La Mestressa is such a great vibe and one of the defining experiences from my trip to Barcelona!…read moreHere are a few highlights: 1. The neighborhood - I stayed at the AC Hotel Sants while visiting Barcelona. The Barcelona Sants train station was adjacent to the hotel, and the property was in a walkable neighborhood surrounded by restaurants, convenience stores, and other businesses. There was also a deceptively nondescript alley right next to the hotel that I didn't explore right away. Turns out, that alley leads to a vibrant, hidden plaza (Plaça d'Osca) with restaurants and shops, where locals in the Sants neighborhood hang out. This is also where La Mestressa is located. 2. The food and drinks - I got dinner with two friends at La Mestressa one evening. We ordered a pitcher of sangria, a bottle of wine, and a wide selection of tapas, croquettes, and a couple main dishes. My personal favorites from the meal were the sangria, patatas bravas (crispy potatoes with sauce), octopus, and the salmon salad (not pictured). Each of those dishes were well-seasoned, had great textural contrast, and provided either familiar comfort (patatas bravas and octopus) or a completely new flavor experience (salmon salad). The sangria was light and refreshing. 3. The service - Our server was bilingual and provided satisfactory service. She was warm. The service was well-paced, and she attended to all of our needs as a group. 4. The ambience - As I previously mentioned, both Plaça d'Osca and La Mestressa were a whole vibe. If the terms "off the beaten path," "honeycomb hideout," "in the cut," or "rural retreat" mean anything to you, this area similarly provides a nice place to "retreat" and immerse yourself in a local neighborhood right in the heart of Spain's second largest city. It's the perfect place to drink wine and sangria and while away your evening. :)

We were in the neighborhood on vacation, and were looking for someplace to eat. They had room so…read morewe stepped in. Honestly the rest of Barcelona has been ruined for us now. We ate other places, but none of them compare. Not the market, none of the other small tapas places we tried. It's as if the others aren't even trying. If you are near Plaça de Sants, you will not be disappointed.

Oh my goodness this is so good. If I ever go to Barcelona again I would come here…read more Must get: Steak with foie gras on bread 8/10: sooo decadent and luxurious. It's abt 8 euros a piece. Very flavorful and fast experience. Oxtail and mashed potatoes 10/10: the oxtail meet is so tender and flavorful. The mashed potatoes pair so well with the oxtail. Mushroom, steak, and egg yolk 9/10: soo flavorful and balance of veggies and protein. Amazing textures and flavors. Sparkling sangria: 8/10 I don't normally live the taste of alcohol but this was great. Not tooooo strong and if tastes pretty good if you mix it with the orange juice. Fresh orange juice: 10/10 so tangy and delicious. I can't recommend it enough. Patatas bravas: 9/10 solid no complaints! Dessert Tapas: - bread dessert (Tarija): 11/10 amazing dessert that is creamy, cameralized, and has a mochi like texture. This fried chewy dessert is not too sweet and such an affordable price. - coconut pudding 9/10 solid and refreshing if you like flan - bread, chocolate oil, salt 7/10: I live the complex flavors. The chocolate mousse was light and the bread to mousse ratio was perfect. It's a smaller dessert tho I wouldn't recommend it if ur sharing. Service: amazing! Staff I'm everywhere so it was very easy to order more food. Also we were sitting buy the area where they made dessert and they allowed me to record them making it!! Comfortable ambiance great for date night or casual meals!!!

As an international traveling food critic and unbeknownst to the staff, the following is what I…read moreexperienced: - The host seated us next to a table of three self-absorbed, loud and obnoxiously nonstop talking late teens early twenties girls. - The food bus'ers attempted to deliver the wrong order to our and nearby tables five times. - The 1/2 order (three small slivers) tomato soaked bread (1/2 PA AMB TOMAQUET) was certainly not worth the €2.5! - The Greek Salad (ENS GREGA) was the worst example of such we have ever had (my party included an authentic Greek). The feta cheese was absolutely disgusting, it tasted like imitation rubber cheese. - The "Al Ajillo" Style Shrimps (GAMBES AMB ALLADA) had a very strange flavor within it, which overwhelmed the garlic flavors. - The Beef Tenderloin (FILET VEDELLA), she had to spit 1/4 of it out because it was too tough. - Everything was overpriced there for the value. If you are in the area DO NOT waste your time nor money dining here!!!

Never having been in Barcelona, we asked the concierge at our hotel for a dinner recommendation…read more Zarautz was highly recommended, so we gave it a try. Wow, did not disappoint! While the restaurant does not look super fancy, it's got a pleasant atmosphere and a nice decor. We walked over around 6:15, which is early for dinner, even for us. The server explained that they had some tapas available, but the kitchen didn't open until 7. We said we'd be back and he booked us a table on the spot. (lucky us as they had a party of 16 locals and the remaining tables were booked except ours!) We wandered to another place for an outside glass of wine while we waited. At 7, we went back and explained Uncle D's shellfish allergy to Mark, our server and asked about recommendations for things we might try that would work for the allergy. He was so kind and advised against certain items that had shellfish or were cooked in the same oil as shellfish. Bless him! We shared the tapas of a pulled pork sandwich, (in a small bun), and a cheese plate with cubes of cheese in olive oil with black salt flakes, and finished with sharing a main course of oxtail, which we were told takes 32 hours to make! All were delicious and we were thrilled we had gone there. The second and final night in Barcelona we were tired, didn't want to have to figure out where to go that might not be too close and decided to go back. This time we booked a table about 45 minutes before we wanted to be there. Lucky there was a table for 2! When we walked in, we were recognized and greeted like family! Mark even remembered our names, shellfish allergy and the wine we had enjoyed the night before which we wanted again. We ordered the same cheese tapas as it was so delicious, along with the chorizo casserole in apple cider, with a main course of the sirloin steak with potatoes and padron peppers. The steak dish was brought out before the chorizo dish accidentally. We opted at that point to have the chorizo dish after. Steak was cooked a perfect medium rare, potatoes crispy outside and soft inside and the padron peppers tasty but mild. Again, absolutely delicious! By the time we were halfway through the steak dish, we knew we had no room in our tummies for the chorizo dish. We asked if it was possible to cancel the chorizo dish, but if they had already started cooking it then it would be ok. Mark was gracious and canceled it for us. At the end of the meal, Mark brought us a glass of a local liqueur that was wonderful. The food, the service, the atmosphere... and both nights local folks enjoying along with tourists, all fabulous. All that to say... if you have the chance to go to this wonderful restaurant, do it!

Food & ambiance was perfect! Went here our first night in Barcelona, had a great time!read more

My experience at Terra d'Escudella was a little confusing…read more But it was kind of my problem because I could not speak or understand Spanish... It was quite challenging. We were hungry and it was late. After trying to drop by a few places in the area and nothing really open for business, we decided to give Terra d'Escudella a try based on the 4 star rating on my Yelp App. Place was busy, which was a good sign! We quickly grabbed a table in front of the restaurant and thinking we can get some food and beers..and then we found out that all these people at the bar were waiting for a "restaurant" tables at the back! We ended up just have a quick beer and off we go to somewhere else for real food... PS they do have an English Menu

My fiancé and I came for dinner on the recommendation of our guide from Culinary Backstreets and…read morewere pleasantly surprised at the hyper-local feel of Terra d'Escudella. We'd thus far seen a lot of touristy areas of Barcelona, so getting to feel a bit like an insider was such a treat here! My Spanish is conversational, so I could mostly get through the menu (after asking for the Spanish one, rather than Catalan where I definitely struggle), but I would recommend coming here with a dictionary or translation app if you're English-only. I thought the service was excellent, our waitress was very understanding and patient with my language mistakes and chatted easily with us about different menu options. We ended up getting a sandwich, the meatballs, and a couple of other things to share, as well as a bottle of wine. We spent the better part of an evening snacking and chatting away, surrounded by boisterous laughter and conversation of locals who clearly adore this spot.

Near the Cataluna museum of art but off just a bit to the side road and not on the main drag is…read morethis gem. Their sangria is wonderful, the dishes are tasty and reasonably priced. We didn't o see the octopus and I can remember if they have it on the menu. Though there are plenty of "stables" to choose from.

The food and service were incredible! The peppers, chicken wings and cheese plate were perfect for…read morea late afternoon lunch. The interior was decorated like an adorable wine bar. Affordable and delicious.

A lot of options on the menu. It was good food for the price. The chorizo, pimento de pardon,…read moreboquerones fritos and mussels are our favorite. The service is fast. Nice and Clean.

The bravas were surprisingly good, and the price tag was great. I had two beers and an individual…read moreserving of patatas bravas for five euros. The ambiance is lacking, but if you are just looking to have a beer in the open-air and a little snack, this is a great place.

Came here before getting on a med cruise looking for something local. It was amazing. Spoke…read moreenglish. Super friendly Try the cava

Very good tapas! We were starving so none of the tapas survived the picture taking phase lol, we…read moreordered a pita and hummus which was unfortunately too hard to finish, I recently had a surgery on my teeth so I'll attribute it to that, we got the pollo tacos and the meat was delicious but the portion of guac was probably too small, croquettes were also very good. Service was good as well, waiters were very on top of all of their guests, the ambiance was dimly lit which only aided in our sangria pitcher finishing process. maybe im picky with my 5 stars but the food just couldve been a bit better.

Very nice spot for lunch. Has four tables on the side walk or dine inside. Really enjoyed a couple…read moredifferent tapas plates. They don't speak english so be ready to help translate or work through it, service was good though. Also seem to remember they were cash only.

Very charming cafe with huge portions of fantastically delicious food and amazing staff! Came here…read moreon the recommendation of fellow travelers. They said the food was delicious and it was very close to our hotel near the Place d'Espanya, so we gave it a try. Absolutely awesome! My friend and I ordered the mixed paella for two (18 Euros per person) and it probably could've fed four! It was chock full of different types of seafood and chicken chunks. The whole dish was flavorful and satisfied like a warm blanket on a freezing night! The young lady waitperson was so friendly and we laughed as we tried to communicate with each other (she with no English and me with no Spanish). After we were stuffed to the gills, she brought us a complimentary plate of 4 pieces of olive oil cake and two glasses of a very tart brightly colored yellow liqueur that my friend said had a definite kick. When I told our waitperson that I don't drink alcohol, she brought me a glass of the same fruity base liquid sans the alcohol, which I found to be very tart and very pleasing on the palate! When I finished it, the young lady offered me more, but there was no way for me to fit anything else into my completely full satisfied belly! This place might look touristy with the menu posted at the door and its plastic covered menu inside, but the food and staff are wonderful. Don't let your prejudices keep you from enoying the amazing place. Might be a bit pricier, too, since it's close to the plaza and hotels, but it's worth it! The charm of this restaurant was a highlight of our day; made for a wonderful end of a very active day of sightseeing in Barcelona!

Was on a business trip and ate here three nights. Friendly staff! I tried multiple tapas,…read moreappetizers and pasta. All were fantastic!

The food at Tricki Trac was great--fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. Unfortunately, the service…read moredidn't match the quality of the kitchen. Possibly due to the change of staff. We waited quite a while before our order was taken and had to flag someone down each time we needed anything. There were also a couple of mix-ups where staff attempted to deliver the same appetizers to the table next to us two additional times after the additional order was delivered. If you're not in a rush and are there mainly for the food, it's worth a visit..

Food. Service. Ambiance. Yes. Yes. Yes…read more The first night we went without a reservation but they managed to accommodate us in a lovely private room. That was a great start to a delicious meal that everyone enjoyed. I wish I could have tried all the appetizers. In hindsight, this might be the way to go! The food and service were so on point that our group went back a second time (with a reservation) in our four days in Barcelona. This time we ordered the epic Chocolate Bonsai dessert to cap the meal. It had a satisfying amount of chocolate with textures and tastes that leave you wanting more. I shared this dessert... and wish I didn't The noise level was high but otherwise this one scores high on every aspect of the dining experience!

Beautiful restaurant with elegant table setting. The food was delicious! Our group kept coming…read moreback on 3 separate occasions during our stay in Barcelona!