La Pepita

La Pepita was a fun spot to check out. The decor is really unique, with graffiti covering the walls and even the ceiling — definitely gives it a cool, laid-back vibe. It was a busy night and the space is a bit tight, but the energy was good. There’s a menu in English, which made ordering easy. The food had some interesting flavour pairings — not amazing, but still tasty and different. Big thanks to the guy at the door who noticed I’d been waiting when someone cut the line. He made sure I got seated first, which was a really nice gesture. They also gave out a small liqueur at the end of the meal on the house, meant to help with digestion — a nice little bonus. Would recommend making a reservation beforehand. Enjoyed the overall experience!

We absolutely loved our dinner at La Pepita. We arrived at around 9:45 pm with no reservation and were extremely lucky to be almost immediately seated at the bar. All members of the staff were very welcoming and kind from the very first moment we entered. The place had a lovely, warm atmosphere and the writing all over the walls served as amazing and unique decoration. As for the tapas, the menu was fairly priced and had a large variety of cold and hot dishes. We tried La Pepita's potatoe bravas, the red shrimp croquettes, the fried kalamari with kimchi mayonnaise and iberian croquette and they were all delicious and made with quality ingredients. We also tried their sangria, which we absolutely loved. I can't recommend this place enough!

Amazing food - We went twice, and both times everything we ordered came out fantastic, especially the Very Important Croquettes. Generous portions, too. Highly recommended and worth the hype. Pro tip: if you didn't get a reservation for lunch time, just arrive like 10 mins before opening time and they can seat you at the bar.

Came here on a trip to Barcelona and loved it. Our hotel was right down the street so it was really convenient. The place is pretty small and there was a decent line but we got in quick and food came out really fast after we ordered. The atmosphere is great, we ended the meal with free shots and got to sign they gave us markers to sign the walls. This was one of my favorite meals I had in Barcelona!

A great experience in Barcelona. Highly recommended. Exactly what I would want from a tapas place which combined cool ambiance mixed with great food. Large portions with great flavour. The only issue is getting a table. We reserved a table for two and had no issues but later saw a long lineup.

Second time visit after 6 years. The food was still above the standard! Staff were friendly to us, I walked in without reservation and the staff tried to fit us in. We had a good time and over enjoyed every dish.

One of the best restaurants I've been to for Spanish food! So unique and high quality. The Iberian ham with frittas is so good as well as the Iberian ham croquettes!

Wow!! I’m still eating and making this review.. whatever we tried was perfect! So tasty! Congratulations to the team 👏🏻🫶🏻👌🏻👌🏻 You better reserve to find a spot inside this little gem! Our first stop to Barcelona! We loved it

Amazing food. Had the asparagus, octopus, calamari and pepita with foie gras. All amazing, just had a hard time finishing up the octopus because of all the mashed potatoes with it. But all in all, one of the best meals we had in Barcelona. The foie was sooooo good... Sangria was good too! Love the place- highly recommend! Do go early though, we got there at 3pm or so, kitchen was closing at 4ish (staff gives you notice for last minute orders), and they open up later again.

La Pepita fue un lugar recomendado por un trabajador de el hotel donde estamos hospedados. No habíamos reservado, y si tuvimos que esperar un poco antes de que nos sentaron. El lugar tiene las paredes decoradas con graffiti, es interesante leer los comentarios de las demás personas. Nuestro mesero fue atento y amable. Decidimos ordenar el jamón ibérico, pan con tomate, pork belly, espárragos con cacao y la pepita de ternera. El jamón me encantó, algo simple y de buena calidad. Los espárragos son muy blanditos, no me gustó pero a mi amigo si les gustó. Todos estuvimos de acuerdo que la Pepita de ternero estuvo buenísima. La carne fue cocinada al término perfecto y tenía un sabor muy rico.

In any other city this would be a five star place, but Barcelona is the acme of tapas dining. It's an artistically interesting but cramped graffiti covered interior, very loud. Too loud if you're my age and aren't hard of hearing. It's very popular among young locals so you definitely need reservations. We didn't have reservations, but we came early, very early, so they squeezed us in. The steak, the asparagus were the best, all was good. Could not order the octopus, though it looked good, now that I know how smart they are. As usual, good Cava. Save room for dessert next door at the churros stand.

Had a really enjoyable lunch here. It was little too crowded for my liking but the food and drink was excellent. My favorite thing was the fried eggplant with julienned apple. The guacamole was good but the chips tasted a little undercooked or stale. The sangria on tap was delicious, definitely get some of that because it is cheap! The graffitied atmosphere is really cool and I wish I had a marker to add to the chaos. Service was friendly and the spoke English which made things easy. I would definitely recommend this spot and would come back.

I don't understand all of the good reviews, we ordered the steak and mash potatoes, the steak was tough. Was difficult to cut with a butter knife. Prices were ok, very crowded. Slot of better places to eat. Service was friendly.

What a fun and busy restaurant. Went here at 11pm After arriving into Barcelona from Madrid. Amazing selection of tapas and a friendly staff. Honestly, nothing that we had here was bad. Gets crowded so you might have to wait a bit for a table, definitely a thumbs up in Barcelona !

Great selection of food for a very reasonable price. Definitely get the steak, it's cooked beautifully. I got the foie gras topping as well which complemented the steak very well. Guacamole was fresh and anchovies were good. Can't go wrong with Jamon as well. We were seated at the bar and it was kinda cramped but I guess it added to the atmosphere. Service was great and attentive.

Happening place that is humming. Lots of people and line out the door for dinner. Can't wait to have their food. Happy to say i have dined here and it was great and satisfying.

My favorite go to tapas place in Barcelona! I recommend reservations but if you go right at opening, it's likely you can snag a seat, or at their next door sister restaurant. The food dish is to die for! I loved it so much that I went back two nights in a row. Service and staff are friendly and the vibe is bustling and fun! Try the cold white asparagus dish w papas too!

La Pepita was awesome; great food, friendly service, reasonable prices, we liked it so much we went twice. We honestly enjoyed everything, some of our favorites were the Octopus, beef tartare, and la pepita. Food was all high quality, well seasoned and had great combinations of flavors. Other dishes like the fried chicken and shrimp croquettes were also great. Their vermout was tasty as well and service was friendly and quick. They do get very busy but we never had to wait too long to get a seat or get our food once we'd ordered. Would recommend to anyone in BCN!

This is an awesome place to eat. Just so much fun with absolutely excellent food. The staff are friendly, helpful, and they provide excellent recommendations. We actually came twice as it is located so close to our hotel. There's usually a line to get in, but it moves quickly and the wait is reasonable. We waited less than 15 minutes on both occasions. There is a table outside, but the street has lots of traffic and so you need to be ready to smell some pollution. Inside was much more fun with much better energy. Our choices included the white and green asparagus with ginger vinagrette. It was truly tender and delicious. The fried calamari was lightly fried with not too much breading. It was tender and very flavorful. The red shrimp "al ajillo" was truly fantastic. We had it both times and was our favorite. The potato bravas were also excellent. This is a tapas place you can out of your way to find and enjoy their food. The red sangria was fruity and not too sweet. One of the best we enjoyed in Barcelona.

The food here is super! The USA is associated with burgers and they don't even come close to this place. The burgers are each individually crafted with the best bread for each burger. Of you like a place that has moist burgers because they don't overcook them and love french fries that are crispy and crunchy with soft centers then this place is for you. If you love a beer with the food, again this place has you covered! Quick service and a beautiful pub atmosphere is what you will find. I had the bacon belly burger which has such crispy pork belly and melted cheese with the other typical ingredients and it was amazing. The soft poppy seed bun was super. Beer on tap, what more could you want

We serendipitously stumbled upon here after a first dinner. Despite being full, we managed to order a few tapas and wine to share and still ended up really enjoying the food. Food doesn't usually taste as good when you're stuffed, but the food here managed to shine through. We enjoyed it so much we had to return! Somehow luck was on our side and we managed to snag a spot without a reservation both times. Although it's probably better to make reservations, as they're often booked out and normally you'll have to wait for bar seating. We saw a lot of people trickling in to ask if there was any availability to only be discouraged by long wait times. We managed to try a lot of the tapas and the standouts were: GRILLED PULPO ON POTATO MASH: I will always order pulpo whenever I see it on the menu. The pulpo here was by far one of the best octopus I've had all trip. There wasn't much char on the octopus, but it was tender and not chewy at all. The mojo picón drizzled on top and the potato mash underneath elevated this dish. I would order this again! SALMON TARTARE: This was very delicious! The avocados, daikon and seaweed salad were all refreshing components, while the ponzu and wasabi mayo tied everything together. They served a side of toasted bread to eat the tartare with. Must try! ANCHOVY WITH COCA ON TOAST: The flavors mesh surprisingly well. The sweetness from the cocoa sauce complemented the saltiness of the anchovy without overpowering everything. The toasted bread was a great vessel to hold everything altogether. CRISPY PORK BELLY: Perfect ratio of fat to meat and the skin was crunchy and crispy! The avocado sauce on top was nice and refresh. I believe this was a special, but I recommend ordering it if you see it on the menu. FRIED CALAMARI A LA ANDULASIAN: Calamari was lightly breaded, but very crispy. Each calamari piece was of perfect thickness. The kimchi mayonnaise was light, but well seasoned. Honestly can't go wrong with this! CLASSIC SPANISH FRIED EGGS WITH POTATOES: Potatoes were crispy and enjoyable to eat. You could choose between foie gras, chorizo or iberico ham to top it. We opted for the chorizo and it gave the potato a pleasant spice to it. Fried egg with a runny yolk made it a nice sauce to mix the potatoes in. ARGENTINIAN RED SHRIMP "AL AJILLO": Wish there was more shrimp, but the ajillo was amazing. It was a little more unconventional to your traditional ajillo, but I thought the lemongrass was very fragrant and paired really well with the shrimp (I may be partial to anything lemongrass though). CREMA CATALANA: Can't visit Barcelona without a crema catalana. This was light and decadent, with a nice and shiny coat of hardened sugar over it. There was a hint of some alcohol in it, but I really enjoyed this as a dessert to end our meal. They have sangria on tap and I recommend just ordering a pitcher because you will finish it quick. They also have a pretty extensive wine and beer selection that is reasonably priced. Would recommend coming here!

I thought La Pepita was good, but overhyped. The red shrimp croquettes were delicious, but didn't care as much for their patatas bravas. The fried chicken was most recommended and it had good flavors, but some of the chicken pieces were very fatty. Recent service. The inside was cool with fun decor.

Fantastic and authentic. Hidden off the main tourist corridor. VERY sketchy a couple of blocks over but this area was nice. Told it's not safe at night. The food and service was fresh and amazing. We ate and drank quite a lot for $77 euro.

They have the trifecta Great food Great vibe Wonderful staff If you're looking for a great casual spot to have great food and a neighborhood bar feel

fabulous tapas place. the place is super lively and seats are close together to accommodate more guests. i understand why so many ppl were there. we arrived 10 min before opening and were seated without a reservation but a line built up really fast as we were eating. all of the staff was nice and welcoming and busy. the sangria was okay could have been sweeter tbh. it was my first time trying steak tartare. i did not like it but my friend did. the fried chicken was delicious. add the tajin to the chicken to make it even better (we got it from the pork belly dish). i wish i lived in barcelona so i could come here everyday and try the whole menu

Soooo delicious! Hit this spot on the recommendation of a friend who lived in Barcelona and it did not miss! Had the guac with watermelon salsa- AMAZING. Had the pork belly- also excellent. The croquettes were good, but the burrata was the star!

Tapas: check Drinks: check Service: check Vibes: check Great spot for some drinks and tapas in the evening. Their cocktail list is great as are the tapas, and it's easy to grab a taxi out front afterwards.

Definitely make a reservation, we were turned away at an off- time due to lack of space. Smoked aubergine fritters were excellent as was the Argentinian beef skewers.

10/10 outstanding meal. Great service. Fun vibe and decor. Easy to navigate as an English speaker. We loved every single thing we ordered!

Tapas restaurant away from the tourist-y area. It's 1:45pm.... We don't have a reservation and there's a line. Thankfully, we only had to wait about 30 minutes and then we were at the front of the line and a table opened up. Enjoyed several different tapas and a bottle of wine....Jamon, Asparagus salad, tomato bread, octopus. Great service, Yummy eats, Cool vibe. I would totally come back here again if I were in Barcelona.

The Tapas are amazing. They're quite busy so they do limit you on how long you can spend in the restaurant but it's 1:30hrs so it was perfect for us. We got 5 tapas items for about €54. The grilled octopus and the Argentinian steak were amazing. About 10min wait when we showed up at 8pm. Ambience was fun and young. Lots of writing on the wall. They also give you a free shot of some sort of liquor at the end of your meal but I couldn't since I was pregnant and my husband wasn't interested We're American tourists to Barcelona to be clear. They all spoke perfect English if you have a hard time with Spanish. Menu is also available in English

Quite honestly, the food is good, and service is okay, but to lift this place above so many others (even within a stones throw distance) is going way too far. We have this problem a lot in LA - restaurants get some recognition, and then they start getting busy and hard to get into. In trust, what actually happens is some arbitrary event that shines a spotlight on the restaurant (like a celebrity dining there). The next thing you know is everybody's going there and leaving raving reviews, not because the food or service was great, but because they want to be seen as "in the know". Frankly, most of the time (in LA at least) the restaurant is not really that good, but everybody is afraid to say anything to the contrary. La Pepita is not bad, don't get me wrong. It gets three stars because it's right there among the average restaurant in the area. There is one thang that absolutely upset me, although I promise it did not affect my rating: Shortly after we were sat (in the corner, next to the wine closet), the 4-top next to us left, and the restaurant sat 7 large adults at a 4 top table. because the opposite side from us was the only door, all 7 people had to cram on our side of the table. I was pushed into the corner, to the point that I could no longer freely move arms to eat. I had a large man, sitting on a backless stool, with his back leaning up against my 2 foot wide table. I know people say this place is cozy, but that was the most uncomfortable situation I have ever been forced to endure at a restaurant. It is because of this that I will never return, but the food was good. Still, there is so much better.

Food was good. I've had better tapas in Barcelona but overall pretty solid. It was across the street from our hotel so super convenient. It gets crowded so we made a reservation.

Your experience here will depend on what your general standard of dining is. First, this is solid fusion food - not classic Barcelona food. There are influences from Barcelona, from Peru, from Japan etc. mixed together in the dishes. It is classic and pretty good fusion. So if you've never had fusion before and want a taste of Barcelona mixed with those other tastes, you might love this place - which to me accounts for the fantastic reviews here: people aren't used to eating this way in their home restaurants. If however, you generally eat fusion and are a tourist looking for something that reflects Barcelona itself, this isn't the place for you. It is solid food but there are so many other incredible options in the neighborhood blocks away, with limited options I wish I had used this dining time to go somewhere else. As well, the three tables surrounding us were other American tourists with other sets of tourists behind them. This didn't feel like a local place at all. It felt like high end tourist food. Nevertheless, our hotel said everyone they send here is happy so most people love it. You might too, it just depends on what you want. I think @Brian A.'s review from 5/13 is pretty on point.

Amazing ambiance. Accommodating. Friendly. You can tell it's a family owned. They even allowed my daughter to sit at the bar.

Reminiscing back on my Barcelona trip. Absolutely loved this lunch! I think back to it quite a lot... It was so tasty, flavorful and hit the spot after a long day of walking around the city. The menu has so many options, you really want to try them all. I appreciate their portion sizes as well, it's a great amt to make you full yet not absolutely stuffed.

Reserved for 7:30pm and got seated right away. Every tapas we ordered was great. The ambiance is casual, loud, and fast paced. Friendly staff. Great place to have tapas.

I would highly recommend reservations as we arrived right at opening hour and they were already packed in the original location. Luckily, they have a sister restaurant right next door called mini Pepita and we snagged one of the last two bar seats for the night. I started with a mojito that was so good that my partner ordered the same for his second round. We got the potatoe bravas, iberian croquette, argentine beef skewer and the Canpepi Fried Chicken. Four tapas made for a filling meal for us. Each dish was excellent, but my favorite had to be the fried chicken. Super crispy crust with great sauce but balanced with the pickle cabbage and green curry vinaigrette. Definite recommend for dinner if you can get in!

I thought the food was ok - mostly typical tapas you can find in other restaurants. After trying out several other restaurants prior to trying to La Pepita, we were underwhelmed. They have typical tapas like iberian ham and calamari. I found the popcorn in the popcorn ice cream stale. This place gets incredibly packed, and luckily we had reservations for our meal but I saw a long line outside for those without reservations. We had a one year old daughter and it was nice that they gave us a high chair but you better bring a stroller that can easily fold up b/c you will not be able to wheel even a small stroller to get to your table as it is extremely packed. We had a yoyo so it was easy to fold and carry to our seat, but we couldn't even find room for the stroller around our table and ended up leaving the stroller in a small cubicle near the back of the restaurant. Would not come back to this place in the future.

Some of the best tapas in an amazing restaurant and part of the city! Unreal jamón croquetas, delicious ceviche, amazing patatas bravas and so much more. The large gin and tonic is big and SO refreshing. A must go to in Barcelona!

It's an impossibly narrow tapas bar crammed into another Barcelona street corner. But my goodness there is no other rating I can bestow than one of five stars! The Can pepi Fried Chicken (deep-fried, slightly sweet chicken tenders with pickled ginger and radishes) is one of the stunning highlights of the menu. The Huevos fritos jamón Ibérico (Spanish fried eggs with Iberian ham) is another shockingly good dish with fried eggs slightly crispy in some places, fried potato slices that are impossibly thin, and topped with green onions, generous portions of ham, and a hint of Manchego cheese! Due to its popularity, the place fills up almost as soon as they open for lunch at 1:00 p.m., and the lines at night are very long! So get there immediately at 1:00, or around 4:00 during off-peak hours, or just make a reservation! The only knock against La Pepita is that the calamari took them an astonishing 1.5 hours to make! And it tasted awful! Don't order it and you'll be fine.

The seating is tight, but this is clearly a popular local spot and we totally saw why. Amazing tapas, great atmosphere, and good service!

Wow wonderful food, drinks & service at La Pepita. We enjoyed our visit so much ate here twice. I've been raving about the restaurant ever since returning to the states. So many delicious small plates to suit anyones tastes in the heart of Barcelona. Plus great drinks from the bar and desserts too! A must on any trip to Barcelona!!!

Alrighty we have made it to Barcelona on our Spain adventure Ambiance: this place is a typical tapas place. Small quaint, loud and bustling. The servers are great specially the Filipina ladies with great recommendations Food: alright we ordered a bunch of stuff... I wish I can explain the details more but I have pictures. Definitely get the chicken, the shrimp on a skillet.. honestly I forgot the rest but everything was good. Like always I ordered one too many but I regret nothing..: it was great!! Service: we didn't have any reservations but we got there 30 mins after they opened.. rest assure it was fantastic!! The Filipinas were hustling and bustling forsure!! And it's amazing how great all of them were!! Very quick very prompt and they didn't get any of our orders wrong!! Great job

One of the best spots in the city, its rare you find something so tasty at this price point. Here are some of the menu items I had: The tomato toast had 4+ pieces. It was a bit less tomato than other places but a great starter if you are hungry to satisfy you. The beef tartare was so tasty for 4 euros, almost felt like two pieces just for the small. Was on a nice toasted piece of bread, easily the size of my palm. Only item I had in spain I had to order a second serving of at the end of the meal. The ti punch cocktail was a fun margarita or limeade based drink that was really good value for 5 euros and was fresh to compliment the salty food. The pepita classic was a beef steak that was cooked med rare and was not overly chewy. It was a good quality steak at this pricepoint of 13-15 euros and included some toasted bread and mashed potatoes. If you dont want any bread or carbs this is not the spot for you, most of the menu items include toast of some sort, excellent for if you are hungry The ambience was a graffiti filled walls where you can dine at the bar for a quick easy experience if you have other things planned soon. Or there is a dining area for those who wish to have a more sit down experience. Everyone was very friendly. And you get a free shot at the end to choose from coffee liquer, grapa, or spanish herbs mix

A long overdue review but I'm doing it now for posterity... And also more selfishly so I can find this place next time I'm visiting Barcelona. This was my favorite place to eat on my last trip to Spain. I came for the Iberico ham (which was divine), but it was the fois gras with eggs and potatoes that will bring me back. So so good that I ate it like a savage, no time for talking or photos. Luckily we ordered a second serving so I actually did get a photo of it eventually lol. A very busy restaurant even super late in the evening, so get reservations if you can. We were squeezed into the side table and everyone brushed past us to get in and out of this tiny place...but we didn't care as we feasted, giddy on the sangria, the delicious food, and the unexpected joy of discovering a new favorite restaurant.

Delicious food, great service, lovely bar to sit at. Located in a popular area of the city. The seafood was amazing. Loved watching and interacting with the cooks. Would come here at least once a week if we could be so lucky to live in Barcelona!!

Simply amazing. Great options, fun space, incredible food at a reasonable price. Make reservations if you can; there are often lines to get in.

Staying at a nearby hotel and was recommended here for Tapas. The place had a long line before even opening for lunch and it looked modern and clean. We ordered Anchoa especial on toast, croqueta iberica, pulpo grilled and bunuelos de berenjena ahumada and beer. Unfortunately once we finished the berenjena ahumada (which I did not like since the oil cooked in seemed too dark) went back to the hotel and this is where my nighmare started. My first day in Barcelona and we had to call a doctor because of food poisoning. With meds my discomfort lasted for 5 days until we left and could not leave my hotel bed till then. My Barcelona vacation ruined !

we were there for a very late night dinner, just like typical Catalonians ! Service was fast, orders all come very quickly , has a very nice buzz to the place. We ordered a salad, octopus with drinks. Service is definitely very friendly . We enjoy the hospitality very much .

I like their foods but I don't think was being served nicely. The service might need to improve for foreigners. Anyway I like ambiance.

Our food was served exceptionally quickly, and it was absolutely delicious. The employees were incredibly kind, and seated us to a bigger table as soon as possible to provide the best experience. The food was savory, had great texture, and seasoned magnificently. Fantastic! Not only that, but the restaurants walls and windows display the many signatures and written messages of those who have eaten here at La Pepita, and the lady employee was so kind to let us have a marker to write our own, to make a memory known. She was also very funny and entertaining, and just as wonderful as all the other employees. If you're looking for a place to blow you away, this place is sure to satisfy. Don't forget to write something either on a wall or a window to remember this place when you want to come back (trust me you will). I certainly enjoyed the experience, and I hope you give this place a try.

The best food we've tried in Barcelona! Their burata is to die for, so recommended! I loved the atmosphere and vibe, def 5/5

My husband and I finished our honeymoon in Barcelona and we really wish we had over a week to stay here! We had the best food experiences and we are so happy we stumbled upon La Pepita! We were only in Barcelona 2 days and we came here both days in a row for lunch. The tapas were incredible and the sangria was divine. The atmosphere was super fun and the staff was so kind and helpful in our selections. You really couldn't go wrong. We can't wait to revisit one day!

Fun, excellent tapas, service was energetic without being pushy. We went for a birthday and had a great time.,You must go here if you're in Barcelona.

Blame it on the sangria? I had a great time after finding this spot on Yelp and realizing I could walk across the street from my hotel. I made a reservation for this spot same day as a solo traveler. I was welcomed with open arms and never rushed. Beware though. The tapas are large and I could only manage to eat one with the flow of sangrias. Side note: this spot gets crowded and loud if that is not your scene.

We really enjoyed our dining experience at La Pepita. We waited in the line for a little since we sm didn't make a reservation but they got us in very quickly and the service was quick! I ordered the blueberry gin fizz and it was so refreshing (and I never drink gin). Our waiter brother everything out with perfect timing. We order many tapas which was perfect for us to try many things. We orders the weakfish ceviche which was my favorite! We also enjoyed the guacamole with watermelon pico de gallo, the potato bravos, the Can Pepi fried chicken and their beef skewer. Everything was delicious and we definitely would love to go back again! The ambiance is upbeat and lively, and they accommodate families, couples and larger parties. Definitely enjoyed ourselves.