Place redeemed by table next to us being generous with some wine and grappa but cannot assume that for all visits. Goat was a bit gamey even for goat. Caprese was meh at best. I got dessert and cannot even remember it now. We came because the had tongue on web menu which supposedly been gone for awhile. Fairly easy to update website. Liver left off had tons of onions and were not cleaned properly so had bad taste. Overall disappointment. read more

Xemei - Caprese Salad - Italian Near Me - Barcelona, B

See all

One of the most memorable evenings of our blessed lives. It's a story surrounding an incredible meal...sorry for the lengthy post :) We needed help securing a weeknight reservation - our concierge at Edition was the best. This restaurant - aptly named Twins - offers one of the more "traditional" dinner hours - 8:30pm to 11:00pm. No Tapas!! Apparently everyone but the tourists know about this place - it's off the usual tourista areas and outside the downtown proper in a working class neighborhood. There are seats outside and two "halves" to the restaurant, connected by the kitchen but divided by the staircase to the upstairs residences. The bar is in the left half, we sat to the right. The walls here are adorned by framed pictures of notes from celebrities like Ron Wood, James Harden, Mos Def, Patti Smith and more, signatures directly on the wall by marker and photos galore. Overall the atmosphere is casual but romantic. We arrived early - before opening- and one of the Venetian brothers owners (Max) suggested we walk two blocks down the hill to this magical neighborhood square (see review of La Croquetteria in La Plaza del Sortidor). Upon our return we were seated promptly and treated to exceptional service, fantastic food and a great wine list (a 2001 Monleale was near perfection). Our server, Stefano We shared a couple of starters- the squid over polenta was ok, the torta carbonara with truffles was delicious but heavy. My wife absolutely loved the Osso Bucco Pappardelle and I was blown away by the roasted baby goat shoulder - one of the top ten things I have ever eaten. Stefano spent time with us sharing stories and restaurant history which includes a love affair with Patti Smith. After apologies to the other diners, we were treated to video and booming sudo of Patti Smith singing "Because the Night" in the kitchen with everyone. She and Ximei also published an all Italian cookbook- which Stefano graciously gifted us! Amazing! A cheese plate and some complimentary dessert wine finished off a magical meal. Unbelievable and unforgettable! Wow. read more

See all

Not as conveniently located to where we were staying but decided to go here based on the great reviews. Based on our only one visit: the staff was friendly and accommodating; the pasta with clam was too salty for my taste. Overall, the food was good but not that good that I would go the distance to eat here. read more

See all

We were very much looking forward to this meal, and I had researched the restaurant, heard only great things about it. The food was mediocre. We were excited, because the buratta tomatoes were delicious, however, when the artichokes came, followed by the pasta, which had no flavor, the main courses were a disappointment, which was the fish and the liver. The service was poor, and I usually don't complain or rate based on service because that is about an individual. read more

Very good food. The service was great too. It came highly recommended by local friends. Just be careful of the squid dish because it has a dark surprise if you are not careful!! read more

I have to admit that when I was thinking of the kind of food I would be eating in Barcelona, I would never have thought Italian. This place was recommended by a couple that we ran into one night. We had no idea what the cuisine was but they said it was a must try in Barcelona. We had our hotel make a reservation. We were getting used to the restaurants opening later in the evening. This one opened at 9pm. When we arrived the ambiance was cool. They had indoor and outdoor seating. The menu looked great - we had trouble picking what to order. Our server was very helpful and suggested a few items after we told her what we were thinking. Everything we ordered was fantastic!! I wish that I could eat more because I would have ordered more things to try... actually we did order an additional dish after!! We started with the scallops, which were fabulous and so fresh! Then we had the tortilla with truffles, as recommended by our server. That was actually like eating heaven!! So tasty! We also had the John Dory, which was the special fish of the day. I have to admit it wasn't that great but the pork ragu and the cacio de pepe were on point and blew us away. They were also kind enough to split the pasta dishes so we didn't fight over who ate more!! :) read more

See all

Great food in a cozy area. If you want a restaurant out of the hustle and bustle, this is great.

Wonderful staff, luxurious food, and a solid, moderately priced wine list. We ended up here after a long day of wine tasting and were seated right when they opened (which was 9pm). We weren't terribly hungry because of an earlier trip to Quimet y Quimet, but wanted to go somewhere nice. We only ordered a couple of things, the burrata, scallops, an artichoke pasta dish, and two desserts, but we were full and happy. If I'm ever in town again, I'll be sure to go back when I'm hungrier so I can eat more of their wonderful food. read more

Xemei - Tiny but beautiful scallops. - Italian Near Me - Barcelona, B

The Venetian brothers who run this wonderfully charming neighborhood spot mean business. Rumor has it Woody Allen's reservation was cancelled due to tardiness. So if you go - and you should - show up on time. And yes, a reservation is recommended. We started with the burrata, which comes from a friend's farm in Italy, and we later found out, many of the items come from small purveyors in Italy. The burrata was not like the cheese I've had stateside, which i'm sure is due to the Italian cow's diet. The platter of rich, creamy cheese was served with the sweetest of sweet tomatoes that nicely offset the cheese. It paired nicely with an Italian white from Livio Feluga. Next came pasta, for which Xeimei excels. They hand make bigoli - the only authentically whole wheat pasta in Italy. It is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the middle of each strand. The Venice speciality, pasta with anchovy sauce (bigoli in salsa) was simply put, amazing. Yes, amazing sounds like hyperbole, but I'm not kidding, that sweet, briny anchovy sauce over the chewy bigoli pasta was heavenly. I had to ask our waiter how it was made, thinking complex, multiple ingredients, but really it's anchovies and onions stewed for hours, almost to the point of caramelization. I can only hope I either come across that dish again or get my hands on a recipe so I can recreate it at home. My husband's squid ink pasta was also exceptional. Earthy and flavorful, it tasted like no squid ink dishes I've had in the U.S. Next came the grilled octopus, which was a life-changing dish. I've never had octopus grilled or any way, for that matter, outside of a Japanese restaurant. The tentacles were so tender and flavorful, it almost melted in my mouth. Life-changing, I tell you! The evening ended with tiramisu, which happens to be one of my specialties. I make it traditional and boozy and I was curious to see how a "real" Italian tiramisu would stack up compared to mine. I have to say, I think I prefer mine, but Xemei's was a nice ending to a special meal. read more

Xemei - Life-changing octopus. - Italian Near Me - Barcelona, B

See all

I've traveled the world and eaten at some amazing places and this place hands down is added to the list of MUST RETURN RESTAURANTS. I would bring my family to Barcelona just to experience Xemei. The restaurant itself has a small footprint making it cozy and intimate. We start with bread and olives. PLEASE ask the waiter for olive oil They will bring you a bottle of COLOMBO olive oil that the owners make themselves. I ended up buying a 6 pack case and asking them to ship it to NY which they were happy to do! We moved on to the Sauteed pees. Sounds whatever but it blew my mind. Egg yoke topped with botarga shavings and cuddle fish made this appetizer nothing but A+. Also ordered small scallops that came in the shell. Great presentation, no fuss, full of flavor. Main dish was Octopus w/ Eggplant. Solid dish but I basically drooled over my husbands dish which was black ink squid spaghetti. I had a bite and all I could do was ask him for more. IF you are on your first date be prepared. After every bite your teeth with be filled with black ink. Finished off with Tiramisu. DAMN. KNOCK OUT. Just perfect. Every bite was just perfect. Make sure when you head to the bathroom you checkout the book the restaurant makes. It's so beautifully made. I would have purchased it had I understood Spanish. haha. read more

Hidden gem.....tiramisu, 28 day old baby goat shoulder, rizzotto , steak tar tar -- all amazing and the head chef is an awesome guy. Local spot read more

Make a reservation if you can ! The place is pretty small but well worth the wait if Any . Our server was friendly , and accommodating . Their wine is great but they don't really have a cocktail menu . I asked for spritz and they were nice enough to make it . It was probably the best spritz I ever had . The grilled octopus with polenta was to die for . For entrees we had the bolognese and the spaghetti with clams , mussels , and cherry tomatoes . The pastas made me feel as if I was in Italy again . A week later and I still crave the food here . Also , their bread and olives are simple but amazing . Lastly , their flourless chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream was the night cap . If I ever come back to Barcelona I'll be back here . read more

See all

After eating and drinking my way through Barcelona, Xemei is my favorite ! I've been fortunate to eat the finest Italian in Florence and in New York, this is on par with those. I will be back to BCN soon, and with again enjoy then amazing food and great service. read more

Xemei - Italian Near Me - Barcelona, B

The food here is great, really great. But somehow they also manage to put extra items on your check (you pay for olives, you pay for each bread basket, you pay 1 Euro per person as a donation to Nepal without being asked) so in the end it's always quite surprising how expensive the evening got. But... the food is great, it really is. read more

just had a perfect experience what a treat excellent food professional and friendly staff. Recommended by a savvy local we would never have found it otherwise ....... Bravo read more

Best restaurant I have been since i got to Spain! The owner Max and staff greeted me and went thr extra mile when I iterated that I had come from Miami and seen his restaurant on the show munchies from Vice tv ! The baby scallops were fantastic, spaghetti was divine and octopus was heavenly!!! read more

really great Venetian cuisine in a quiet corner of the city (on the foothills of MOntjuic). We loved their little fish starters, the squid ink pasta and the burrata! they have great organic wines! it's a must in barcelona read more

This place was wonderful!! Service was exceptional and food was amazing. Our waitress hailed down a cab for us and sent us on our way...full and happy. read more