Restaurant Ají

We enjoyed an outstanding dinner here, opting for the tasting menu. The Nikkei fusion—a blend of Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions—was expertly executed, with each course providing a delightful and creative surprise. The portions were well-judged, leaving us perfectly satisfied by the end of the evening. The atmosphere was pleasantly calm, making it an ideal setting for a relaxed meal. This was complemented by exemplary service; the staff were clearly proud of the menu and provided attentive, detailed explanations for every dish. Considering the high quality of the food and service, the value for money is excellent. A small note for winter visitors: the entrance is somewhat discreet, located down a dimly lit staircase near Casino Barcelona. We also noted a very strict adherence to opening hours; the doors opened at 21:00 sharp, despite the rain and guests waiting outside. However, given the proximity to the beach and the outdoor space, this is undoubtedly a premier destination during the summer months. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a sophisticated and tranquil dining experience.

This was my second visit to this small yet impressive restaurant, having first discovered it last year. My first experience was excellent, and I was excited to return. The restaurant still holds up well and continues to stand out, especially with its digital sommelier, a unique feature that I haven’t encountered elsewhere. It gave a solid wine recommendation, though I do think the wine list could benefit from more options, particularly in dry whites and reds. The space itself is compact but stylish. It's modern, practical, and comfortable – a clear product of thoughtful design. It’s no surprise it has a Michelin recommendation. Dishes Tried: Spicy Scallops. Beautifully presented and perfectly cooked, but lacked a bit of seasoning to fully elevate the dish. Tempura Prawns. Crispy, light, and absolutely delicious. One of the standouts of the evening. Crispy Chicken. Tasty and well-prepared. However, I would’ve preferred the orange vinegar sauce on the side rather than poured over the top. Still managed to retain its crispiness. Prawn Maki. Requested without scallop on top. The roll itself was fresh and flavorful, but they added cream cheese on top, which I wasn’t expecting. I just removed it and enjoyed the rest. Beef Dish. Cooked to perfection. The standout here was the garlic rice on the side, possibly the best I’ve had. Highly recommend this dish. Grilled Pineapple with Sorbet – A light and refreshing way to end the meal, though nothing particularly memorable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Creative dishes, amazing flavors, and standout service. Aji in Barcelona delivered one of the best meals I’ve had recently. Our server Natasha deserves a special shout-out. Her recommendations were spot on and made the whole experience even better. Two dishes absolutely blew me away: • The red tuna tartare, fresh, rich, perfectly balanced. Top 10 tartare of my life. • The fried bass is unlike anything I’ve had before. Crispy, flavorful, and simply unforgettable. Everything from the service to the plating to the vibe made this a five-star experience. If you’re in Barcelona, put Aji on your list. — @pointstraveleat

It is the 2nd time I came to this restaurant. Despite doing reservation I have not been informed that the standard menu is/wont be available and only shortened version of the menu is available - mainly sushi - so missing all the signature dishes. The staff was not at its best. Food was still good but not exceptional. There is some event taking place in Barcelona Casino till end Sept that is just next door to Aji so you are surrounded by all the “gamblers” and the atmosphere is different. To finish off we ordered one dessert but got two and had to pay for two.

Aji is a fantastic restaurant with exceptional service — the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. The salmon was perfectly cooked and full of flavor, and the duck was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

Very interesting Peruvian-Japanese restaurant with beautiful interior and amazing service. The flavours in the dishes are combined in an unusual way for a European, but everything we tasted was exceptional and very tasty. You definitely need to book a table here in advance.

Aji Restaurant – A Hidden Gem of Peruvian Fusion in Barcelona I had the pleasure of dining at Aji, a Peruvian fusion restaurant tucked away near the base of the Barcelona Casino. Although it took me a few extra minutes to locate it—the entrance is a bit hidden and involves descending a staircase into an inner courtyard not clearly marked on Google Maps—it was absolutely worth the search. I opted for the tasting menu with wine pairings, and the experience was nothing short of outstanding. One of the highlights for me was the tuna tartare, made from Balfegó’s Atlantic bluefin tuna—fresh, refined, and beautifully balanced. I also appreciated the flexibility of the kitchen: I asked to have the ceviche made with corvina instead of salmon, and they gladly accommodated my request. The dish had a slight twist with the addition of soy sauce, which added an exciting umami depth without compromising the essence of traditional ceviche. The overall atmosphere was relaxed yet refined, and sitting at the counter allowed me to watch the chefs in action, which made the evening feel even more personal and immersive. Service was warm and attentive from start to finish, and the price-to-quality ratio was excellent for the level of cuisine offered. I highly recommend Aji to anyone looking for a sophisticated yet approachable introduction to modern Peruvian fusion in Barcelona. Just make sure to give yourself a few extra minutes to find the entrance!

Reserved based on Michelin guide. Good service. Good food though some of the courses were smaller. Attention to taste and details. Nice interior. The issue is the location in the basement floor of the Casino, when we arrived at 21:00 it was unpleasant, a deserted building site. Later on there were more crowds.

This place was amazing. Perfect English and catered to my allergies without any worries. I really liked their beef, they cooked it in a smoky sauce and it came with tomorrow and rice. The sushi was really good and fresh. She offered me options too (I politely declined the California roll option lol). Loved coming here!

We're a huge fan of Nikkei food (Japanese-Peruvian) and our hotel was just next door to this restaurant so we decided to give this a try. We had eaten at Pakta on our last trip to Barcelona and it was amazing, so we were excited to try another Nikkei restaurant. We ate around 2 pm on a Saturday and the place was pretty empty so we didn't have to wait for a table and got service right away. The decor is modern and minimal with a lot of wood, big windows and natural light. Some of the dishes can be a bit pricey, but we were trying to have a light lunch so we shared 3 different dishes and were satisfied with our meal. Compared to a lot of other places in Barcelona, this place is definitely on the more expensive side, but you also pay for location and convenience right next to the beach. The quality of the food was excellent, as was the plating/presentation. Quinoa Salad with Grilled Calamari (12€) - I liked this dish a lot and would get it again - it was one big piece of calamari, grilled, and filled with quinoa and some vegetables like red peppers, edamame. It was light, satisfying and tasty and a pretty decent size for the price. The calamari was super fresh and the texture was not too chewy - I'd recommend this dish! Shrimp Maki (16€) - For a sushi roll, this was pricey. It was delicious, but I don't think it was worth 16 euros. There were 2 skinny rolls, and it was delicious but expensive. The avocado was fresh, and we loved the combination of wasabi combined with the aji panca. I had never had that kind of mixture combined for the dipping sauce and it was a perfect spicy complement. Cod Ceviche Style (19.50€) - We really loved this dish too and would get it again - the portion was a decent size, the cod was fresh and flaky, and the leche de tigre sauce was great, as was the charred wok-fried bok choy. I'd recommend this one too. Overall, a great experience - the servers were attentive and nice, and we even got 2 small complimentary truffles to end our meal. Some of the dishes are on the pricier side, but it was affordable. When you're tired of eating tapas and potatoes and ham, come eat here for something a little lighter and with combinations of flavors you probably can't find at most places. This is probably one of the better and nicer places you'll find right by the beach.

This was my favorite restaurant we went to on this trip. The ceviche is hands down amazing same for the rest of our meal. We came here for 4 days ate here 2 of the nights. Def a 5 star meal. Great staff and outdoor patio too.

Had good sushi and arroz chaufa, a Peruvian fish: good food. Ambiance is pleasant, good lighting, nice decor (not a big fan of the light green though) Service was excellent. Maybe a bit overpriced ( thinking about value in relation to the overall dish quality), but this might be a subjective call. Try it!

Tucked away jewel. Great ambience, great service, great cuisine. Outdoor dining area had a great vibe. Food was superb. Best Ceviche outside of Peru. Really really amazing ceviche. Can't say enough about it. Oyster starter was a treat. Wagyu beef nigiri was excellent. Dined here 2 nights and tried lots of dishes on the menu. Everything was amazing. Not to miss.

Delicious food, great atmosphere and service, one of the best meals we had this week in Barcelona.

This restaurant I think has the best customer service in Barcelona! Went for dinner-We only had the sushi which was amazing and pisco of course! We each ordered a roll and it was so good we had another one. The third roll was taking a little bit to come out, but before I could notice the server came to tell us it was going to take a little bit and brought out a complimentary little appetizer. I was so happy! They ended with the warm towels which were also a surprise to me. Definitely will go back to try the rest of the menu!