Cal Pep

Found this restaurant by chance, we came at 19:45 and got the last 2 seats by the counter. Long line after we seated. Crowded for a reason, seafood is amazing. Every one had the assorted fired seafood which is the best we had in barcelona, the rest of seafood is good.

It was our fault for not doing enough research about this popular restaurant before committing to almost an hour wait in line. From what we read in Google reviews we knew they don’t have a menu and it depends on daily supply. The fresh seafood being served to bar seats customers really caught our eyes and we were determined to wait and try them out. Later on we were offered to sit in the back room and didn’t realize it’s different than sitting at the bar. The server was friendly and playful and asked briefly if we had anything we don’t eat. And before I could express what I am interested in trying. He said he will take care of ordering and told us to not worry about it. We were confused and also nervous about what we’ve signed up for. I communicated to the server that I want to try more seafood and less carb and not sure if he heard me alright, it almost felt like he wasn’t paying much attention to what I said. We were served tomato toast as starter and followed up with the clam dish, was offered a little pan to finish the clam sauce with. Then was served Spanish omelette and lastly a fish dish with potatoes on the side. When I asked what is in the fish dish, the server jokingly said it’s called “shut up and eat”. It was funny at the time but I don’t think I enjoyed not being able to communicate properly. At this point I was really nervous about how much more food to be served to us and how expensive the bill will be so I asked server how much more food to come. He probably sensed we are getting full so told us that was all the food. Overall no complain about food quality. Every bite was tasty. But did not love the experience of not being able to choose or ask for what we prefer, not knowing how much food we are going to be served and how much those food will cost. Bill end up to be close to 70 euro. I think the bar seats were the experience we were looking for for sure.

Great tapas and raciones in Barcelona. Very classic establishment, good friendly service. Their tortilla is very popular and yes it is very very good. It is a great place for seafood. Gets pretty busy so get there early. The line also moves semi-quickly.

One of the top two dinners we’ve had in Portugal & Spain. Over the top! No set menu, they ask if there’s anything you don’t like or if you have any requests and they take it from there, then one amazing dish after another appears in front of you! There is always a long line, the best way to avoid that is probably to show up 15-30 mins before they open. Would definitely go back, cannot recommend highly enough. Thanks!!!

A truly unique dining experience, where the food and atmosphere combined for an unforgettable evening. There is no menu so you are at the mercy of whatever the bartender recommends that evening, but they will take into account your likes and dislikes and craft and entire menu just for you! Every dish was delicious, but the clams and calamari were both highlights for me.

Very, friendly service. Our party of 8 with 4 kids was accommodated as an exception without a reservation at opening time with grace even though the place was full. Tasting menu was excellent however we wished we had only asked for one plate of each tapas so we could have tried more dishes before filling up. Definitely a must go when visiting Barcelona

I hadn’t been to Cal Pep in over 15 years and yet regularly the send me at least monthly emails with updates on their menu. 2024 Cal Pep was every bit as good as early 2000s Cal Pep when I first discovered it. The dishes were amazing, the service superb and the setting just perfect.

Hands down, one of the best restaurants in Barcelona. They use the freshest ingredients and make sure every dish is done the right way. The calamari was absolutely amazing, it tasted so authentic. The service was top notch, our waiter continuously checked up on us to make ensure everything was good. The other half of the restaurant is a tapas bar, which everyone seemed like they were having a great time. If you are in Barcelona, this place is an absolute must try!

Found this restaurant by chance, we came at 19:45 and got the last 2 seats by the counter. Long line after we seated. Crowded for a reason, seafood is amazing. Every one had the assorted fired seafood which is the best we had in barcelona, the rest of seafood is good.

It was our fault for not doing enough research about this popular restaurant before committing to almost an hour wait in line. From what we read in Google reviews we knew they don’t have a menu and it depends on daily supply. The fresh seafood being served to bar seats customers really caught our eyes and we were determined to wait and try them out. Later on we were offered to sit in the back room and didn’t realize it’s different than sitting at the bar. The server was friendly and playful and asked briefly if we had anything we don’t eat. And before I could express what I am interested in trying. He said he will take care of ordering and told us to not worry about it. We were confused and also nervous about what we’ve signed up for. I communicated to the server that I want to try more seafood and less carb and not sure if he heard me alright, it almost felt like he wasn’t paying much attention to what I said. We were served tomato toast as starter and followed up with the clam dish, was offered a little pan to finish the clam sauce with. Then was served Spanish omelette and lastly a fish dish with potatoes on the side. When I asked what is in the fish dish, the server jokingly said it’s called “shut up and eat”. It was funny at the time but I don’t think I enjoyed not being able to communicate properly. At this point I was really nervous about how much more food to be served to us and how expensive the bill will be so I asked server how much more food to come. He probably sensed we are getting full so told us that was all the food. Overall no complain about food quality. Every bite was tasty. But did not love the experience of not being able to choose or ask for what we prefer, not knowing how much food we are going to be served and how much those food will cost. Bill end up to be close to 70 euro. I think the bar seats were the experience we were looking for for sure.

Great tapas and raciones in Barcelona. Very classic establishment, good friendly service. Their tortilla is very popular and yes it is very very good. It is a great place for seafood. Gets pretty busy so get there early. The line also moves semi-quickly.

One of the top two dinners we’ve had in Portugal & Spain. Over the top! No set menu, they ask if there’s anything you don’t like or if you have any requests and they take it from there, then one amazing dish after another appears in front of you! There is always a long line, the best way to avoid that is probably to show up 15-30 mins before they open. Would definitely go back, cannot recommend highly enough. Thanks!!!

A truly unique dining experience, where the food and atmosphere combined for an unforgettable evening. There is no menu so you are at the mercy of whatever the bartender recommends that evening, but they will take into account your likes and dislikes and craft and entire menu just for you! Every dish was delicious, but the clams and calamari were both highlights for me.

Very, friendly service. Our party of 8 with 4 kids was accommodated as an exception without a reservation at opening time with grace even though the place was full. Tasting menu was excellent however we wished we had only asked for one plate of each tapas so we could have tried more dishes before filling up. Definitely a must go when visiting Barcelona

I hadn’t been to Cal Pep in over 15 years and yet regularly the send me at least monthly emails with updates on their menu. 2024 Cal Pep was every bit as good as early 2000s Cal Pep when I first discovered it. The dishes were amazing, the service superb and the setting just perfect.

Hands down, one of the best restaurants in Barcelona. They use the freshest ingredients and make sure every dish is done the right way. The calamari was absolutely amazing, it tasted so authentic. The service was top notch, our waiter continuously checked up on us to make ensure everything was good. The other half of the restaurant is a tapas bar, which everyone seemed like they were having a great time. If you are in Barcelona, this place is an absolute must try!