Bodega La Puntual

When in Barcelona, whether for work or leisure, it’s about finding the best place for tapas. Now, I’m not going to remember every dish ordered because my colleagues and I went on a bit of a tear, but rather, tell you that the overall experience was great. Service staff started off slow and a bit disinterested in serving us, coming off a bit gruff and inpatient. But quickly, our server, Julian, got more personable and friendly that by the end of the meal was engaging us in conversation. He was awesome! As for the food, an every dish ordered was fantastic! The Jamon Iberico “Maldonado” stood out for me. The Croquettes were very good too. Order one of everything because based on what we ordered, there was nothing lacking; you will leave the restaurant satisfied. If you find yourself in Barcelona, this place is somewhere you must go!

Bodega La Puntual is, without exaggeration, the best place I’ve eaten at in Barcelona. It’s one of those restaurants that already feels great from the outside, but then completely surprises you once you step in. You don’t expect it to open up the way it does — the interior is far larger and more beautiful than it looks from the street, with a warm, lively atmosphere that instantly makes you want to settle in and stay. Walking deeper inside genuinely feels like discovering a hidden second world, and that “wow” moment sets the tone for the whole meal. What takes it to another level is the open kitchen. You can see the entire team in action, and it’s obvious you’re watching professionals who know exactly what they’re doing. There’s a calm confidence in the way they work — fast, focused, and perfectly synchronized. It adds a real sense of theater to the experience, but not in a showy way. More like: you’re witnessing craft up close. And the food matches that energy completely. Every plate that hits the table feels like pure excellence — bold flavors, spot-on seasoning, and that clear sense of quality you can taste immediately. Nothing feels random or “just fine.” Everything feels deliberate, refined, and executed at a high level. You get the comfort of classic bodega culture, but with a kitchen that delivers at a seriously impressive standard. Service rounds it all out beautifully: attentive, friendly, and well paced, even when the restaurant is busy. The place is clean, well run, and the whole evening feels smooth from start to finish. Considering the quality you’re getting, the value is outstanding. Bottom line: Bodega La Puntual isn’t just a good Barcelona restaurant — it’s a true standout. The hidden spacious interior, the buzzing open kitchen, and the consistent excellence on the plate make it a place I would recommend to absolutely anyone. A real highlight of the city, and a spot I will come back to every time I’m in Barcelona.

We stopped by Bodega La Puntual for a quick pre-dinner meal because we were too hungry to wait for our 8pm reservation—and we’re so glad we did! The service was fast, and the food hit the spot. We especially enjoyed the fried artichoke—crispy, smokey and flavorful—and the fried anchovies, which were light and delicious. The atmosphere was lively and inviting, making it a great spot to enjoy some quality tapas. Definitely planning to come back for a proper dinner next time! 💛🍋

We stopped at Bodega La Puntual and it turned out to be exactly the kind of place you hope to find in Barcelona: local atmosphere, warm service, and food that actually tastes like something. The plates lean toward medium-to-small portions, which worked perfectly for trying different flavors without overdoing it. Everything felt honest, simple in the best way, and done with intention. A great stop if you want real Barcelona without the tourist filter.

I really loved this place—it's incredibly cozy and charming! The beef was absolutely wonderful, and the patatas bravas surprisingly won me over. I've never been a fan, but here they were super crispy and truly delicious. I must mention that the white vermouth was not to my taste, but the staff happily replaced it with red one which is really good! so it didn't detract from the experience at all. Highly recommend this spot!

Located in the heart of the trendy El Born district, this surprisingly large restaurant serves some of the best tapas in Barcelona. Croquettes were perfectly cooked, paella dishes were flavorful, and don’t miss the codfish omelette! Fast and friendly service, and we left feeling completely full and very satisfied.

- Dishes tried: Codfish omelette, tuna tartare, Iberian salchichon, croquets and chocolate cake - Experience: Each dish was well-prepared and enjoyable, with balanced flavors and good presentation. - Service: Friendly and attentive, adding to the pleasant atmosphere.

I wasn't in the mood the queue nearby, so I went in here... Bombas de Barcelona were cold inside, so I guess they had them frozen or reheated from the fridge. Tartar de atun was fine, but 3 chips for a plate of tartar won't do it. Overall serving was bad and food arrived quite late.

Stopped by this place while walking in Gothic quarters. Pros - ample seating and great for large groups. They have a wide selection of tapas. My favorites were the anchovies, grilles octopus, papas bravas, and the croquettes. The anchovies here were the most flavorful I have had in Spain. The grilled octopus was grilled to perfect and was not slimy or overly chewy. Their sangria was awesome too Cons - none Definitely check this place out, especially if you are in a large group

What a wonderful surprise! The restaurant looks very small from the outside but it's very large and beautiful. We stopped here on a food tour and were so pleasantly surprised at the delicious food. We liked it so much we tried to come back again but they were closed. Definitely a great place!! The service was great as well.

Probably our favorite meal while in Barcelona. They are open throughout the day which is a plus. Everything we had here was amazing. Patatas bravas were fried very well and they were considerate enough to put the sauce on the side with our little one. Grilled octopus was one of the best I've had. Perfect char but still soft on the inside. Pork with rice was very heartwarming and is a perfect dish to fill you up. Crema catalana was a perfect final touch. The fresh, citrus dessert was delicious. Our waitress was so friendly and attentive and the dining area is very big with high ceilings and second floor seating as well. Highly recommend.

We went here on the recommendation of a random person we passed. We were headed into another restaurant and the person said that particular place was good, but they visited the Bodega La Puntual the night before and suggested it. We took their suggestion and we didn't regret it. The staff were kind and our main waitress was really fun. We were able to joke around which is always an enjoyable experience. We had a variety of food among our group of four and there was bothering we were disappointed with. It was all really tasty!

My wife and I were on vacation in Spain and we saw a YouTube recommendation from the Spain Revealed channel, which is great. It was pretty early in Spain time and we sat at a table top and I ordered a beer. I was told that we had to try the fried potatoes with the spicy sauce and aioli. It was AMAZING! You have to try this stuff. Nice and crispy pottoes and the mayo mixture balances out the pretty spicy red sauce. They have these wine vessels that they fill up that looks like a genie lamp and you pour it straight into your mouth, I am not a big wine guy, but it looked really fun and cool. They have English menus and our server was great. Great atmosphere inside, kind of like a supper club and it was starting to fill up as we finished our meal. A must try, get these fried, spicy potatoes!

We came here after dining twice next door on previous nights but simply didn't feel like waiting over there this time. It was nice to walk in and be seated immediately at prime dinner hour. Maybe that's a red flag in itself. The food and wine we ordered were fine, but we saw a waitress repeatedly (5 times in 20 minutes) picking boogers out of her nose with her nails and then putting together utensils and plates for customers. She also blew her nose repeatedly and continued handling clean dishes. The other waitress was sick with a gunky cough, and kept coughing into her bare hands and then immediately serving food to customers. We had already ordered wine and a couple of tapas before we noticed these behaviors, otherwise we would have walked out. Once the food came we ate as fast as possible and left to find the rest of our dinner elsewhere. It was not an enjoyable experience. I would never suggest this place to anyone and would highly recommend waiting for El Xampanyet next door instead.

Have gone here a few times, at least once every time I've visited Barcelona. The food is consistently good and not outrageously priced. It's a must visit for my wife and I when we're lucky enough to be back in Barcelona.

Large restaurant centrally located in El Born. It feels like you're walking into an old Spanish home, complete with a little outdoor courtyard. Wide selection of tapas. I liked their patatas bravas, fish with the chili oil, and of course the ham and cheese. Slightly touristy but definitely more low key than many other restaurants in the gothic quarter. Service is pretty good by local standards and many of the staff speak English well.

This tapas bar highly recommended by our tour guide from In & Out Tours, Matt! Upon entering we notice this is definitely where all the locals come to eat & unwind. Nice & relaxing atmosphere. Located in old town, there are numerous shops selling anything you can think of. Due to Covid, you can only enter a restaurant if you have your proof of being fully vaccinated. So be prepared to show that. You can take me out of Texas, but you can't take the Texan culture out. I opted for Jack Daniels & Sprite over, various available wines. Which our waiter provided me with a double shot drink. We ordered Spanish olives without anchovies stuffing. You receive a variety of olives and flavors, happy to report, that I ate most of the olives. Ordered the sirloin & potatoes. The sirloin cooked to your temperature. Which the restaurant cooks spot on. Steak, hot, seasoned perfectly& juicy & served with a side of freshly fried potatoes, (French fries). Portion size of for one person only. We easily consumed our steaks with no hesitation. Would definitely return here again.

Amazing service and food. The champagnette from Barcelona cannot be beat. Everything is delicious and served hot and fresh. A must for a true tapas experience.

Great food, outstanding service!! Not too busy on a Sunday night, 6 of us were seated almost immediately. Had the croquettes, patatas brabis, bacalau, trinxat (cauliflower and nlood sausage), calamaras a la plancha... Everything was tasty.

Delicious! Try the octopus and croquettes as a must. Also ordered mussels and local red wine. Yum!

We came here for dinner and really enjoyed it. We got the Iberian ham croquettes, jamon, chorizo, oysters, cheeses, bombas, patatas bravas, and the pluma rice, then finished with their bread with chocolate. Everything was great, especially the rice, which was the best we had in our week in Barcelona. The bravas were also outstanding, and there wasn't a single dish we didn't enjoy. (Although I'd personally probably skip the cheeses next time -- my wife feels differently though.) This is a great spot to come to for authentic tapas in a big space that accepts reservations.

Beautiful spot in a great location. Try the artichoke! Beautiful presentation, and so delicious! The service was excellent.

The irony. The English translation of this place is "punctual" yet they made us wait an hour for jamon and cheese. Ridiculous. Everyone around us received their meals and snacks within minutes of being seated yet our servers looked at us frequently and took our dishes away from us saying they "thought it was for someone else" when it was for us. Honestly, items are overpriced and service is abysmal. Do not come here, you can find better

Outstanding food and service. The best sangria in Barcelona yet.... I highly recommend!!!

Came here for dinner with my sister. We didn't have a reservation and managed to get a seat at the front and sat at the barrel tables. The highlight of our dinner was the jamon! Definitely the most delicious, tasty, flavorful and creamy jamon that I had while in Barcelona but the price was a little high compared to other places I've seen. We also tried a few other dishes too like the bravas, veal, and a cauliflower dish. The service was great. Friendly waitress and friendly employees. I would definitely come back again whenever I can make it back to Barcelona.

Pleasantly surprised. It was our third pick after two other tapas places we attempted to go to had long waits. We didn't have a reservation here, but still got seated promptly. They had sangria (white or red) by the glass or pitcher. We shared several tapas as well as the house specialty iberico ham and rice dinner, which was served in a huge saucepan with a wooden spatula to portion it out. The meat was tender and flavorful and perfectly accompanied the rice. Service was pretty good as well, friendly and not intrusive nor neglectful.

Todo muy sabroso y el servicio excelente. El ambiente es casual y mucha gente viene y va.

Croquetas!! I loved this place but what isnt there to love in spain? Close to Moco museum

We stopped in here as part of a food tour early on in our trip and it was absolutely fantastic. We were treated to Bomba, patatas bravas and pan con tomatoe w/ delicious Clara to drink. Everything was great but the patatas bravas stole the show. We proceeded to have this dish at a few other places on our trip but nothing came close to this place's patatas bravas. The interior of the restaurant was very cute and we really enjoyed it!

My first 5 star rating! Service exceeded expectations! Although the bodega was busy and fairly crowded, we waited about two minutes for a table for two. Once we sat down the server arrived to take our drink order. We got a bottle of Catalan white wine - we recommend! To eat we ordered the grilled peppers, patatas bravas, tomato bread and the Andalusian style fried anchovies. The bravas were the best we had in Spain so far! Better than the ones in Madrid and Galicia! And the fried anchovies ~ just slightly crisp and not salty. "Boquerones" they're not your Caesar Salad anchovies. I have been to Spain and to Barcelona many times! This meal was the best. Go there if you can. Calle Montecada in the Born area.

Best patatas bravas and very friendly service. The servers were some of the friendliest we had in Spain and happy to deal with tourists. We first came here on a Devour tours tapas tour, but came back because we enjoyed the ambiance. From the outside, it is not a space I would ever choose as it looks pretty unassuming, but the interior is gorgeous and the dining room in the back is quite spacious. Their house wines were not my favorite, but the vermouth was delicious.

I've spent a lot of time in Spain, and it's pretty hard to get a bad meal in Barcelona, but we managed to at la punctual. Standard tourist restaurant on par with crappy Fisherman's wharf restaurants in San Francisco (where I'm from). Price is at least twice what it should be, really ridiculous. Food is truly mediocre at best. Sooooo many better options. Can I please have my evening back? I'm astonished that it gets such good reviews, and this demonstrates the uselessness of yelp restaurant reviews in Spain. Follow your own instincts.

Walking around looking for a place to eat and stumbled on to this one thanks to Yelp. Excellent tapas. Very happy with the food. The Anchovies were a bit too salty for my American palate, but everything else was delicious. One of the few places to have grilled vegetables so we definitely ordered those. Very happy with local wine pairing with most tapas as well. But loved the Bombas (croquettes).

Had fuet, potatoes bravas, tomato bread & beer one afternoon. I recommend them all. The bravas were excellent! Nice & spicy. Glad to have a nice spot to rest, eat, & use the WC. Restaurant in the back...unexplored.

Bravas were superb - smoky heat and perfectly crisped. We did not have one bad dish. Friendly service and speaking Spanish:Catalan, which is a rarity in this area overrun w tourists. Add this to your list of "go to" tapas in BCN

If you need to try vermouth, this is the place. Smooth, caramel taste. So good. Also, the papas bravas are insanely good. This place is a must visit!!!

Best tapas place on the Viator Tour of Tapas Bars. Demonstrate unique Catalonian drinking method and wine. Not really an Octopus fan, but it was done very nicely. Service was good.

Maybe the best Octopus that we've ever eaten. Fabulous! Order it twice!! Really. It's absolutely fabulous.

The best Potato Bravas I found in Barcelona. The octopus was good and the Cava is really nice. The staff is friendly but they get a lot of tourist. Ask to sit in the back for dinner or you will be stuck on a bar stool over a barrel which is not meant for comfort. It's where they put everyone but the locals. It is hard to find so get a good map and prepare to walk if your not in the Gothic Center

Cyndy's Bottom Line: Delicious tapas, friendly service, nice ambiance. Stopped in for tapas based on the Yelp ratings. Our first stop for tapas in Born. Good relaxing ambiance, casual and friendly service. This is what we ate/drank: A bottle of white wine. The bodegueta - for snacking: * Anchovies served on crushed ice. - Fresh, love the saltiness. * Bread with tomato - Delicious, perfectly toasted bread with a right amount of tomato. * Fried calamari - not my favorite dish because it was a bit chewy. * Truffled mortadella with breadsticks - I took a chance on ordering mortadella in Spain and I was pleased I did. Very good and tasty! * Gambas al ajillo - shrimp with garlic. Love the amount of garlic in this dish! * Grilled octopus with potatoes parmentier - Excellently grilled, so tender and tasty. Potatoes were delicious. Smooth, creamy texture. Almost licked the plate! I would definitely be back for the grilled octopus and the truffled mortadella!

Bodega La Puntual is one of my top five favorite tapas bars in Barcelona. Why? (Location) adjacent to Picasso museum. (Ambiance) crowd and service is great. (Food) let's start with the basics-their patatas bravas are one the best in barcelona, their Jamón Ibérico is of excellent, and the vermouth quality/experience is great. I took a pic of the menu so you can see some other options. Cheers!

Among the best tapas we've had yet on our trip! Try the Patatas Bravas for sure but every tapa we ordered was awesome. Can't miss with this one.

Maybe we went a little too late? We arrived at 10pm. I tried to order olives with sardines, cockles, potato bravos, bread and rice dish but only the potatoes and rice came out... Service was okay ish? They didn't really seem like they were in the mood to wait on us and then also our waiter sorta like disappeared. We saw him later after we left like walking around the neighborhood. So like I said odd timing maybe? The potatoes to me were honestly just ok. Seemed almost like frozen potatoes that had been deep fried. The rice and pork was pretty good. Probably would give that 4/5. We did order dessert. I had a Catalan torrija I think it's called? It was like a really yummy soaked bread. That was actually my fav thing. Honestly I would probably pass on this place since Barcelona has like so many restaurants.

There's lots of seating, but I did notice that several tables were already reserved. Nevertheless, we were seated right away probably because we arrived a little after 7:30pm. It started to get busier after 8:15pm. We ordered three small dishes to split between three people, and it wasn't quite enough for us to feel completely full. But the food was great!

Unbelievable tapas!!!!! We ordered so many sampler plates not to miss out on the tiramisu! My favorite, S Q U I D tapas!!! Ending with a delicious dessert.

My wife and I visited Barcelona last year and we ran to these guys at a street festival. I tried their steak sandwich and it was so good that I went back for a second one so that I can take a picture and post it on Yelp. The staff there were kind enough to let me have a free one and I promised them that I would post right away. Well, a year or so later, I've just got around to do it. But it seems that they didn't need my 5 star as everyone here is raving about how great their food is. The food was out of this world!! I'm a foodie and I wish that I could experience that taste here in Toronto.

My favorite tapas place in Barcelona. We ordered the grilled cockles and andulsian fried squid. The seafood was so delicious and fresh. I would highly recommend this place.

We had stopped here on a food tour for the potatoes brava and they were delicious. So we found ourselves in the same neighborhood the next evening. The food was not great. My hake was not cooked all the way through and they only had one of the hake entrees left at 8:30pm. My dining companion had the cod and it was ok. However, the wine was twice as expensive as other (nicer) restaurants with a pretty stingy pour. I would say this restaurant is geared toward tourists - very few locals were in the dining section. If you want a mediocre meal with mediocre service and upper end prices, it's your place.

Hands down fave restaurant in Barcelona. Returned here 3 times for dinner during our trip. Great tapas. Especially loved the octopus and of course the croquettes were just amazing. With all the restaurants nearby it can be hard to choose one. This one did not disappoint!!!

Best Bravas in Barcelona! Everything we tasted was excellent and the Vermut is a must have. Authentic(to the best of my knowledge)!

Why this place has 4 1/2 stars is bewildering. We had such a flat and unsatisfying experience. Lame flavors, lack of spice/salt on a dishes, soggy & cold french fries with the huevos rotos, the worst tortilla española de patatas we have ever had, and American elevator music as a background to the ambiance. How #DevourTours has this place on their food tour is a shame.

Delicious food and nice waiters - not many locals which is what we look for but the restaurant is very pretty and we enjoyed our tapas!

Cute little local restaurant by Picasso museum. We came in for light dinner around 9pm. Front looked empty when we arrived but the back is a huge space with lots of sitting. Very lively in the back. We ordered a salad and the rice dish. It was awesome and delicious.

We loved this place. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is, because I reserve 5 stars for places with live music. Food was amazing, wine and service excellent. Way reasonable prices. Highly recommend! Get the cauliflower tapas as one of your selections.

Not sure what's up with all the 5 stars reviews. The place is decent, but by no means a 5 star (or even 4) in the company of such incredible eateries in the immediate area. The decor was nice and the place is large. Some of the seating at the high tables are simply cushions on soda crates which were quite uncomfortable. Service was adequate and we found the staff to be friendly and easy to communicate with. Ordered a couple Hendricks gin & tonics. The were prepared with the cucumbers but no rose. The gin in glass was supplied with a bottle of tonic for you to pour yourself. I expected more for a $10 drink, but it can be nice to control the mix. We had a Russian salad, Iberian ham croquettes and grilled octopus. The salad was decent but nothing spectacular. I struggles to taste or find ham in the croquettes, so I'm trusting the cooks that it was in there. No complaints about the octopus. It was tender and had a nice grilled smokey flavor to it. Overall, not bad at all. It would be ok to go to if the better stops in the locale were slammed and you were too hungry to walk far.

This was one of the highlights of our visit to Barcelona. We had the ham croquetas, the calamari, and the octopus. The atmosphere in the Bodega was intimate yet so lively at 8 p.m. on a Wednesday. Our server was extremely attentive, and we loved the spot so much we came back the next day with our whole group to dry even more items on the menu. I definitely recommend Bodega La Puntual for quick, affordable and absolutely delicious tapas paired with a beautiful selection of local and regional wines.

We stumbled upon this place in el Born. If you want a comfortable place for tapas that is spacious and non-touristy come here. Lots of locals and nice wine selection. And OMG get the ham platter Bolletta. Best ham we have ever had. Seriously. The coquettes, pork and rice all good. We were comfortable here and the food was great!

We ended up here when a neighboring restaurant was closed (despite advertising they were open). Food was great and Guillermo, our waiter was amazing!!! Highly recommend. Worth getting off the beaten path for!