Botafumeiro

Después de varios años sin venir el miércoles pasado por fin pude acercarme. Me sorprendió lo lleno que estaba ya a las 9 de la noche.
Cenamos en la barra y la verdad es que estuvimos muy a gusto. Pedimos un par de ostras, alcachofas fritas, jamón con pan con tomate, un par de cigalas abiertas por la mitad (no tenían gambas ese día, una pena), zamburiñas, navajas, pulpo… Todo estaba bueno pero no llegue a disfrutar de esa manera que a veces he disfrutado comiendo marisco.
Repetiría quizás el pulpo, que estaba excelente y el jamón. La cigala estaba buena pero me he comido cigalas mejores en el Paco Meralgo o en en el Rías de Galicia, por ejemplo.
Eso sí, el servicio fue de 10, muy atentos de todo momento, y comimos bien, que nadie me malinterprete, pero quizás la calidad haya bajado un pelín en los últimos años.
Siguen teniendo servicio de aparcacoches. Mejor reservar ya que se pone hasta los topes hasta entre semana.

It’s all about the theatre here, you have a venerable old restaurant with a very strict staff tiering from bus boys to head chef… there seems to be hundreds of them, all with particular uniforms denoting their rank and status. They are all frantically busy and it creates a buzz like nothing I have ever seen in a restaurant. The kitchen (that you can peer into as you pass to your table) is like a scene from Dante’s inferno.
The place is lushly and ornately bedecked, it feels like an occasion just entering.
All this comes at a price, the place is expensive, more so when you realise you are in Spain where dining out is normally quite reasonable.
We dined in one of the private dining rooms and were treated to a selection of starters that were nothing less than spectacular. The diced raw tuna salad was noteworthy (Tartar de atun bluefin y aguacate).
The mains however were decidedly lacking; we were introduced to our lobsters before cooking, they looked great if not a bit pissed off (fair enough really), but after they had spent some quality time with a BBQ grill they were tougher than expected, it felt like a bit of a waste.
As an experience I would absolutely recommend it but for fine dining, there are so many more options!

This place is clearly stuck in the past — staying alive on reputation alone, certainly not on its food. We had several dishes, all of which were not even close to being acceptable or even just ok. Service was great and very apologetic, but as we told the waiter, he doesn’t make the food!

Si entras por la puerta del Botafumeiro es que estás de celebración. Es un día muy especial y quieres lo mejor del mar para tu paladar, sin mirar a tu bolsillo.
Botafumeiro no te defraudará. Además de tener platos de gran calidad, la cantidad es muy abundante. .
En el Bota lo celebrarás, lo disfrutarás, no te quedarás con hambre, pero lo pagarás.
No se lleva las 5 estrellas porqué preferiría que hubiera un poco más de espacio entre las mesas.
Recomiendo: Ir a cenar el día que te comunican que has aprobado la oposición que tanto esfuerzo te ha costado sacar ;) –por ejemplo–

Food is under expectation.
Service is great.
But!!! The portion is waaaaaaay to large!!! Not even kidding, the seafood platter, huge!!!
Overall, the finish taste for the raw seafood is quite salty. So people who prefer the sweater tastes should avoid it.

Most Excellent!

Great seafood, mediocre service at best. Let’s start with the food… it’s pricey but has the potential to be delicious… we did the paella, spiny lobster salad, and shrimp scampi (as the prawns were sold out). The paella was good but several of the seafood were overcooked. The spiny lobster salad was absolutely amazing. The scampi was delicious but slightly over cooked… even at the cost I’d probably give the meal alone 4 stars. The service, however, nearly ruined our meal. Don’t let the formal setting and uniforms fool you… I didn’t mind the 10 –15 minute wait for a server to greet us in the beginning… but it took an extended period of time for everything… and when they insist on pouring the wine (by setting it off the table) this got pretty annoying. Then the server who had been serving us the whole night just disappeared after the main courses. We had to get the attention of another server who very kindly cleared our table and brought the dessert tray and served us the duration of the meal. Overall, our stay was over 2 hours for a 3 course meal and only 1 bottle of wine… I’d say, for the price go elsewhere OR deal without the formal white uniforms and get the same quality food for a lower price elsewhere.

Just by lookin at the wall with all the celebrities that have eaten there, you will realize that this is the real deal. From Morgan Freeman to the royal family, Botafumeiro is one of the best seafood restaurants in Barcelona. Be prepared to pay a lot for the meals, however the service is flawless and the food incredible.

Straight up Spanish seafood is what you get here and it was really good. Place is kinda old but very busy with tourists and locals. We had the grilled seafood platter which was amazing. Yes, a simple grilled shrimp can really taste better than what you are used to. Not sure if it was the super high quality of the seafood, the fact that it was European sourced that we aren’t used to, or the preparation. Either way it was excellent.
The rest was good and it’s not a super inventive modern restaurant. The Jamon was great but comes with no bread. The seafood soup was however super tasty.
Wine list is decent and lots of lower prices Spanish wines.
We were stuffed so stuck with the free desert they bring you which was good in of itself.
This place is legit and very tasty and worth it if you want typical Spanish seafood. I wouldn’t say you can’t leave Barcelona without going here but you won’t be disappointed if you did.

My husband lead me to this restaurant on a recommendation by a colleague. Without having Unilocaled in advance, after having walked about 4 blocks to find the restaurant — I had an evil smile on my face as I glanced at the menu posted outside on the way in. This place is PRICEY!
This would be the most expensive meal that my husband and I have ever treated ourselves to. However, the restaurant did not disappoint. We ordered a tray of grilled seafood (about 127 euros) to share between the two of us. This featured everything from mussels, clams, sea cucumbers, prawns, langoustines, scampi, and lobster. Mouthwatering goodness we ate until we could eat no more and then we ate a bit more.
Simple and elegant — we walked in with street clothes fairly early for the dinner hour — and were graciously welcomed by the gentleman behind the bar. We were quickly welcomed and drawn into the warm charming atmosphere. Our waitress was superb. She was very patient with my husband as he got over the price and helped us in our decision of what to order. She also recommended the house white wine — which paired perfectly with our meal.
While seated there, we noticed that all sorts of people were being served in this establishment. The gents next to us were discussing their flight plans for returning via private jet to the US. The older couple on the other side were holidaying through Spain. I could hear Spanish being spoken, English, German, you name it. By the time we were leaving, people were dressed much more formally with a few in suits.
The place was buzzing. Not only did our waitress check on us but also the other wait staff and officials. Finally, dessert came after some long hours eating our fill of grilled seafood. The waitress arrived with a tray bearing a full array of desserts. We could not decide. Then she mentioned something special Crème Catalan which was also available and suggested we have the field fresh wild strawberries with it. I can’t imagine a better dish. The strawberries were melt in your mouth!
Finally full beyond measure, the waitress appeared with a plate consisting of cookies, chocolate, and small pieces of cake. This was the gift of the chef. All of the pastries were amazing and our only regret was passing on having a coffee or tea to go with them.
All in all, I think this is an at least once in your lifetime type of experience. Its worth the splurge for the quality of the seafood, the good humour and extremely pleasant wait staff, and the showmanship in which everyone takes pride in this restaurant. On leaving, my husband shot a picture with the kitchen staff as he was fishing a lobster out of one of the thanks at the entrance.
This dear Unilocalers, is as good as it gets.

If there were more than a five star rating allowed, this restaurant would definitely achieve it. I had dinner here on Saturday night after a recommendation from the concierge at the Majestic Hotel in Barcelona. So far all the restaurants up to this point in my vacation were just mediocre. Nothing to write home about.
But when I went to Botafumeiro, all bets were off. This place, by far, was the best food I have eaten ever. That’s a very high rating considering all the wonderful restaurants I have been to. Each and every dish, from appetizer down to dessert was extraordinary. The service was outstanding. Although pricey, it is well worth the money! You would not regret any part of it.

This is my first time visit to this restaurant as recommended from a friend. We have had Octopus tapa as a starter, fish and seafood Paella.
Frankly, perhaps, I was a bit over expected. The seafood Paella was a bit too strong in taste, and seafood especially those shrimps in the paella were 2^nd rated.
We arrived in the early evening before the crowd. Surprising me, The air-​conditioner seems even not turned on yet in the guest room.
However, fish and tapas starter were good, server was excellent, the desert was fine.

If you want to have authentic paella this is a good place to have it. Suggested by a friend and walking distance from our hotel in passage de Garcia it was great for our first night. Reservation was made earlier in the day for 730p and we didn’t have a problem getting a table on the early side. Maybe a little typical for tourists but we had good food and good service. We had a salad and the lobster paella. It was very impressive and they split it for you including removing the shells from the lobster and prawns. It was delicious and filling. I had a nice glass of rose and we passed on dessert but they bring you a nice complimentary cookie plate of small bites. Spent 82 UsD for 2ppl.

Servers were very nice but the food was poor. Our salad was soaked in dressing and the lobster seemed like it had been swimming at the front of he restaurant for way too long. The bill was also so much bigger than I expected for the quality of the food. Further, the place generally felt dirty inside … there was black mold on the ceiling above our table.
Not sure what is going on with this restaurant because they were packing in the customers, most of whom seemed like locals.

Some of the best fish I ever had was in this place. Loved the octopus and Hake, even the complimentary desserts on the house, but man man o man what was it expensive. I’ve eaten in 2 star michelin restaurants which were less expensive and of higher quality to be honest.

It is very very rare that I leave a restaurant feeling as satisfied as I did this past Saturday. I’m also not one to leave comments on Unilocal but WOW this place blew me away.
For starters, our server was fantastic. He had excellent recommendations and was extremely attentive, making our experience that much more special. The ambiance was romantic yet upbeat and it seems like everyone around us was also having an incredible time.
Menu tips:
GET. THE. LOBSTER.
This was hands down the most flavorful lobster I’ve ever had in my life. It’s worth every penny.
Start with the warm crab cakes with mustard sauce, the octopus appetizer and the tuna tartar. All of these were the best I’ve ever tasted.
The Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect pairing to my Sole fish which was garnished with slivers of black truffles and a butter-​champagne sauce. It literally melted in my mouth.
Also, the chocolate cake with a side of wild strawberries is the perfect ending to a fantastic meal — so save room!
I’ve eaten at dozens of 4+ star restaurants around the world and I have to say that this is hands down one of the top 3 meals I’ve ever had.
You won’t regret this one, I promise!

They make the perfect paella here. Rice has great texture, favors are great, and loaded with good variety of seafood.
Everything else on the menu is great too. On the more expensive side but you are guaranteed excellent food and service. Go if in the area but Barcelona has ton of other great restaurants too!

Wow… Barcelona, you have surprised me in a big plus way!
We were there early for a dinner and the service, ambiance and food were phenomenal. The restaurant is deceptively deep and certainly does not feel like it is that large. The ambiance is upscale and the quality is at a level that would compete with the upscale restaurants of NYC.
The appetizers consisted of the calamari, which was tender and very tasty. There was no significant residue of oil and was extremely well cooked and tasted really fresh. The barnacles were an experience and their look belied the exceptional taste that came through the actual tasting… with some coaching on what actually needed to be done to break them open and taste them… and the trick is to pierce them before breaking tearing them apart and bringing the larger fleshy part to your mouth… The dish of seafood was over the top excellent and tasty. The shellfish was well prepared and ultra fresh. Lobster, langoustine. shrimp, calamari and various clam types. all were excellent.
We finished with the paella which was of course seafood and was prepared with all the regular seafood and sauces included. Delicious. The deserts were shared and for me the fruit were the best part of that portion of the meal although all others disagreed…
Will be back if possible

Both me and my partner could not leave Spain without trying authentic Spanish Paella and I’m glad we didn’t.
Everyone steered us away from this place because of my partner having a shellfish allergy and said its mainly just seafood and would be a waste to go. Soooo lucky we didn’t listen, because this place was quite amazing.
The décor was like being on an upscale ship or an old worldly castle. The restaurant is quite huge with two levels and plenty of space to accommodate large parties.
We started with their olives which we couldn’t stop eating and then ordered the grilled octopus which was def good but needed a bit more lemon and salt.
Next came the Paellas! With one person allergic to all shellfish and the other being vegetarian, we were skeptical about how they would make it work but boy did they! We ordered a vegetable paella with peppers, potatoes, carrots, onions, and plethora of other vegetables which was quite amazing and with a slight touch of Tabasco — it was perfect. We also ordered a chicken Paella which had no seafood what so ever and was equally palatable and smelled equally as delicious in my opinion to the other paellas.
At the end, we had complimentary desserts which was better than most. The small chocolate squares just melt in your mouth and the peanut brittle like cookie was quite amazing.
No wonder this place is frequented by all the celebrities and officials from all over the world! Such a classy place with great service and equally great food. Glad we tried it as our first experience of a paella in Spain!

Excessively priced, decadent, poorly lit… An unmissable experience in Barcelona, if you love fresh seafood and don’t mind spending a bit for it this is the place to go! Marvellous service and food awaits you, all with a side of an historical place where many famous and non famous people stopped! Great experience!

Tot un clàssic a Barcelona que s’ha de visitar si algú vol fer una mariscada. Nosaltres vàrem fer una petita bogeria: vem demanar l’arròs caldós de llamàntol (bogavante, vamos) i la llagosta d’1 kg…
Ho vem regar amb un vi blanc d’una carta que mostra que no tenen problemes en oferir opcions.
Les postres prou bones, són d’aquells restaurants que et porten la taula de postres per a ensenyar-​te les opcions.
Però atenció! Heu de ser realistes i demanar menys mejar que nosaltres perquè nosaltres encara fem la digestió. Bön profit!

This is by far the best restaurante we have visit in Europe. The food is amazing and the service was more than amazing. At first I was afraid it would be too pricey but including a drink we spend about 60 Euros per person which in all honesty I thought it was not expensive at all considering the quality of service and «deliciousness» of food.
We started with cayos. WOW… We also has a Cod fish and paella and also; spectacular. Plates are on the large size which was a bit surprising considering most restaurants in Europe serve small plates. Out server Victor and another lady were super nice and very patient explaining our plates. They gave us a background story of some of the plates and what regions they originated from. Again, we couldn’t ask for better service.
It’s too bad I can only give them 5 stars because I think they deserve one more. So I will give them an extra one;

My wife didn’t like Botafumeiro at all (except for our server, who called himself Speedy Gonzalez).
— I didn’t like the very bland Galician soup
— The veal tripe, ham, sausage, and chickpea starter was delicious. Spicy, tender, salty. It was probably the best tripe dish I’ve ever had. Really enjoyed it
— The lobster paella was ok. The rice itself was very nice. Crusty, full of black salty goodness. However, the lobster was overcooked. We should have had the seafood paella
Overall, it was a good meal, but not the best we had while we were in BCN.

Quién dijo que la cantidad y la calidad no pueden ir juntas? Marisco de calidad y comida en cantidad.
Lástima que llevara una falda tan estrecha y que esté tan mal visto desabrocharla en lugares públicos porque sino habría podido acabar toda la comida que nos pusieron.
No nos engañemos, se paga, pero se come bien y mucho!

Las veces que he comido en este restaurante me ha dado la sensación de estar masificado, y la calidad precio desfasada, no se come ma, l pero no esta de acorde con su fama

Ici on entre dans la légende. Il suffit de voir les nombreux trophés et photos de chefs d’états qui sont affichés sur les murs des allées.
Le service est tres bon et la qualité des mets fabuleux (calamars justes sautés à l’ail et persil, poissons et fruits de mer cuisinés en sauce et la fameuse paella caramélisée).
Seul bémol: les prix sont trop cher pour Barcelone.

Wow… das war vom feinsten!!!
Tolle Begrüßung, Super Kellner… und das Essen!!!
Das ganze hat seinen Preis aber den bezahlt mann hier gerne!!!
Wer einen besonderern Abend erleben will ist hier richtig!

Bueno dicen el mejor restaurante de marisco de Barcelona. Tienen privados y clientela VIP. Yo creo que en los prives hacen otras cosas a parte de comer marisco, pero sólo son rumores que he oído.
Te piden los taxis, te tratan como si fueras la última exclusiva de la revista Hola… Bajo mi punto de vista los camareros dan miedo, son de aquellos a los que no les puedes ganar ninguna broma, pues van de vuelta y media de todo lo que imagines y puedas imaginar.
Si te gusta el Moet Chandon y el caviar, a la par que las gambas al ajillo y aparentar, entonces tu sitio, sin duda, es el Botafumeiro.
Vaaaale, quizás hay algo de envidia en lo que digo.

El Botafumeiro es un clásico en Barcelona: para muchos la buena mariscada es la que se hace allí. El local, clásico y enorme, está repleto de fotos de personajes y personalidades que, cuanto menos, han opinado lo mismo en algún momento de su vida. El restaurante se encuentra en Gran de Gràcia, pero que eso no te asuste para llevar el coche si vienes de lejos: en la puerta encontrarás el servicio de aparca-​coches, con lo que te ahorras el milagro de encontrar aparcamiento en la zona. Los platos son abundantes así que mejor que seas prudente en el momento de pedir. Si optas por la mariscada para dos, como mucho picotea algo más o necesitarás prórroga para acabar con la comida. El local es conocido por la calidad de los productos y por el buen servicio, y lo cierto es que las veces que he estado he corroborado que la fama es bien merecida. Uno de esos clásicos imprescindibles para amantes del marisco.

In der Gastrolandschaft von Barcelona ist Botafumeiro ist eine gesetzte Größe. Seit 1975 werden hier auf zwei Etagen und an unzähligen Tischen in einem verwirrenden Netzwerk holzvertäfelter Räume mit altmodischen Kronleuchtern hunderte von Gästen mit Fisch und Meeresfrüchten bekocht.
(Siehe Foto unten)
Das Restaurant ist ein brummender Bienenstock in dem Kellner in weissen Uniformen mit geflochtenen goldenen Schulterstücken herumflitzen — in der Regel mit großen, beladenen, silbernen Tabletts. Und wenn man genau hinschaut bemerkt man, dass in all dem scheinbaren Chaos tatsächlich ein filigranes Rollengeflecht aus Platzanweisern, Kellnern, Oberkellnern etcetc. und eine eiserne Ordnung herrscht.
(Siehe Foto unten)
So oft ich hier war — ich habe immer die gleiche (kurze) Zeit auf mein Essen gewartet — egal wie umfangreich die Bestellung, wie groß die Gesellschaft oder zu welcher Tageszeit. Botafumeiro ist ein gut geöltes Uhrwerk, das seit Jahrzehnten seine Kunden mit derselben Professionalität bedient.
(Siehe Foto unten)
Und das Essen selber — Fisch und Meeresfrüchte — ist vom Feinsten. Serviert wird galizische und katalanische Küche. Ich persönlich finde, dass man hier beim Kochen etwas zu traditionell und zu wenig experimentierfreudig ist — aber das käme bei der Stammkundschaft wohl nicht so gut an. Nichtsdestotrotz eine der ersten Adressen in Barcelona.
(Siehe Foto unten)
D.h. Botafumeiro ist schon laaaaaaaange kein Geheimtipp mehr. Im Gegenteil — angeblich (ich habe da kein Auge für) kann man hier durchaus auch schon mal Prominenz aus Sport, Politik und Kunst beim Essen sehen. Die Preise sind entsprechend.
(Siehe Foto unten)
Zu den üblichen Essenszeiten «einfach mal vorbeizuschauen» kann man vergessen. Ohne Reservierung geht nichts — ausser vielleicht ein Platz ganz vorne an der Bar?
(Siehe Foto unten)
FAZIT:
Ausgezeichnetes Fischrestaurant. Gehobener Preis. 1a Service. Konservatives Ambiente. Eher traditionelle Küche.

Küche: europäisch, mediterran, Meeresfrüchte, spanisch.
Ein Restaurant für Meeresfrüchte !!
Das Ambiente und der Bedienungsstil wirken etwas altmodisch. Das Service ist gut und aufmerksam.
Die galizische Küche bietet schon immer eine hervorragende Qualität und dieses Fischrestaurant zeigt dies in guter Qualität.
Fazit: ein Besuch wert !

Cuisine très décevante. c’est la première fois de ma vie que je né prends aucun plaisir avec un turbot… Cuisson ratée, pas d’assaisonnement,…
Une adresse à éviter absolument

Restaurante situado en el centro de Barcelona.
Lugar emblemático de la capital, perfecta decoración sencilla y todo muy aseado, buena presentación en la mesa.
Su carta nos ofrece platos típicos de galicia. Destacan: la ensalada de berberechos, las alcachofas con almejas y todo lo que tiene que ver con el marisco. Buenos vinos.
Productos frescos y de máxima calidad.
El precio medio está por unos 40 euros.

El Botafumeiro…
Restaurant très célèbre, se distinguant par son cadre exceptionnel. Très bien situé au coeur de Barcelone, il attire de nombreux hôtes illustres. Le Botafumeiro (qui est en fait un encensoir géant), temple des fruits de mer à Barcelone, offre la plus fine gastronomie galicienne. Testez donc les lasagnes aux crevettes. Le service n’est par contre peut être pas à la hauteur des prestations de l’établissement. Enfin, bon point, le restaurant dispose de ses propres voituriers, chose relativement rare à Barcelone.

Grande qualité des mets mais service aussi obsequieux
Excellents produits, fraicheur garantie, ce restaurant est le haut lieu de la sea food à Barcelone. Dommage que le décor soit si kitch et le service si pédant… Ayant pas mal bourlingué je n’ai jamais vu un service dans un restaurant de ce niveau aussi inéxistant: cendrier non vidé, verres vides, 35 minutes pour avoir la bouteille d’eau commandée, assiettes non changées lorsque elles etaient pleines de coquilles, et tout cela avec une suffisance tournant au grotesque… un service efficace, discret, souriant, mais simple eut été de meilleur gout. Cela en a gaché notre diner en tete à tete. Peut importe que Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, Pierce Brosnan et bien d’autres personnalités, y soient venues. Par contre on y déguste des spécialités de la mer irréprochables. Je vous recommanderai aussi spécialement la «Mariscada especial a la plancha»: toutes sortes de crustacés (homard, langoustines, gambas, …) et coquillages (coquilles Saint-​Jacques, palourdes …) juste grillés à la plancha. C’est délicieux et très copieux. La noté est salée surtout avec un service aussi médiocre. Et comble du kitch pour le desert vous aurez droit à la sérénade d’un couple de Mariachi.

Excellent poisson
Si vous aimez le poisson en général et les fruits de mer en particuliers, voici une adresse à né pas manquer. L’endroit est un peu kitsch mais le service et la qualité des mets sont à la hauteur de l’addition. Vous pourrez y déguster un excellente poisson sous ses formes les plus variées. Réservation recommandée.

Le Must
Le meilleur restaurant de poissons de Barcelone. Comme l’on fait Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, Pierce Brosnan et bien d’autres personnalités, vous dégusterez des spécialités de la mer irréprochables. Je vous recommande spécialement la «Mariscada especial a la plancha»: toutes sortes de crustacés (homard, langoustines, gambas, …) et coquillages (coquilles Saint-​Jacques, palourdes …) juste grillés à la plancha. C’est cher (90 euros pour 2 personnes) mais c’est un vrai régal et c’est très copieux. Si vous n’arrivez pas à faire votre choix, il y a un maître d’hôtel français très sympa qui vous commentera la carte et vous conseillera.