Jon L.

La Plata's charm is in its historic old-school yet unfussy vibe. Pick from a small handful of tapas to pair with your vermouth. Got the fried anchovies and sausage pintxo to snack on. The vermouth is pretty generic but works for a mid-day stop. Overall, fun people watching on a relaxing afternoon. Totally worth a stop in if you need a break from exploring the narrow streets surrounding this watering hole.

Richelle T.

Love the fresh fried fish. Limited seating. Come early. Love the quaintness of the restaurant.

A wonderfully authentic old school tapas place, from before tapas got fancy (not that I have anything against fancy tapas!). It is tiny inside so you may not get a seat, but we lucked into the perfect corner table for great people-watching. The menu is very short - it's listed on a small board on the wall - consisting of only about 7 or 8 items. We tried most of them and they were uniformly simple in preparation and presentation, and delicious. The service is maybe a little gruff, but for us that only added to the vibe and the charm. I have to specifically call out the dish "pan con tomate," or "pa amb tomàquet" in the local Catalan. Couldn't be simpler, couldn't be better. Don't anybody try to "fix" this place!

Jason K.

My wife and I were on vacation in Spain and I watched a YouTube video from Spain Revealed. James does great videos of tapas places to visit, and this place near the water in Barcelona was on the list. I was so happy it was! I got the fried anchovies. They all came out quick from the great service and I ordered a San Miguel bottle of beer to go with my snack/lunch. I would have liked a draft beer, but this is more of a wine place. For the other anchovies, the vinegar helped to balance out the saltiness of the fish and the oil added a perfect creaminess. This place was anchovy perfection! Thanks James. Check his YouTube out! After you are done here, get a beer at a local grocery kiosk and head down to the beach and sip and relax. Life is good!

A hole in the wall gem. The menu has 7 items on it and then they serve beer, house-made wine, soda, and water. The food is a 10/10. Quick. Simple. Delicious. Give it a try, and enjoy a true Barcelona experience. Oh, in case you are wondering, they have clean bathrooms.

Nita T.

I stopped by La Plata for the first time in 2022 and only tried a few sardines and some wine but my mind was blown. We had to rush to the airport after the food tour but I was hooked. I couldn't wait to come back and try everything. I planned, I booked another food tour (the tour itself was very good!). And finally, I was back in Spain. I went on the same tour and afterwards, booked it over to La Plata. The owner is the nicest restaurant owner to ever walk this earth. He doesn't care that I don't speak English. But he knew why I was there. He gave me one of everything and a little glass of white wine. All the tapas are good, but the sardines - they're the star. Perfectly hot and crispy and salty. The anchovies are also so good. They pair well with the tomato's and bread. I don't need to try the sausage again. But everything is so simple yet so perfect. I can't wait to come back and support this nice man and his business and eat these amazing fried sardines.

Dominic B.

This was my first time in Barcelona and since I am a huge fan of seafood I was looking for the perfect place to grrub up on some sardines. Since I was already in the Gothic Quarter, I was able to find La Plata tucked in one of the alleys and within walking distance of the beach. As I approached it, it almost seemed like nothing was there until I approached the corner where there was a group of people standing at its entrance with the inviting smell of freshly fried sardines to guide the way. This place is not large by any means, but if you do not mind the crowd, you will be just fine. Luckily for me, there was one table left. The menu is very simple with only a few (and reasonably priced) small tapas, so if you aren't a fan of fish, this probably isn't the place for you. This is because every table was blessed with a hearty plate of pescaditos. The fried sardines came straight out they were piping hot, but perfectly fried with that good-good fish smell (not that bad kind).They also have wine from the barrel and tons of vermouth from the bottle. I had the vino tinto and vermouth and both hit the spot. Service was efficient and attentive and they accommodated me within 20 minutes of its closing time for the lunch hour. I was also clearly the only person there that was not a local, but I think that was a good sign. Would definitely recommend and will definitely be back when I'm in the area.

Enit S.

Friends; forget about going to Las Ramblas in search of Tapas, walk a little further and get yourself to el barrio gotico and come straight here. If you really, and truly wish the experience 'Tapayar' as the Spanish do; you have to make a stop here. We ordered the fried sardines, two house red wines, tomate y aceitunas, all of that was 8 euro; I still can't believe it and the wine... man oh man oh man! The menu is super simple, only a few items to choose from but what you will undoubtedly see in almost all the tables are the fried sardines. Its a bit difficult to find, but I promise you its worth it, even if you do have to enjoy your tapas and wine standing; do it, do it! I promise you wont regret it.

Claire J.

I miss Pepe already. There are five things on the menu and they are all amazing. Came here on a food tour and then returned on my own. La Plata will be my first stop off the plane when I return to Barcelona!

Ryan H.

Probably one of the most unique places we went to on our Tapas tour. We had the fried sardines, the tomatoes and onions, and some anchovies. Along with a beer and some wine. We were soooo lucky to get a table and glad we did. Small spot with excellent local fare. The food, ambiance, and staff were all fantastic. Absolutely recommend you stop by if you get the chance.

Isabella B.

La Plata is a hidden gem! Most guidebooks and Barcelona-based foodie blogs will tell you that in search of great tapas DO NOT EAT DIRECTLY ALONG LAS RAMBLAS. Instead go outside the main drag and/or do your research beforehand. I did basic research on what to eat in the area and this ended up being one of my top choices. The key thing about tapas is that it's not for the super-shy at heart that doesn't want to deal with the hassle of crowds but if you are willing to do this and know very rudimentary Spanish you will have a good time. Trust me. La Plata is located close to the water (about a block) but several blocks AWAY from Las Ramblas, and you'll have to enter at the very least a well-lighted street. This is fine for a seasoned traveler but a minor concern if you're a solo female traveler dining at what is considered "acceptable" time to eat dinner in Spain (later than 8pm). I went during March and considering the distance between my hotel in Plaça de Catalunya and here I never felt personally in danger... just had to guard my crossbody a bit more. The place is rather small but I was able to edge myself on a corner table. Staff was very friendly as I tried communicating what I wanted in broken Spanish that I was able to retain since high school. They thought that my Hogwarts beanie a friend got me over Christmas was a Barca beanie! Here's what I got for about €14. - 3x vermouth. I love my cocktails and vermouth, along with gin and tonic, are the favorite cocktails of the city. I love their rendition; it's sweeter than expected and went down easily. I could've had one more and still be fine. - Pescadito. These are their famous fried anchovies. Small and boneless I can inhale them like fries. One of the best fried foods I've ever eaten. - Ensalada. The only green you'll see here are the small, pitty olives. It's very simple; tomato and onions covered in olive oil. Get this and the anchovies and you'll be good. - Pan con tomate. Too bready, not cripsy and not enough tomato. Just stick to proteins and veggies. There was another fish dish (not fried) and some sausage tapa on top of a mini croquette but I was too full to try any more in part because of the 4 slices of pan con tomate they give you. Next time I'll skip the pan but have some more fish dishes. La Plata has become one of my favorite tapa places just because it encompasses everything about a real tapas experience: inexpensive, simple and a lot of fun!

Kimberly K.

Experienced a bit of a culture shock here but nonetheless really good and authentic tapas bar! This place has a really simple menu - only serves 5 different tapas, and you tell the waiter if you want beer, wine, or water (no drinks menu). We had wanted to order sangria but the waiter told us "sangria is for tourists, we don't serve it here". Shocking. We came to Spain for the tapas and sangria! We instead ordered their house red wine and one of each tapa. The wine was really good (I usually don't like red!), and I enjoyed most of the tapas. True standouts were the tomato salad, fried anchovies, and sausage. The salad has the sweetest onions I've ever tasted, the anchovies were so good & crispy, and the sausage was mmmm. Everything was at such a reasonable price, around 2.5 euros per tapa. Come to experience an authentic local tapas bar!