Ultramarinos Marín

We actually heard about this restaurant after chatting to the owner of another restaurant we had had dinner at, who recommended this place to us. It is very popular and so proved quite tricky to get a reservation there, but we managed to and I'm SO glad we did. This restaurant is on the expensive side in relation to the food portions, so be forewarned; but I feel that the food is absolutely worth it. It offers fine-dining food, but the lively and bustling venue made it feel like a hip bar/diner, the dichotomy of which just added to the experience. That did make it, however, quite noisy, and were right at the back of the restaurant which felt a bit cramped, but at least we weren't right in the middle of the noise. The entire menu was in Catalan, but our server took the time to diligently explain everything to us (luckily it wasn't hugely extensive!), and patiently answer our many questions about several different dishes. Having read reviews, we knew the dishes were small, so we ordered a fair number of them, making sure we tried their famous seafood. I can honestly say that while I wish the dishes had been bigger, each one was exquisitely delicious, and there were some flavours I had never experienced before. There was something that was similar to roe served on bread, which melted in your mouth like butter and tasted like the ocean! Their chorizo, tuna, foie gras, ox burger and hake were all outstanding. The restaurant was incredibly busy and we had to wait to be seen initially, so our server offered us a free appetizer; and because he forgot one of our orders, he offered us free dessert by way of apology! And we hadn't even complained! Highly highly recommended if you want to treat yourself -- this will be definitely on the repeat visit list for when we go back to Barcelona.

The atmosphere was exceptional, sitting at the bar watching the chefs cook and mingle made the experience that much better. All the staff are hilarious and so down to earth and better yet they make insanely delicious dishes. We got about 10 different dishes and loved every single one of them. They pair the things you order in a way that makes each course feel unique in the way it all goes together. Highly recommend coming here if you can get a reservation as they do get very busy! Will be dreaming about this restaurant and meals for years to come… until the next time!

Top quality ingredients on open fire, can’t get any better than this. Menu is changing and staff are helpful. All the dishes were very good but I would especially suggest the open fire grilled dishes - dessert and some others that aren’t coming from the grill weren’t particularly special. Also, book the back part of the place if you can.

My first visit to this side of carrer de balmes and I was able to check out one of the seafood restaurants that has been sitting on my list for a long time. I learnt about this place from one of Matt Goulding’s stories and I knew it’d be good. I ordered everything they recommended and they prepared half portions which is great because I wanted to try as many dishes as possible. I tried a raw fish for the first time, tuna, and I liked it. It was so tender. Actually, most of the seafood was undercooked for me but they tasted great so I didn’t have any issues. Allioli sauce was the best one I ever had and it’s texture was so unexpected for me. The people are so friendly and every dish was so tasty. I sit at the bar and was able to see the cooking process and it was so fun. I live close-by and this place can be my regular seafood restaurant. Thanks for everything.

Omg. This restaurant is amazing. We went two days in a row. Staff were amazing, food is the best things we ate in this trip. They overcharged as €200 by mistake but they refunded as immediately so no problem at all. Please leave a room for dessert! Cuz it’s amazing!!!

The best tapas spot in Barcelona – no doubt. Top-quality ingredients, simplicity taken to the highest level. Every bite is an experience. Authentic, honest, unforgettable. Highly recommended – reservation is a must.

The food was excellent quality and everyone was super friendly. Did seem pushy at times and it's definitely not cheap. Worth the experience though from my perspective. Been meaning to try this place for a while and happy we did.

This is a truly incredible experience. The restaurant is very relaxed and cozy, and the service is wonderful. They were very attentive and helpful, we just asked for their recommendations and ate what they suggested. They were also lovely and funny. Everything was absolutely delicious and fresh - very simple ingredients prepared perfectly. I highly recommend the artichokes, the mackerel, and the mushrooms. And the basque almond cake!