Beautiful little restaurant spot for tapas. great sangria, nice ambience and a sweet owner. Food was great!

Spent my birthday here last year and it was a fantastic experience! I thought we were told that the place would be shutting down, but glad to see it is still up and running. My entire family enjoyed this place, and the owner is a very kind man. I will try to be back soon again! read more

I love this place and the jovial owner is usually there to greet and speak with you when he is not too busy. This is the BEST and most Spanish of all of the Tapas places in NOLA and since the owner is from Barcelona, Spain that probably helps. Chef Laurentino recently built a patio in the back that will be very nice to enjoy in the Fall. They have the most tender and amazing calamari I've ever had anywhere in the world and I've never had anything but great food here. It can be a bit more expensive than I would like to eat here alone but if you have a group (and this food is meant to be enjoyed with others) it becomes affordable. I've had many great times with small and large groups in here. The sangria pitchers keep the excitement going along with the exquisite use of garlic. I LOVE the garlic soup and want to just have an IV of it in me always. Currently they are cash only and they do have an ATM on site but you should probably make sure everyone in your party gets some smaller bills before you arrive to ensure you can more accurately pay your bill (especially if you are dividing it up between multiple diner. Good Food, Good Times & Good People!!!! read more

See all

A European experience. A long wait that may annoy Americans but is typical of Europe to allow for more conversation and a more casual dining experience. Once you start getting your order, the plates slowly come out two or so at a time. Each plate had different qualities and a completely different flavor profile so I will review them all separately. Service while European took some getting used to. The owner is the only waiter which causes some delays. It's probably for the best as it allows them time to create the meal for you, but I believe it is important to acknowledge this in a review. Olives were a 5/5, very soft and fleshy and delicious unlike other restaurants in the area. Nothing much more to say. Good olives. Patatas were a 5/5; they were pleasantly fried and had a nice alioli. Not traditional but still good. Desperately begged for a sprinkle of salt on top of them though Ceviche was a 4/5, good flavor and texture on the shrimp and fish but were a bit too vinigary for my liking. The salad was the best part of it and was balanced perfectly. Mushrooms were a 5/5, they were just crimini mushrooms but the sauce was perfect for them. I ended up using the cracker that came with the jamón to soak it up. Jamón and chorizo were a 5/5, the sheep's cheese was delicious and you can never go wrong with meat and cheese. I preferred removing the cracker that came with them, though. Calamari steak was a 5/5 and my personal favorite. I've never had just tender and delicious squid. The owner prides himself on simple recipes and I'd have to say that this really showcased that. I could taste (and identify) nearly every flavor present in the dish just on one bite. The best part of the meal. The tortilla was my least favorite part and was a 1/5. I hate to say it, but I believe it was bad. It just tastes like a latke, but is not crispy and is very thick causing a bland and boring sensation. I finished my meal with an espresso with a pour of brandy. Espresso was strong and lovely and was a nice way to end the meal. I definitely recommend this restaurant if you love food and don't mind a wait, because it is definitely worth it. read more

See all

what an amazing place. you feel like you're in Barcelona. It was a quiet night for them. I was shocked this place wasn't packed. The food is sublime. Excellent wine choices and a full bar!!! love. love love. they work hard and it shows. read more

Barcelona Tapas - best wine! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Amazing service, the owner/chef/ server Laurentino was Great. Sad it will not be around for long.

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. The food was fantastic. Chef Laurentino was absolutely the best. My boyfriend and I loved everything about being there and cannot wait to go back. We had the paella, some tapas, sangria, and wine. Everything was so delicious. read more

See all

What a great little spot. The food is fantastic and I need your food. Everything that I ate was prepared personally, buying a chef and his sous chef. Both of them by themselves run this whole restaurant and honestly, it's one of the most impressive ways of feeling connected to your food experience. I tried the lamb. I tried the shrimp, garlic pasta, and a seafood paella. Every single little thing is great. I can't wait to see this restaurant grow more and more. The only downside was that I had to wait one hour and 15 minutes to receive the food to put the chef ahead. Let me know prior to you can tell you it is totally worth the week. I am so happy to be here. read more

I cannot recommend this place enough! The food is amazing. The Calamari was the best we've ever had. This is the best spot in the city! read more

NEXT LEVEL. I usually don't do reviews. I've also been in the service industry for way too long. That said, I had an amazing experience here. A friend organized a seating for 20. We had late additions and the owner seamlessly accommodated. He even CALLED IN A FRIEND to help. Amazing. The food was top notch. The lamb was second to non. There are plenty of tourist traps in this city so if you're from out of town, skip those and come see the real New Orleans. Like I said, I don't do reviews but this was a no brainer. Bravo, Barcelona. I'll be back and so will friends from out of town. read more

Delicious food and drinks(try the sangria), friendly service and a cozy and welcoming atmosphere! I saw people going for date night, girls night, and family gatherings. Recommend for all. Only bad thing is its cash only but they have an ATM on site. read more

Amazing food and hospitality. Xavier makes you feel like you are eating in his home. Highly recommend - we love the tortilla, garlic mushroom diablo, and paella- everything we've had so far has been phenomenal. read more

Can't really go wrong with anything on the menu. I've never had their entree so this review is exclusively speaking to the tapas on offer. Started off with grilled calamari. Calamari can be hit or miss, but this one is definitely a hit. It has a good flavor and texture. It's also cut up in easy to share pieces. Next was the ceviche. I really like that they have the option to make it fish only. (I'm not a huge fan of shrimp in general) The potatoes and the lamb chops came out at about the same time. The potatoes were good, but I think the star of the whole meal was the lamb chops. I'm not sure what kinda sauce is coated on the chops, but it was amazing. They were cooked well and are a nice finger food to grab and take a huge bite of. Almost forgot to mention the sangria. Sipped that from the start of the meal. Always grab a pitcher to start off the night. read more

See all

Cash only policy when we pulled up to come eat. So we decided to go elsewhere where. It said ATM inside but I am sure there's a fee to get cash. read more

Wow!!! Arriving cost us an additional turn, to identify in an atypical facade -yellow house- being received and served by the builder of this wonderful culinary experience. Those who wish to discover the culture that comes from good Spanish food, properly adapted, will discover the spark, the genius, the magic of good food with character. This is a must visit for any culinary adventurers. read more

See all

We finally got to finish my birthday list of places I wanted to go a month later. We got there when they opened and were seated immediately. We got a pitcher of their fantastic sangria to start and started coming up with our list of tapas. Calamari - it's perfectly grilled with great seasoning. One of my favorite dishes. Lamb chop with Spanish fries and aioli - we got two orders so we would each get a lamb chop. Delicious and well cooked. Chorizo in sherry casserole - nice and spicy slices of chorizo sausage in a sauce. Brussel sprouts with pancetta, garlic, sherry and havarti cheese - some of the most tender brussel sprouts I've had. Fish ceviche - nice and fresh tasting fish mixed with peppers and onions. Patatas bravas - nice and tender fried potatoes with a delicious sauce. They usually pace your dishes so you don't get everything at once, but this time we had the majority of our dishes come at one time which was a little difficult on the small table for two. Overall, everything we delicious and we had a great dinner. read more

See all

Barcelona Tapas is , hands down is the best Spanish restaurant in New Orleans , in my opinion. We have tried most of the other Spanish "tapas" spots in town, but we always gravitate back to Barcelona Tapas. Once you enter the restaurant and see The Gaudi inspired mosaic bar , you feel like you have entered a quaint taberna in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. The menu and quality of the cuisine is awesome and similar to the offerings of the many wonderful tabernas of Barcelona. Chef Xavier shows his authenticity and passion for comida España with every dish that is presented to our table. The paella, unrivaled by any other that we have tried in New Orleans, is loaded with seafood and not one grain of rice is blackened by the paella skillet. If you want to go to Barcelona and enjoy the cuisine without the 12 hour flight, go to Barcelona Tapas. read more

See all

One of the greatest hidden gems in our city. Chef Xavier is extremely gifted and is an even better person. We love coming here for date nights and family dinners. Everything is made to order and it is worth the wait. This is a great restaurant to take your time, enjoy sangria, good conversation and the hospitality of the staff. read more

Barcelona Tapas - Paella - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I had a relaxing dinner with my husband at Barcelona Tapas and am hoping to get back there soon. We arrived at around 6:00 and I think we were the only customers there. People did begin to arrive soon after, but I guess we were the early crew. Our waitress came by right away with menus and water. She was very personable and super helpful. The menu is quite extensive and as it was our first visit, we needed some explanation. She was gracious and kind. We were hoping to have paella, but as it takes a while to prepare, we decided to call ahead and place a paella order on our next visit. We had several dishes: garlic mushrooms, Brussels sprouts with Havarti, calamari steak, grilled lamb chops with fries, and ceviche. I enjoyed all of our small plates, but my favorite dish and clear front runner was the lamb chops with fries. Delicious!! Last but not least was the 1/2 carafe if sangria. I finished it all by myself and am not sorry. This place is quaint, has a great location in the Riverbend, the service was wonderful and I enjoyed everything I had. I must also throw this out there - lots of the dishes are full of sultry, pungent, decadent garlic. Yep, you can tell that I love the stuff. I just want to make sure that you vampires know to stand down and you first daters are forewarned. read more

See all

A hidden gem! We were at the Maple Leaf for a show, way too early & hungry, and found this adorable tapas bar that was about an 8 min walk away. We were the only people there (at 6:30 on a Saturday) at first, which made us a bit nervous. But the food completely won us over! We shared six dishes - the potatos bravas and the grilled calamari were the two that stood out the most. Sangria was good but not very strong. Prices were great - a true bargain! And the chef/owner was delightful! read more

Absolutely mouth watering food and the owner is delightful. You can tell he really puts his heart into the food!!!

Please explain to me why this charming place doesn't have a line of hungry patrons waiting outside? The ambiance transports one to some small Spanish tapas bar. This chef is the real deal. His carefully curated menu will transport you to Espana,, and his food will convince you to hop a flight to Barcelona someday. But, be warned, when you get to that lovely costal Spanish city you will find no better food than that coming out of this kitchen on Dublin St in NOLA. Staff is friendly, efficient, and attentive. Chef L's food is the star! Everything from perfect painstakingly prepared peppers, to the toast with manchengo and an olive, all are exactly what you would find when dining over a glass of Albariño in Spain. Rosemary flavored lamb lollipops are perfection paired with crispy fries and aioli! Garlic shrimp are cooked in a delicious amalgam of olio, garlic, and spices! Patatas Bravas are exactly what they should be, cube like pieces of potato, fried crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and drizzled with a spicy aioli, yum!!!!! The wine list is cost approachable, and has excellent representations of the Spanish vineyard. Flan for dessert is the perfect ending. Do not miss this place!!!! read more

Barcelona Tapas - a bottle of wine on a table - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We stumbled upon this place a few years ago and are obsessed. Ambiance: The place is small and intimate, decorated with Spanish and Catalan flair which makes you feel like you're being transported to Barcelona. It's a come-as-you-are type of place but the food is so good many decide to dress up a little. Drinks: we've actually never explored their menu of beautiful Spanish wines because their sangria is a show stopper. Don't waste your time and order by the glass, get a 1/2 or whole pitcher. You're going to be sad when your glass is empty so be ready for refills. Tapas: I could list everything I've had there but it would take forever to type. Best strategy is to ask chef what's good that day and he'll recommend a few. Nothing we've had has been short of extraordinary. Paella: hands-down best paella in town. It's delicious and they absolutely nail the delivery. Paella Valencia is where it's at. It is a "surf and turf" version packed full of muscles, shrimp, calamari, sausage, chicken, veggies (and probably other stuff I'm forgetting). The absolute best part is the dark rice that sticks to the bottom of the pan. Do yourself a favor and scrape that rice off and eat it. It's caramelized and amazing. Strategy: The paella does take a while to make (30-45 minutes), which chef and the team will tell you when you first sit down. Order your paella and sangria first, then circle back to choose your tapas. The tapas come out fast. Enjoy yourself. Relax. And spend some time here. It's not a fast service place. You'll do the place and the food a disservice if you try to get in and out in less than an hour. Expect to order a bottle of wine and enjoy yourselves. Great for date night and small gatherings. read more

Food was exquisite!! Customer service by the one and only OWNER, exceptional! The vibe was giving Europe I CANNOT say enough. Will not disappoint! read more

Accidentally stumbled upon this spot and I'm so happy about it! We were looking for a place to go to last minute and came here. When we walked in, it immediately felt like some of the tapas bars I've been to in Spain - very homey but nice! First we ordered some sangria and it was great and very strong - which is great because so many people water theirs down. We ordered a bunch of tapas and paella and they were all great! Can't say I didn't enjoy anything. My favorite was patatas bravas - the sauce had a nice kick to it. The tortilla española was awesome and I was so excited about find a place that serves it! Just wish it had come with some aioli or sauce. The cheese we had was excellent and the mushrooms were delicious. The paella was SO GOOD. and they have a version without seafood which I was so happy about because paella tends to be too fish for me. I could have ate the whole thing, but the single serving was enough to split between two people after tapas. Additionally, the service was great. Our waitress was incredibly sweet and attentive. Overall really loved this place and can't want to visit more! read more

See all

Best restaurant in New Orleans. Delicious food, perfect ambience, amazing sangria, the kindest chef and staff. Always a must have. The patatas bravas and the seafood pasta are to dieeeee for!!! Gracias and thank you and Godspeed to the BCN TAPAS staff! read more

Wowowow! Barcelona Tapas is a SPECTACULAR culinary experience! The owner and chef there is inspiring and oh so good at what he does! We got so many amazing tapas and the bill was so reasonable, seems like we would have spent double with all the amazing food we had!! The service was top notch and the atmosphere is tasteful, casual, and beyond pleasant. Our server took time to explain each tapas to us and how best to enjoy them. We shared a pitcher or sangria which was some of the best I've had! We had a great date night here! There was a family celebrating with a big table and a few friends out on group dates. I highly recommend Barcelona Tapas!!! Vegans and non vegans will love it! read more

Barcelona Tapas - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all

Great spot.. truly suggest coming to this hidden gem. Food, drinks, and service excellent...and the food 3 words dee-lish-us read more

See all

Cannot recommend this place enough! Each dish was so well crafted, and had so much thought behind such delicious flavor profiles. In a city like New Orleans with so many wonderful restaurants, it can be tough deciding where to head, so do yourself a favor and head to Barcelona Tapas! Not only that but Chef Xavier has remained true to authentic Barcelonian cuisine/traditional Spanish tapas while providing something exciting to the city! Chef Xavier visited our table with a few tips/insights and was beyond welcoming and friendly. Will be an absolute repeat customer!! read more

On our most recent trip to New Orleans to see our daughter who lives there we decided to try something different from the usual fare and boy were we pleased with Barcelona Tapas. Terrific Sunday dinner! Lovely restaurant in the Uptown neighborhood which is easy to get there for out of town visitors or locals. Take the street car and it is a short walk! On our arrival we immediately inquired about the Seafood paella which they were able to adjust for an allergy! We ordered the paella for two which was enough for the three of us with leftovers. Why leftover paella if it was so good? Well, we ordered a bunch of tapas. We know the paella would be awhile and had fun choosing and eating Garlic Shrimp, Chorizo and Manchego Cheese, the chef's kiss Patatas Bravas. There were a few more but I can't remember! So good. We had the sangria too! Yum. We managed to squeeze in dessert which was a delicious flan. Waitress was so friendly and helpful by bringing out the paella pans so we could decide what size to order. We look forward to future visits! read more

Barcelona Tapas - Flan and expresso. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Amazing hidden gem. You feel like you are dining in a close friend or relatives home. The larger the table, the more amazing your experience will be. read more

I had the tremendous pleasure of having dinner at Barcelona Tapas for the first time last night. The restaurant is located in River Bend on Dublin Street. Although I have never visited the city of Barcelona, I have traveled throughout Spain. The restaurant is decorated authentically. The ambiance is amazing. The food is even better! The menu has a large selection of Spanish tapas entrées. I ordered Garlic Shrimp Diablo, Grilled Calmari, and Lamb Chops with Spanish Fries. The shrimp was in a tasty garlic sauce with a spicy kick. The calamari was delicious. The lamb was prepared perfectly medium rare. The fries were nice and crispy with aioli for dipping. Everything was phenomenal. The staff were very welcoming. The waitress, Lane, was so helpful. She did a fantastic job describing the various entrées. The chef, Xavier Laurentino, even came out to assure that we were pleased with dinner. He spent over 15 minutes telling us about Spain and his restaurant. The experience was so incredible. I will definitely be back soon. read more

See all

Paella was average, appetizers the same, extremely pricy for the quality of food and ambiance

It was a good thing my man was away for business when I went to Barcelona Tapas to rekindle my affair with GARLIC. Oh garlic, you beautiful stinking rose of flavor, whether you are tenderly roasted, or sharply raw--how do I love thee? Barcelona Tapas, with it's plywood facade and banner sandwiched between two other businesses is easy to overlook but you shouldn't! A girlfriend and I were in the mood for Sangria and Tapas so naturally Barcelona was our first choice! It was a Wednesday night and oddly, we had the whole place to ourselves, ok there was one other duo seated next to us that also started and finished at the same time. Let that be no reflection on the service or food, if anything it's that sad time of year after Mardi Gras where things just slow down (for everyone.) Jasmine was the bartender and server that night and seated us at Table 5 "The best table in the whole restaurant." We ordered a pitcher of Sangria which was great. Like the other reviews, not too sweet and not too sour--just right. The glasses were garnished with chopped apples, but they were cut too small and thin and kept either getting stuck to the glass or my lips. Next time, I'll just dump them out of the glass before pouring the Sangria. Jasmine reccomended 2-4 tapas/person, but we were both really hungry so we ordered 4 a piece. We had; Lentil Soup Pancetta and Garlic Brussel Sprouts Patatas Bravas Garlic Crimini Mushrooms Lamb Chop Gouda and Olive Tomato Garlic Bread with Serrano Ham Tomato Garlic Bread with Gouda Vanilla Flan Everything was divine, especially the little lamb chop which was SO TENDER that my butter knife easily cut through it! I also recommend dipping your bread in the garlic mixture that accompanies many of the tapas, but be warned, you won't be kissing anyone soon with that mouth! I'll definitely be back when I can eat cheese again so I can try all of the Spanish cheese tapas on the menu! read more

See all

Barcelona Tapas is truly a treasure in the city of NOLA, but despite living here for 5 years and it being open over 10 years I just recently heard about it. It seems to be one of those lesser known treasures. My favorite vacation to date was going to Spain, and while dining here I felt like I had been transported back. Also, it just felt like you were being welcomed into someone's home - very quaint and warm, just one front of house person and chef Xavier (pronounced Javier). Regarding the food, it was amazing. Our favorite dish was the squid ink/black paella; it was so well seasoned/flavorful, fresh, good portion size, and being that it was squid ink it was unique. The bread with tomatoes and garlic with Serrano was quite good, we enjoyed that it was somewhat interactive. The grilled calamari was delicious and very tender / well cooked and seasoned; it was my partner's favorite after the paella. The garlic mushrooms Diablo were amazing, had a great flavor and just the right amount of heat. The ceviche was good, but had a little less of a citrus flavor and maybe a bit of a Worcestershire flavor(?), which was unique. And the pitcher of sangrias was wonderful for two, a great deal and they were not overly sweet. There are still a bunch of dishes we want to try, especially the flan since I've heard it's amazing as well as the olives and the patatas bravas. We will definitely return in the near future! Just make sure you bring cash or your debit card to stop at the ATM down the street as they currently (or maybe always?) only take cash. read more

See all

This is our favorite restaurant in New Orleans! Very traditional tapas at reasonable prices. Sangria is delicious and Chef Xavier really puts his heart into this place. I can never leave without ordering the tomato bread, manchego, Serrano ham, garlic chicken, and shrimp diablo - don't forget a roll and some aioli too! read more

I hate myself because this place has been open over a decade, and I just visited for the first time over the weekend. Oddly, I was in Barcelona 5 years ago to the day so it seems fitting fate led me here. We tried the Serrano and Manchego, tomato bread with Serrano, ceviche, gambas al ajillo (ummm, garlic), patatas bravas, paella and lamb with the frites. Creme Brule on menu is actually crema catalana (nearly identical except with a hint of cinnamon) and flan was delicious. Everything was delicious, flavors were on point and definitely worthy of a return visit to try the items I missed. read more

this was THE BEST FOOD! definitely will be coming back. great atmosphere and friendly staff, the drinks were amazing. our favorites were the lamb chop and patatas bravas. sangria is to die for! read more

Barcelona Tapas - a stack of plates with ice cream - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all

My family and I loved this place. The food was amazing and cooked with love. It was chill and very intimate. The food came quickly and it was easy to ask for more. I will definitely go back! read more

This is one of New Orleans' best kept secret. The sangria is to die for. The shrimp Diablo is exquisite as is the rack of lamb. The chef is very friendly and likes to check that his customers enjoy their experience. If you are looking for a chill spot to try a variety of tapas this is the best place to go! read more