5-star service with 3-star food at L'Amfora was a 4-star meal. L'Amfora Restaurant doesn't open until 6:00 p.m. daily ... which worked out perfect for us because we wanted dinner ... we wanted paella ... we wanted sangria ... and we were near Font màgica de Montjuïc (Magic Fountain of Montjuic). L'Amfora has a menu focused on paella and wait staff focused on getting you to try the 90€ dinner for two featuring a set starter, entree (paella), dessert, and wine/sangria. We didn't want the set items, so, we just ordered straight off the menu. Sure it cost more, but why not get what you want, right? Anyways, before we get to the food, I have to rave about the informative, personable, and attentive service. Their weren't a lot of customers inside or out on the sidewalk patio so we were the direct beneficiaries of focused attention. We started with a 2-liter pitcher of Sangria Blue L'Amfora (25.50€) that was sea blue with fresh lemon slices for a colorful sweet wine sipper. They also have cava, red wine, and white wine sangria, but my motto is to always try something new if given the chance. My favorite discovery at L'Amfora was a daily special appetizer of Pulpo a la Gallega (Galacian-style Octopus) for 19.75€. It featured tasty slices of Octopus and Potato in Olive Oil heavily sprinkled with Pimentón de La Vera (Spanish smoked paprika). The sangria and tapas octopus had our meal off to a great start. For our entree, we went with the restaurant's signature Paella L'Amfora featuring Galician Lobster (Bogavante Gallego) and Shrimp (Gambeta) for 39.50€ per person with a minimum order of 2 people ... so 79.00€. The hot plate of rice and mixed seafood was the most average paella we had in Barcelona. I'd likely just choose one of their cheaper paella offerings like Fish & Seafood or Black Rice for 19.50€/person on a future visit. L'Amfora Restaurant wasn't perfect paella (not close), but I really liked the stellar service, savory starter, and sweet sangria. read more

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Overpriced and the most disliked meal we had in Barcelona. First we were seated outside (we weren't asked a preference for outside or inside dining) and then charged 10% for sitting outside. Seafood skewers we're new to the menu and at €6 each, we're quite expensive, although the tastiest item on the menu. Croquettes we're awful. 1 bite and we couldn't finish them. It was like eating black paste. Tomato baguette was literally tomato juice soaked bread. Seafood paella was flavorless. We ordered for 2 since that was the minimum. And ate a little over 1/2 with 3 people. Super disappointed. read more

L'Amfora Barcelona - Croquettes. The were gummy - tasted like paste. - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

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We wanted to have paella and the hotel recommended this place. It was the worst meal and value we have had on our trip to Portugal and Spain. The waiter was very nice and helpful but we had no idea that the black rice paella he suggested was €70 each. The seafood in it was overcooked and the shrimp were the skinniest I have ever seen. We also ordered the sangria and were ripped off again at €45 for a pitcher which used a €3 wine and frozen mushy strawberries. We sat inside - it is very small and were originally offered a place near the bathroom which we declined. Give this place a wide berth! read more

L'Amfora Barcelona - The black rice paella @€140 - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

The most underwhelming lunch/dinner I've ever had in Spain, for 170euros. My date and I wanted to have paella so we ordered the seafood paella which both have to pay for. I knew it was not a shared plate and we'd each have to pay but come on...how can paella taste bad? I'm happy to pay a pretty price for food but I ask that the chefs deliver the same quality as the price suggests. I wanted croquettes but it was gone by noon so the waiter suggested some other tapas. To be honest, the appetizers, jamon, sangria and ambience wasn't bad. Service was incredibly slow, but I'm mostly just bitter my taste buds got ripped off. read more

L'Amfora Barcelona - Seafood paella - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

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Excellent service and the triple paella is insane, really the best experience we had in Spain. Absolutely delicious and elegant service. Thank you very much! read more

L'Amfora Barcelona - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

Mal. Llegamos a este restaurante con muchas esperanzas de un buen almuerzo. Después de que nos empujaran a pedir más comida, nos trajeron a nuestra mesa una botella entera de vino y no las dos copas que pedimos, fuimos recompensados ​​con un plato de gambas al ajillo que tenía restos de arena y gravilla. Terminamos rápidamente. read more

Great service by Sebastian. We ordered the fish, lobster pasta, and kids chicken strips and fries. The lobster pasta tasted good but had the fishy taste to it. Probably will not fit everyone's taste bud. I haven't had such strong fishy tasted pasta and caught by surprise. Maybe it's just me. The other were tasted. The interior was nautical and nice. read more

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Overpriced. Charged 66 euro per person for Paella. Overcharged for side dishes as well. Stay away. Find another paella spot.

Awful service, food was not worth the price and they charge you 10% for sitting outside!

My favorite place in Barcelona, hands down! Was here for a business trip and my first experience here was so spectacular I went back two days later and it was just as great if not better. Everything about this place is wonderful from the cute nautical decor, to the amazing service (Guillermo was a doll) to the awesome Chef... oh yeah and did I mention the FOOD which was out of this world. The best Paella I ever had in my life and I have had quite a few in my hay day. I also tried their garlic shrimp, it was delish and so refreshing after eating too many Tapas. Location is great too, very accessible. Come here you will not regret it. Until we meet again L'Amfora read more

Of course when I was in Spain I had to eat, after all it really was my birthday night. I don't how it happened but, I really got lucky on this one. All I know is I wanted paella, so I called around and this one dude was like "yeah, I can take you come by". So I did. And DAMN!! Like DAMN!! I literally came across this small little spot that had Michelin quality all over it but was a small humble joint ran by one dude and one server. Man! They exceeded my expectations and then some and if you're ever there, GO SEE THEM!! 5 star quality food at budget prices. No lie. I can't even remember what we ordered because the owner pulled an off the menu option for us that night. Most of it is what you see, some of it's extra special like the tomato ice cream salad The last two picks are paella and they definitely lived up to the hype. All of it did. The food. The service. Everything about this little spot. I'll say it again, if you're in Barcelona, GO!! Hope you enjoy the pics, they do no justice on how good the food and service was. Enjoy read more

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This restaurant made my night in Barcelona! I'm so glad we took a chance on it. The man outside who served us was very nice and seated us right away outside around 730pm. The service was great, he pulled out my chair, put a napkin in my lap, served food onto my plate, refilled our glasses, and answered any questions we had. He told us the restaurant has the best paella and sangria in Bareclona and it was my first time trying either. I shared the mixed paella with my friend and a liter of sangria and was stuffed! Im not sure why he gave us so much sangria and it was not cheap but very good and sweet. Around 30€ each but worth it. I'll never forget how delighted my taste buds were lol. I would like to go back again! read more

L'Amfora Barcelona - Tasty and Sweet Sangria - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

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After having tapas food for a week, we found this restaurant when searching for sea salt roasted fish. It was late around 10 pm after coming back from Madrid, luckily we still managed to get seats without reservation. We ordered baby octopus with beans, sea salt roasted fish and squid ink black paella. It was fun to watch the sea salt roasted fish on fire but the taste was just okay. What impressed me more was the paella, it was very tasty, two of us almost finished everything and waiters were amazed. Overall the food here is good and service is great!! read more

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A must stop in Barcelona! Our waiter Guillermo was amazing! He explained dishes and made suggestions! We had the seafood paella it was delicious! Our first time have authentic Paella. Everything from the first course to the last course were perfect! read more

L'Amfora has excellent service. Generally you need two people for paella. They let us each have our own paella. I order the soup-style lobster paella, another person ordered vegetarian paella, the 3rd person ordered seafood paella. All 3 paellas were excellent. L'Amfora also serves steak and fries for the non-seafood eaters. Great place for a business dinner, close to Placa d'Espanya. read more

Great place for good service and food. We didn't have reservations on a Saturday night fit family of 4 in. The ham starter was excellent with the bread. We all had something different, everything was very good.Thank you L'Amfora for a great first night in Barcelona read more

L'Amfora may not seem like a tourist trap from the outside (or the inside for that matter), but it most certainly is. I based my decision to come here on a few reviews that I had seen online (via TripAdvisor) that made the restaurant seem very authentic and impressive. With a menu in about every single language (I'm sure they had a menu in Taglog if you asked), no Spanish-speaking patrons in the place, and an extremely pricey menu for the quality of food, I felt deceived. The food was also deceptive, really quite an insult to Catalan cuisine. The pan con tomate was horrible. Unripe tomatoes were unevenly diced over charred bread. Two bites of it and I was done. We shared croquetas, which had the consistency of paste or glue. I had a salad, and although it was fresh, it was not worth the 11 Euros and could have been purchased for a fraction of the cost elsewhere. For dessert, the waiter kept pressuring my party to get the crema catalana, even though I wanted fruit. He told me they had run out of fruit and (aggressively) convinced the rest of my party to get the crema catalana. I had a taste and although it was fine (good texture and sweetness), it was not the life-changing dessert our waiter had hyped it up to be. read more

A fine dining experience, definitely not just a tapas bar. Elegant and posh inside, but there are a few tables out on the pavement if you feel you're not well-dressed enough. Their specialty is seafood, and definitely cod. To Brits and North Americans, cod is usually just battered and eaten with chips. The Spanish, however, love it and prepare it with all sorts of extras to give it flavour. At L'Amfora you can get salt cod prepared with garlic, with cheese, baked or grilled, and more. My wife had the simplest form of the dish and wasn't super impressed. However, I had a version that was baked with tomato and cream sauce and thought it very good. You'll drop EUR15 for a starter and EUR25 for a main, but it's quality dining. Just remember to give the taste and texture of cod a second chance, and go for a version that's tarted up with lots of sauce. read more

Seafood pallea is good. The seabass with fire is fancy. The price is expensive.

The paella was delicious, definitely worth a try! Very charming staff and overall a great experience. read more

L'Amfora Barcelona - Paella for two - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

Recommended by our hotel for local food the paella was very tasty. Service was good and attentive even when the restaurant continue to fill up. Delicious first time paella and custard dessert. read more

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The best ever! Best paella and ham and bread ! Soooo good I will come again! Loved it just go!

nice place, kind owner. over all lovely experience. thanks l amfora and the owner,. you get what you paid for. :) read more

L'Amfora Barcelona - yummy seafood paella. we asians are happy - Mediterranean Near Me - Barcelona, B

Wow! Best Paella in Barcelona! There's so many places that claim to have the best but the attention to detail, to the spices, the flavor produced. I still think about this Paella sometimes and I definitely use this restaurant as a reference point. Could not find any other spot that could top it off, even when we came back to the United States we tried several here in California and nothing. One restaurant did come close but it's never gonna be the same. Definitely planning on going back to Barcelona next year and without a doubt in my mind will be coming back! Oh to top it off they were booked when we got there but we're so friendly and had us waiting for 5-10 mins at the bar with free champagne so it was no problem at all. Everyone was super friendly the staff was amazing and the service top notch. Not sure who the manager/owner is but keep doing what you're doing!!!! read more

Excellent food and outstanding service this evening at L'Amfora, which was recommended by the concierge at our hotel. Easy distance from the subway. Endless patience from the warm waitstaff. Truly delicious food. We had lamb chops and tapas--gambas, charcuterie, asparagus, beans and baby squid--and a lovely cava. Topped off with a flan. Authentic food, served fresh and hot. Not cheap, but we felt like we were having a luxury experience--treated like most welcome guests--and at about 40E a head, not terribly expensive. Would certainly return. read more

The pealla was really good.. We ordered paella negra and a red paella with seafood. The only catch is - the paella is about 17€ per person with minimum of two person order. One 2 person paella is probably good for 4 i would say, we ordered two orders of a 2 person paella and it was more than enough. I wouldve given it 5 stars but it was a bit expensive. read more

I was referred to this restaurant by one of the employees at the tryp Apollo hotel I stayed at. I had the house wine and a wonderful chicken and beef paella dish that was awesome. The restaurant is very well decorated and staff was very attentive and welcoming. Next time I'm in Barcellona...this is my place to go! :-). read more

Delicious food but overpriced .. bar tender asked us to tip the server (which is fine) just because he noticed we're tourists!!!

Service is incredible, food is decent, atmosphere is ok (ac was not turned on and we had to request it in after sweating it out for a while). Prices are a bit high for what they offer. All in all, not a bad experience, but not a definite "come back" either. read more

Went here for diner while in Barcelona for work and the food was awesome. We also had some sangria that was quite tasty.

Staying in Barcelona for the first time and I have never had better food or better service. Enjoyed my meal enormously and our server was informative, with answers to all questions we may have. I don't believe I could have had a better meal. We ate the paella and it was spectacular. I only wish I had come hungrier so I could have ate the whole thing because it was so delicious. I believe our server was Morio who was also spectacular. Would recommend this place to anyone visiting Barcelona read more

This was not a great experience. Very unattentive waiter and overpriced mediocre food. Do not recommend. Go to Vico's in same ateeet doe half the price. read more

Went here for dinner for the 2 nights we spent in Barcelona. The food was exquisite, the pitchers of Sangria were exceptionally tasty. The service prompt and courteous read more

We spent the Xmas in beautiful Barcelona and got the recomandation from the wonderful staff at the Tryp Apolo Hotel to eat here. We are from Norway and for the Xmas night (24th December) are we always having cod. We arrived at L'Amfora and was immediately guided to a very cozy table. The restaurant is really genuin and you feel the Catalanian history in the wall of this restaurant. We had snails as a starter and it blew our expectations by far. The natural nutty flavours of the snail and sauce really was a treat for us. As main we choose to different fish dishes. My wife selected Monkfish and I had cod with garlic sause. Everything tasted really wonderful and the suggested wine was an excelent complimentary to these wonderful dishes we were served. Really nice restaurant with a genuine feeling to it. read more

Great seafood paella! We've had paella all over Barcelona and Valencia on multiple visits to Spain; the paella at L'Amfora is among the best we've had. Friendly, attentive service. Highly recommended. read more

Good service, but lousy paella. Soupy, super with no crust on the bottom, and salty (like bouillon cubes were the only seasoning) and way overpriced. Wouldn't go there again. read more

The place we were looking for was closed, and we stumbled upon this place, and it was really excellent! Now we see that it was highly reviewed, and we totally agree! We had the cod with mushrooms, which was fabulous. My teenaged son loved his sirloin steak with duck liver sauce, and the other son loved his steak churasco. We had the mixed seafood paella, which was quite good. Service was excellent. Highly recommended. read more

I was walking on Avengunda del Paral-lel, looked at the menu and decided I was hungry. It's OK, nothing out of the ordinary. It is expensive. Appetizer, main course, half bottle of wine, dessert, coffee and water was 52 Euros for 1 person. read more

I was in town for a business conference and we stopped in based a recommendation that someone in our party gave and we weren't disappointed. Their sangria was delicious. The sea bass cooked in salt was wonderful, others in our group had it. I recommend reservations if you have a larger group because the place is smaller. read more