Amar Barcelona

Amar Barcelona, located inside the elegant El Palace Hotel, is a true five-star dining experience that blends historic grandeur with modern sophistication. Under the direction of chef Rafa Zafra, the restaurant celebrates Mediterranean seafood at its finest—think oysters with caviar, crayfish carpaccio, and perfectly grilled fish—each dish executed with precision and creativity. The service is exceptional, attentive without being intrusive, and the wine list curated by sommelier Juanma Holgado is both extensive and perfectly matched to the menu. The atmosphere, with its deep blue velvet, golden details, and soft lighting, makes every visit feel like a special occasion. Expensive but worth every euro, Amar is one of Barcelona’s most refined culinary experiences and a must for lovers of exquisite seafood and impeccable service.

No. Having eaten at Michelin restaurants and fine restraints across the world, Amar is inadequate. The menu is unbalanced, and the serving size is incorrect - let me explain: The fish is of high quality, but the serving is too large for 2 people (shared) and becomes cold and laborious to eat, past the halfway point. You pay per 100 grams, so that 1300gms fish is expensive when only the first 1/3rd is warm and flavorsom, the rest is bones or just cold white meat... For two people dining, you can not order two mains without wasting most of it, or over eating... So if you want fish and bovine / goat, you're going to be wasting a lot of food and money. Famous house made fries - present like something from a fast food shop - another lost opportunity to prepare and present better fries. Not Famous, not convinced they are homemade. White asparagus was good. Desert - the "sweet selection" was dissatisfied, lacked inspiration, and a very poor way to finish a meal. Head chef - get on a plane and go do high tea at Raffles - learn what excitement, consistency, and memorability in a "sweets selection" is about... Gin selection was limited, and the preparation of the drink lacked excitement. Quality - product ingredients are very good. Execution - poor and upsetting, because it is distracted by showmanship and lacks craftsmanship. Consistently - falls off rapidly. The last bite should be as good as the first - that's what you pay for, but it isn't. Service by the staff is very good, and they know the meals well and can advise you properly. Your memories of the opulence of the room and setting will be quickly disolved by the inability to match it with a consistent meal experience. If you're by yourself or taking guests, at the moment, I think you will be disappointed and resentful. I wish it could match what it projects itself to be. It fell short...

Nice, classy place in the heart of Barcelona. I can really recommend costa brava fish fillets with super tasty sauce, each course was nicely presented, service was quick, food was delicious, definitely Michelin standard! Historical place and one of the oldest hotel in Barcelona!

Fabulous dinner with friends. The food and staff were amazing. The menu was slightly confusing and hard to choose how to tackle it, as there were so many options and different kinds of plates. The explanations when the food arrived were great, including how to eat the food with the various sauces etc. We had the mussels, hake, rubia, crab salad, steak and the XXL torrija for dessert. Plus some other bits I can't remember! I would definitely go back.

Had a solo trip to Barcelona and wanted to try Amar to celebrate a special occasion. While Amar is certainly capable of delivering a full 5-star experience, I didn’t get it. Menu choices were limited for solo dining, as many choices were meant for sharing between 2 or more diners. I was able to string together some smaller dishes to make a satisfying meal, including 2 very good desserts. Amar’s churros and chocolate the best! The experience really ended poorly after I left a 10 euro cash tip on a 163 euro bill (for one!). Apparently 10 euro wasn’t sufficient at Amar? This is in Barcelona, right, where a 5-10% tip (or any tip at all) should be appreciated. I clearly got the cold shoulder on the way out with the accusing question “was everything alright”? Never again, Amar.

Excellent tasting menu. Everything was delicious. You can tell they are really going for that Michelin star. The staff really understood every bite of food and sip of wine. Hopefully the earn their star this year!

Fantastic restaurant mostly because of the food taste and presentation, the taste of every single course is superior and definitely something very very special. The service is good but could be improved in some aspects. The restaurant itself is really beautiful and the entry is very grandiose because it is located in the palace hotel. It especially became famous after Obama's visit recently. Obviously such a famous and special restaurant experience comes at a price.

A flawless experience from start to finish. Great food, refined ambiance, and excellent service. We truly enjoyed our time and look forward to coming back!