fill the air and sights of drinks being mixed, plates firing from the kitchen, brimming bowls being served all around... it was hard to tear our eyes away from the plates of octopus, lamb, scallops waiting to be grabbed and taken to their appointed tables from the open window of the kitchen as we were whisked by and seated in the second room of the restaurant - another convivial and similarly inviting setup. No frills needed. We immediately dove into a pitcher of the red wine sangria - which - was far and away the most spectacular batch I've ever tasted. Perfectly balanced, not too sweet, not to alcoholic (though don't kid yourself, strong nonetheless), and the perfect accompaniment for what was to come. With every intention of feeding our paella craving with both their seafood and duck paellas, we opted for a few starters (even though we could've easily went in for one of everything), and with the help of the super friendly wait staff, were not disappointed. First was the tomato/fresh tuna 'salad' which was more like small beds of tomato/tuna/onion/a beautiful vinaigrette - I LOVED this dish. Perfectly fresh and acidic at the same time, with a palpable freshness that was just plain moorish. Next, we shared the Galacian Clams in a Thai Curry as well as the Crispy Octopus (with potato seaweed foam and paprika oil). Both were OUTSTANDING. We could've bathed in the Thai Curry sauce and the octopus was perfectly crispy without being overly oily - and the hints of spice danced alongside the more cooling potato notes. Plates scraped clean...it was time for the main event. We'd both had dreams of paella, and my lord were we not disappointed. The seafood paella carried strong flavors of the sea and octopus, clams and mussels throughout. The singular drawback I'd say was the lack of shrimp in the dish. Aside from the giant prawn sitting atop the paella which made for a beautiful presentation, safe for the shrimp notes in the stock, there were none to be found. That said, it was still an incredible, and top notch paella. The true star was the duck paella w/ padron peppers. HOLY MOLY. I would give anything to have this gorgeous skillet in front of me right now. Especially once we folded in the accompanying yogurt-like sauce, dolloped on top, there was such an incredible depth of flavor, and absorbent amount of duck hiding in the nooks and crannies of the perfectly cooked rice, it was hard to stop eating. And stop we did not, instead, we devoured. Another hefty glass of the sangria for each of us to top off the night, and we were two happy, and full, campers...heading out into the night to dream of paella and when we'd be able to come back to Arume (to try everything else as well of course(!) Reservations are HIGHLY recommended. It's a small space and while they seemed incredibly accommodating, it's definitely worth nabbing a spot in advance. read more
7 years ago
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Arume - mediterranean - Updated May 2026
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