Barcelona was good, it has the potential to be great! I've dined here a few times and every time the service is fantastic. The severs are attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. The general manager came around to introduce themselves and personally ask how the meal is and if they can be of any service which is always a very nice touch. The ambiance has a moody wine bar feel to the front half of the space and the main dining rooms are located in the back. Very nice and inviting. However the dining rooms are pretty packed with tables so it tends to get very loud. The food is good but often times inconsistent. For example the lamb chop I have had in the past was delicious, and during this visit it was lacking flavor. The meatballs were not my favorite in a previous visit but this most recent time they were absolutely delicious. Also pictured is the chicken thigh, and pork belly. The chicken thigh was plain but I think that's the point, it was cooked great. The pork belly was very yummy, I loved the lime/cilantro sauce it came with. We also ordered the half size parrillada done medium well. Aspects of this dish were good like the steak, others like the chicken and the chorizo were juicy and soo delicious. The pork chop lacked flavor and was very tough. The leeks were very tasty and the croquettes are always good! I am sure I will be back to Barcelona soon. I'm excited to explore their large selection of charcuteries! read more

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What a wonderful combination of excellent service, delicious array of Spanish cuisine and ambience of the restaurant on a Sunday evening. You could actually hear each other in conversation. The waiter was exemplary with a party that had 1 diner a strict vegan ( including honey), 1 that only wanted American cuisine and another that did not want anything more than " mildly spiced"!! Josh, our fabulous waiter was so informative, patient & actually offered to mark 1 menu with all the vegan options. Oh, did I mention another diner has numerous allergies including coconut, pineapple, beef, chicken, and egg!! All of us enjoyed our time together ( family from 3 different states) and the experience of sharing smaller dishes when possible. The 1/2 price special on bottles of wine was an added delight. Dessert including often not seen was Olive oil cake was light, fluffy and moist. My cheese cake satisfied my sweet tooth. What was also amazing is this restaurant was recommended by a 99 year old gentleman at the Jewish home while visiting my mom. Barcelona is certainly a restaurant that is maintaining its reputation for wonderful dining! read more

The service was exceptional, the female manager was very attentive, greeting us and making sure everything came out on time. I started with my usual at Barcelona, the papas bravas, which were great as always. I also ordered the chicken pimientos, which never disappoints. Unfortunately, the veggie (verduras) paella lacked flavor this time. I've had it before at the Stamford location (my hometown) and it was delicious, so this was a letdown. We ended the meal with the chocolate cake, which never goes wrong. Overall, everything was good except for the paella. read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

I've been to this location multiple times. This review is for this specific visit. The service was great (it usually is), the server was very attentive. The table we sat at unfortunately was slight dirty, including the chair so we had to clean it off. The ambiance was nice though, it was dimly lit but still with enough light to see the menu and everything around us. The food was overall pretty good, we ordered several tapas including the leeks, grilled chicken thigh, bone-in lamb chop, pork belly, jamón & manchego croquetas, albóndigas, and then to share with the whole table we got the parrillada Barcelona. My favorite tapas were the croquetas and albóndigas (these are family favorites and always are a good choice) as well as the leeks which were something new we tried today. The grilled chicken thigh and bone in lamb chop were a little bland. The parrillada was great, the chicken on there was phenomenal, one of the best pieces of chicken I've had frankly. Overall a good experience and will definitely be back. read more

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The manager Chris is so professional, kind and explains any question you ask about the food and drinks. The tapas are amazing. The service was spot on and I highly recommend this restaurant. Soon the outdoor patio will open which is so nice. read more

This is a great tapas bar in Fairfield, CT, located right next to the Hi Ho hotel. I've also visited their West Hartford location. The service was very good, and there was ample seating even on a Friday evening. We tried the Spice Rack cocktail, which was outstanding, as well as a refreshing gin cocktail with mint. For food, we had the spinach cazuela, sautéed kale, croquetas, bacon-wrapped dates, and gambas. Everything arrived quickly, and the kale and gambas were the highlights. There was live music, adding to the ambiance. Overall, it was a good experience. read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

Great service and ambiance. However quality and quantity of food was underwhelming to say the least. Carpaccio came as 4 tiny paper thin pieces. Lamb "chops" were one small "chop" with very little meat on it. Paella was the worst. Too salty. With little or no seafood in it. Mussels were overcooked and dry. Disappointed. Not worth it for the price. read more

After work happy hour was a hit at Barcelona in Fairfield! We enjoyed sitting outside on the patio and enjoying their tapas. At times it was hard to get our waiter's attention, but that spoke to how busy it was! We enjoyed all of our tapas. The patatas bravas are a must order! read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - Guns and roses - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

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Stopped in for the brunch menu on our way to Mystic. Everything was delicious and everyone was very friendly!

My wife and a had date night dinner here on a Saturday. Despite having a reservation and being on time for it took us about 20 minutes to be seated and we had to wait in a very small reception area (not a great start). However, once we were seated things went well. Our server was very nice, attentive despise how busy the restaurant was and our orders arrived quickly. The white sangria was delicious and you could really taste the guava nectar in it (would highly recommend it). All of the dishes we ordered were well made and wonderful. Hope we can make it back for another round some day. On the downside i have two notes. It is very dark tables around the bar area and one of our dishes never arrived (it was taken off the bill without issue). If you like Tapas and are looking for a nice place for a date. Look no further! read more

An unexpected gem! Great food next to a not so great hotel lol! Perfect place to stop if you're coming back late from northern Connecticut. read more

What the heck happened to this place? Went back last night and everything, except one item was terrible. Every, single tapas tasted awful -- the squash pesto - the grilled squash was pretty much raw! The once delicious caponata was completely different this time and mainly tasted like vinegar. The olive oil cake was a very moist blog of I don't even know what -- just tasted like sugar. No olive oil flavor at all. I make this cake and it is very easy to make and a good recipe gives a great olio flavor so perhaps they ran out of olive oil or were being cheap and used canola oil. It was inedible. The Basque cheesecake was the only item out of 8 that was okay - though the end of the cake was too burnt. Sorry- I was going to hold off on bad reviews any longer but had to update this one. read more

When you arrive you our treated by a valet and then you head down the walkway and walk down into a dark restaurant with the dress code casual and decor minimal The service was super on par the waiter and staff was very attentive We started out w wine and cheese, olives, and meats all were very good The olives had a nice marinate and Had a lot of different types of olive We tried the polpo which had a cold bean d also on bottom of it and was rubbery it was promptly taken off the bill Eggplant caponta tasted very good full of tomato fresh garlic and onions Mista salad was very good had a fresh vinaigrette that made the salad pop Figs and sausage - over powdered with seasoning of cardamom cinnamon and the sausage was dry Mahi and beets were presented roughly but tasted very good fish was fresh and the beets paired nicely They take credit card Super casual read more

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Food was decent (pulpo was a bit salty). Service was slow and at times there was confusion as to what table ordered what plates. We sat outside - inside was hot and stuffy - and it was pleasant. read more

Our server Nelly was very knowledgeable and helpful with suggestions about what to try. I'd recommend all of it if you ever make your way to this place. It was delicious! - warm bread comes out with olive oil (that's already a win in my book) - arrenchini (corn) - spicy beef empanadas - burrata (with peaches! So delicious) - sweet and sour churrizo with figs (the figs were my favorite part of this as I'm not a huge sausage fan, but I'd definitely order this again) Dessert: olive oil cake (just get it. You'll thank me later) read more

We went during the Great Fuel Truck Fiasco on 95. It's in the most unlikely of places, tucked away in the basement of a 'boutique hotel'. The service was friendly, but a bit slow at times. The chorizo was dry, but we loved the figs. Probably some of the best branzino we had. Wagyu carpaccio was overpowered by the olive oil. The bread was unabashedly good. Warm, soft with a hearty and crunchy crust. We stopped in for happy hour, but the menu was intriguing and we ended up really enjoying the meal and ourselves. If you're in Fairfield and get a hankering for Spanish tapas, this is your place. read more

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Emily had great wine recommendations! she was great to chat with too. can't wait to come back here!

Barcelona Fairfield is nicely decorated and has a variety of dining rooms from the bar to outside seating. Service is superb with well informed staff who can help with selections of food based on your preferences. We enjoyed a variety of tapas including chorizo with sweet and sour figs, bacon wrapped dates, blistered shishito peppers, mushrooms and goat cheese, spinach & chickpea cazuela, and boquerones. Our wine choice was definitely enjoyable. read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - our wine selection - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

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The food can tend to be a bit on the greasy side and the menu is veggie heavy. I usually wish for more meat. Four of us each ordered two small plates and a total of 7 drinks each for $237.00 before tip. Pricey IMO read more

Surprisingly, a great bar and restaurant tucked inside a pretty crappy hotel. The menu is super eclectic, but there's definitely something for everyone. The steak was fantastic, and the chocolate cake didn't disappoint either. The food is much fancier than you'd expect from the setting. They've got a solid bar--just don't expect Myers's Rum. Overall, I'd come back, especially with the reasonable prices. read more

Loved this spot. So many options anyone can go and find something they like. The service is very attentive and quick too. There's a dim, chill, lowkey vibe about this place that would make it perfect for a first date. read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - The outside - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

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hi ho, hi ho.... Couldn't resist. This Barcelona outpost at the Hi-Ho hotel is a winner. We sat outside on a crisp fall night and since we were celebrating, ordered way too much drinks and food. The drinks were terrific (sangria anyone) but the food is where things shine. You can't go wrong with much. But the more you try tot Spanish tapas dishes the better. The meatballs? Great. Same with Brussels sprouts. And I could go on. The paella was also a terrific get. Service was terrific. Helpful, patient and attentive. Just a great night out. read more

Amazing food and service, if a little pricey. If you stay at the Hi-Ho hotel, the restaurant is just downstairs!

We have been going to Barcelona for many years now and the ambiance is consistently good. This time around the service was truly exceptional, with our server & the restaurant manager genuinely eager to make our night memorable. The croquetas are 5* (we ordered a second round) & hanger steak are always tasty and the variety of options overall was fantastic. We were a bit underwhelmed by the pork belly this time around. read more

This is my sister's favorite place. Very classy, and great service. They had great quality food. Very fresh and good flavors. They have a great sangria, and the price matches the experience. Hope to go again soon! read more

Consistently fabulous food and service. I'm not a veggie person, unless it's here, fresh, delish & with a twist!! Our server today was exceptionally good, made our celebrations nicer and more fun ~ even got us a slice of olive oil cake on the house. Thanks for always being top notch. read more

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The food was mediocre yet expensive but the most disturbing was how dirty the restaurant was, especially the bathrooms. I was terribly disappointed. If they want to stay in business, they need to get their act together. I'm done. read more

Always nice to visit this place. Service is good and food is delicious. They offer one of the best cheese selections to go along with Wines. Outdoor seating in Summers adds to the experience. read more

In a word.....disappointing. We love Barcelona. I was prepared to write a glowing five-star review. But tonight the Local Leeks were tough & chewy (we couldn't even finish it); the Pork Belly was like a bland pork chop (where was the fatty tasty goodness?), the Fideos was a soupy mess (it was like...overcooked pasta sitting in undrained cooking water). We've been to Barcelona many times & sampled almost all their tapas; those that I mentioned above have been among our favorites. We were left feeling unsatisfied & sad. We did have a really sweet waiter. And the crowd was rather lively, which we weren't expecting for a Wednesday. On our previous visits, Perfect Date Night consisted of 5-6 tapas, crusty bread and red sangria. If we wanted to stretch out Perfect Date Night....Olive Oil Cake and Catalan Flan for dessert. I don't know if I feel comfortable recommending this place to others, as we have been. We have had many great memories here, though, for us to give up right away, so we'll go back. If you decide to go...proceed with caution!!! read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - the Menu! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

Food and wine selections are good and mostly authentic Spanish fare, but the experience is always brought down by a breakdown between kitchen / bar / wait staff / management. Very little effort is made to present a professional dining experience and it shows in the chaos and confusion of overcooking the food and often getting the orders wrong. Compensation and apologies are always offered but it would be great if they could get it right in the first place and not have to make excuses for their lack of coordination and execution. Also, it's traditional in Spain to serve Gazpacho (cold tomato soup) in the summer, and we were all very disappointed to not find any in the middle of July. read more

Omg this place is SO good! Looking for a fun and flavorful dinner? This is the spot. Tip: really best for people who like to share small plates. (Not the only option, and is great for this.) Wonderful menu staples paired with specials = YUM! We have tried most things over the years. Chorizo and fig, garlic shrimp, egg and potato, any lamb dish, bread and of course the sangria (red is my fav). Come here hungry, try many things. Then repeat another night. Have been many times - the food is so good I forgot to take pics. The service is top notch - will provide guidance on how many plates and what is good. Enjoy! read more

Great spot, located below the recently renovated Hi-Ho in Fairfield, Barcelona is a great find. Fantastic tapas and meals. Great service and beautiful seating options both in and outside. The bar is fun with great bartenders and a good selection of creative drinks. It gets busy so I recommend reservations. If you like tapas and sharing food at the table is fun to you (as it is to us); you'll love Barcelona. read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - Its the lower level of the Hotel Hi-Ho. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

Had a great dinner out. White sangria was unexpectedly rather bitter but I was told the red sangria was wonderful. Our table ordered several tapas to start. The hummus was a very generous serving and was delicious! The burrata with jamon and poached pears was also delicious! The octopus, pork belly, figs, salad, and fresh bread were all very good. We ordered the meat platter for the table and everything was cooked perfectly and juicy. It was busy and did get a bit loud but not obnoxiously so. Staff was very attentive and friendly. Booth benches are attached and we felt every moment of the couple seated behind us which was slightly annoying at times. Maybe some screws need tightening or some cross-bracing would help with this! read more

Had a great time last night at Barcelona. My boyfriend and I came in for a night cap. Matthew, the bartender was great! Super informative about the drink menu and helped make me make my own special drink! I was craving a coconut -margarita drink and he made one from scratch. The music and ambiance was just what we were looking for when in search of a late night drink. Definitely coming again soon! read more

What happened to Barcelona???? In the past, our family enjoyed beautiful meals in Barcelona in SoNo, and later at Waypointe. Yesterday, we decided to o to the Fairfield Restaurant, my kids had made a reservation a week in advance to celebrate Mother's Day. Besides having a reservation, we still had to wait about 1/2 hour for a table. We got a table outside, under a very loud speaker--It was so loud every table around us was screaming to keep a conversation. We could not even hear each other. We asked for another table and had to sit in the back, the very last table right on top of the waiters' station, in a kind of a passage. That was just the beginning of it. Now, to the food... First, we ordered bread--it had a very hard crust, with very little inside. It was so hard, we could not eat it. We asked for a maybe sorter crust but were told it was all like this. The first tapas was BOQUERONES ( 5 strings of anchovies with olive oil), which arrived by themselves, way before the other tapas. Without any bread, was kind of hard to eat. We had ordered 5 more tapas, but after 20 more minutes, nothing had arrived. My son complained and then they started arriving. JAMÓN & MANCHEGO CROQUETAS: We could barely tell there was any ham or cheese in those, I actually asked the kids if they got any ham in their croquetas. It was like a ball of dough with a little cheese, fried. They were soaked in Aioli sauce. PATATAS BRAVAS: It was hard to differentiate them from the croquetas, they had the same consistency and a lot of Aioli sauce. SAUTÉED RAINBOW CHARD: We had to return this one because the chard had not been washed and was full of soil, it felt like eating sand. LOCAL LEEKS: had a good flavor, but most pieces were not fully cooked. We only were able to eat 1/2 of it CHORIZO W/ SWEET & SOUR FIGS: the only dish we actually enjoyed. Crepes of dulce de leche and chocolate: first the crepes and their fillings are cold, to the point that it is hard to cut them with a spoon. They are not fresh. There was no dulce the leche, just a drizzle of caramel on top. The filling was a kind of vanilla cream, also cold. The ice cream was a mystery and tasted like a "Walmart Great Value" vanilla artificial-flavored ice cream. Even though we were 3 people sharing it, we also could not finish. Guess Barcelona really went down after Sasa Mahr-Batuz, who made it a great place, left. I am glad I bought the book, decades ago, because this place is clearly not following the recipes. read more

Barcelona - Fairfield - the cover of the cookbook - Tapas Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Connecticut

My favorite bartender, Donnell, works there and they happen to have introduced me to my favorite wine. The menu is delicious and seasonal. Love this location and the people there. Always friendly and knowledgeable. Ambiance is a an interesting 70's vibe. read more

Oh my goodness!!! Every bite of food was just heaven! Me and my friend were literally amazed after every bite we had. We started with a sangria pitcher which gave us about 3 glasses each. We then had a charcuterie board first which we picked the chefs choice one, they picked some good stuff! Prosciutto, salami, potatoes bravas, olives and cheeses -sooo good! All of it! Then we had two tapas, the arracini with bits of chorizo in it, awesome combo and grilled asparagus mmm. We then ended by sharing a parapadilla (not sure on spelling) and this consisted of all types of meats, chicken, steak, pork, and a sausage. AMAZING. read more

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Barcelona is one of my favorite spots to go for a couple tapas n some good drinks. I have been to a bunch of the locations, & I would say Fairfield & Norwalk are my 2 favorites. I do like that they tend to have some variation in their menu, & most of the things i've tried that aren't their 'regular tapas' have been great too. Some of my fave dishes here include the Patatas Bravas, Gambas, the chicken empanadas, the cauliflower, & the hanger steak. For drinks, I either opt for a Summer street sling or an Aviation made w/titos.(i don't like gin) The crepas w/dulce de leche are out of this world, we always end up sharing an order at the end. read more

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Incredibly popular and well-known restaurant. I came here with my dad on a busy Tuesday night before Thanksgiving to grab a late dinner bite. I had recently returned from studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain and was missing the food like crazy. We ended up ordering about 6 dishes. Our waitress was excellent and I loved the ambiance of the restaurant. What we ordered: Gambas al Ajillo: the best tapas on the menu! Wish the dish was a little larger but overall they were incredible. Blistered shishito peppers: very delicious peppers and a great portion. Jamón and Manchego croquetas: was not impressed at all. They were boring and very small compared to the real versions in Barcelona. They weren't even the shape they are suppose to be. Calamari: they were good but nothing special... large portion which was nice. Beef empanadas: horrible. Edible yes... but something I'd order again? Never. They were bland and didn't do anything. They needed to have more meat inside them as well as a better dipping sauce. Fuet: delicious dry-cured pork sausage! Highly recommend ordering. Our waitress offered us a free plate of the Brussel sprouts because there was a mistake but I'm so glad we said yes because they were delicious!!! Mouth watering good and so very crispy. Exactly how Brussel sprouts should be cooked and eaten! read more

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Indoor ambiance is warm, rustic and inviting. We ate outside and it was an enjoyable experience. Our waiter was very attentive and professional. He checked in on us many times and was friendly. We ordered a charcuterie board and a number of tapas. Food was good and I would definitely return again. read more