Sensi Bistro

A true hidden gem. Some of the best tapas we had in Barcelona. The truffle raviolis were and the short ribs were fantastic.

Great find during our trip to Barcelona! My family and I were so happy to have this amazing restaurant so close to where we were staying. Every single Tapa we had was amazing! I recommend the ceviche and the mussels. The sangria is also very good.
The waiters are so friendly and kind. We were only in Barcelona 4 days and we came to this restaurant 3 times… Addicted.
I suggest you make a reservation if you’re coming in after 7 pm… otherwise you may not get a table. This place gets packed!

INCREDIBLE! Been traveling through Europe for a month and while in Barcelona stumbled across this place and decided to give it a shot. Out of the 4 people traveling with us we all agreed it was the BEST meal we had had on the trip, by far. Atmosphere is great and the food is beyond words. Really well done tapas, the owner was fantastic and even offered to walk us to this amazing cocktail bar after work. Service was impeccable and once again the food. You won’t find better tapas for the price anywhere in Barcelona. When we eventually come back it’s a MUST for everyone who came. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ and would suggest this to anyone. Plates run anywhere between € 5-​€ 15 and can easily be shared. We did about 3 per person and were SO FULL and everyone can’t stop talking about it and it’s been days since we’ve been. Love this place and can’t wait to return!

After 4 days of being less than impressed by the food in Spain, we found Sensi Bistro. Not only was this the best meal we had in Spain, it’s one of the best I’ve ever had. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and our 6 tapas choices were perfectly timed. Sadly, the best came last and we were too full to enjoy. They suggest 2 – 3 plates per person, and we were surprised by how large the portions were. For the 2 of us, we spent £63 on a bottle of wine and 6 tapas. We would have easily spent double that on a similar meal in the U.S. (And the quality would not have been as good). We would be going back tonight if we hadn’t discovered that there are two other Sensi restaurants to try!

Sensi means a teacher, and the name fits right. This place is surely a teacher telling one how to enjoy excellent food.
Beautifully historic from outside and located in the Gothic area but very contemporary from the inside makes this the perfect dinner place.
As for the food, it was one dynamite of flavor after the next. Hands down our best tapas experience in Barcelona.
The staff was very friendly and efficient. They speak English which helps for the tourists but other than that they are 100% authentic Spanish.
The few highlights of food were the vegetable curry, a Thai twist to a Spanish tapa. The mini burger was just phenomenal.
Do make resection sad it gets filled up fast. Though we didn’t and luckily our wait time was only 10 mins but if you are on a time budget reservations will be a good call.
Lastly don’t skip the Caramel cheesecake. It was amazing and very different from the cheesecakes we often get here in US.

The place is decent. But we are told there is no tap water and we are not allowed to drink our own bottled water either. That’s insane, never come across the situation before. No less than two tapas per person and we are charged for cover+bread that we are not told we are offered and have to pay for at the beginning. Food is fair, but the paella is a mini portion and too salty.

Excellent tapas here; perhaps the best gourmet tapas I’ve had in Barcelona!
Like many others, we started off our night feeling a bit confused because there are multiple Sensis within a short distance of each other. We walked into the wrong Sensi at first, but the waiters were extremely helpful and even walked us over to the correct one.
I was with three others– and everyone here loved everything we ordered, with one exception – the squid. However, everything else was basically perfect. It seemed that the meat dishes were the real stars of the menu here– the beef filet, duck timbale, and pork tataki were all hits with us. We also loved the risotto and ravioli. The most memorable tapa was likely the mushroom crema catalana– which was phenomenal, but should have been served towards the end, as a more dessert-​like end to the meal.
If you are dining alone and can only get three things, I very much recommend the risotto, beef filet, and mushroom crema catalana. You won’t be disappointed. I do recommend going with a group of 2 – 4, though– sharing here is much more enjoyable as there is so much variety.

Cuando un sitio tiene todas las reseñas en otros idiomas y ninguna en español… mal pinta la cosa. Sin embargo, era de los pocos sitios que estaba abierto el pasado 1 de enero a la hora de comer en el centro de Barcelona, donde habíamos pasado la Nochevieja. Nos habían hablado bien del sitio y las reseñas, aunque todas en guiri, hablaban bien del sitio. Así que aquí nos plantamos.
Creo que es el ejemplo perfecto de lo que no me gusta hacer, pero las circunstancias mandaron ese día. ¿Cómo me va a recomendar a mí un alemán o una italiana dónde comer bien en el centro de Barcelona? Eso me lo dirán los de Barcelona, y ninguno de ellos se ha molestado en recomendar este sitio. Por algo confío en Unilocal y en sus reseñas. No suele fallar si sabes usarlo bien.
Precios elevadísimos, atención mejorable, comida rica pero nada especial ni elaborada… eso sí, una decoración muy chula y lleno de reconocimientos y premios al ganador de 2015 como mejor bar…
Venga ya :)

Super fun. Good food. Great service. Would reco! Try the squid, it was our favorite dish. Get the croquettes! And the Gin Tonic was served so beautifully. We would go back!!!

We had an exquisite meal here! The duck confit is to die for!!! The place fills up pretty quickly so get there when it opens.

**tourist trap warning**
Should have known when I looked at the decidedly non-​Spanish menu…
If you are visiting Barcelona and not seeking a full meal of traditional tapas (don’t be ashamed if not, not everyone is dying for squid and sardines, I’m not even sure I am) then this place would be fine — though I would make sure the pimientos padron are on your menu and I would steer clear of any meat dishes, which were badly overcooked. The waiter chose the dishes for us (which is how they recommend you do it) and our second course was cheese ravioli with artificial white truffle oil on top. Our third dish was eggplant with mozzarella, not well seasoned. It felt a bit insulting to our intelligence, though many other customers seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Waiter was not Spanish (and slightly rude) and every customer was clearly not local. Having said that, if you are seeking something reminiscent of a middle of the road pan-​Mediterranean spot from your hometown in the U.S., this will be about the same.
Unilocal’s good reviews brought us here, but I should have heeded all of the warning signs…

Reeeediculoisly good. Recommended by our Fat Tire tour guide, Dicken (he was amazingly awesome on our bike tour, so of course we would wanted to take his advice), we had a phenomenal experience at Sensi. The pork dish, probably the best thing we’ve eaten in yearrrs. Wow well done. Everything we ate would get a 5 out of 5, but that pork dish was a 10 out of 5. Thank you for this dinner to remember. P. s. All the servers were super cute (and yes my husband agreed), def a plus plus plus! Posted are all the delicious and recommended items to get. Thanks Dicken for the awesome recommendation!

We went to several tapas bars during our visit to Barcelona, and this was my favorite one by far! Everything was so delicious, and I loved the atmosphere!
We went for dinner without any reservations, so the wait was about 30 minutes to be seated. It’s a small restaurant, and it’s very popular, so the wait was definitely expected.
When we were finally seated, the host was very nice and personable. He kindly seated us as soon as he was able, and we were promptly greeted by our servers. They explained to us the menu and gave us some great recommendations for our meal. We took many of their suggestions and were more than satisfied!
My favorites were the Iberico ham and the ravioli, although everything we ordered was absolutely amazing! I left the restaurant completely stuffed and satisfied.
After dinner, one of our servers gave us some suggestions for where to go out that night. He kindly took the time to write down some places for us to check out for Barcelona night life. It was overall an amazing experience. I absolutely loved it!

Les tapas sont variés, revisités et tout bonnement excellents !
Des tapas plus classiques sont aussi disponibles.
Et les serveurs sont super attentionnés et gentils

This was our first meal during a 4 day stay in Barcelona and a favorite for some members of our group. The staff was friendly and escorted us from the full location to the nearly empty identical one down the street. The duck and octopus were favorites, as was the ubiquitous but always delicious jamon. The cheese platter was underwhelming, but I think the cheeses of this region tend to be fairly mild to my palate. Would recommend this as a decent intro to tapas for anyone visiting this area.

The place was busy and vibrant. Staff were very professional and suggested items on the menu. Comparing portions, each tapas is usually the size of a woman’s fist.
The food was so delicious and fresh. The menu has items that are marked «(The Best)» beside them… They really are! I had the tuna tartar, the duck and then the Cheese cake dulce de leche! It was so good!
Go to this place! Don’t think! JUST GO!

Fantastic, service with a smile regardless of our useless/​non existent Spanish. A great introduction into the Barca tapas culture, would 100% bring friends to this place next time. A little bit off of las ramblas but absolutey worth the detour, a highlight was the duck dish (I forget the specifics) and the cheese platter.

Super leckeres Essen die Kellner sind super freundlich und Top über die Gerichte informiert. Es ist relativ klein also nicht für größere Gruppen zu empfehlen. Ich war mit meiner Freundin da. Wir hatten 6 tapAs Nachspeise eine Flasche Wasser und eine Flasche Wein. Dafür sind 80 € total angemessen. Zum Schluss gabs auch noch nen Schnaps aufs Haus.
Kann das Lokal jedem nur empfehlen

Resto tapas découvert en septembre. Un 3 étoiles juste parce que ça né m’a pas dépaysé des bars tapas de Toulouse (avec le prix qui va avec). Mais un 4 étoiles pour le service et la qualité (mention spéciale au chou fleur au gorgonzola simple mais efficace)

This is the best tapas place I found during my 10-​day stay in Barcelona. Loved how I just stumble upon this place in the middle of the Barrio Gotico. Hip place without being pretentious and more importantly the food is amazing and the staff is great!
Here are the tapas to try:
— Tomato «millefeuille»
— Fresh truffle ravioli in parmesan cream
— Duck timbale
— Tuna tartare
— Cheese and charcuterie platters
They also have another restaurant 5 minutes away named Sensi Tapas with similar vibe and menu.

You must get the duck confit. Honestly, that was the one dish that really stood out to me, and now I have to try my hand at making it at home. It had a tasty layer of potatoes, and was topped with a balsamic reduction that really pulled the whole thing together. I could have probably eaten three of them by myself and called it a day. That being said, the other plates we tried were also pretty tasty. The paella was too salty for my taste and the flavors were just too strong in my opinion, but my friend really enjoyed it, so I’m sure it’s personal preference. As far as seafood dishes went, I preferred the calamari with garlic and parsley. The squid comes out pink and tender served on top of the riches, creamiest mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. It was definitely decadent, but the quality of the calamari won me over.
The tapas here are not traditional, so just be aware that you will be getting dishes with a French twist. It was a nice little indulgence though from the more local, less refined tapas places. Be aware that it gets busy later at night — if you eat at American dinner time it will be fairly empty, but the restaurant fills up around 9:30/10pm. The staff is all amiable and courteous, and they really make an effort to accommodate you even when it’s busy. A bonus for English speakers — they provide menus in and all speak some level of English. I struggled through as much Spanish as I could before the server had mercy on me and switched over to English.

J’ai beaucoup hésité entre un 3 et 4 étoiles pour Sensi…
Sensi, au premier coup d’oeil, mon âme d’hipster vibre pour la boutique: une déco faussement bucolique, avec sa façade avec pierres apparentes et saucissons pendus, ses nappes rouges, et son bar en bois usé, mais des petites écritures humoristiques en français. Un autre coup d’œil a la carte finit de me retenir avec le risotto aux gambas ou encore l’écrasé pommes de terre-​magret de canard au vinaigre de xérès.
L’endroit pas très grand est bondé. Après pourparlers avec l’un des serveurs, très souriant, il nous promet une table pour 4 dans 10 mn. Promesse tenue: nous voilà assises.
Service poli, et efficace: a côté, un couple qui avait réservé n’a pas sa table, le service très prévenant leur offre des cocktails en guise d’excuses. MAIS… lorsque nous commandons avec un 2eme serveur, il nous signale qu’il faut un minimum de 2 tapas par personne et que c’est obligatoire (soit disant qu’un tapas n’est pas assez). Forcées, nous commandons 2 portions de croquetas (le truc pas cher) devant la moue du serveur, ravalée par un sourire commercial. C’est vraiment ce point là qui me fait mettre 3 étoiles, car rien sur les menus ou les panneaux extérieurs indiquent ce minimum de commande (a mon avis, juste arbitraire… Et puis quand on force les gens, faut pas s’étonner qu’ils prennent le minimum syndical, nan méoh!).
Après l’atmosphère est vraiment agréable, les plats aussi bons que la carte le laissait présager, notamment l’écrasé, et contrairement a ce qui est annoncé, un petit appétit peut largement se contenter d’un seul tapas raisonnable.
Comptez 13 € le plat de risotto (mais qui suffit largement), et 8,5 € l’écrasé (lui aussi, a bonne taille). Et 7 – 8 € les cocktails (bonne capirinha d’ailleurs). Donc un peu cher, mais rien de trop exagéré.
Autre chose a savoir: au moment de la note, vous pouvez payer a plusieurs, mais annoncez directement le montant que vous payez… Décidément, on aime pas faire les calculs pour vous a Barcelone!
En résumé, plutôt des bons tapas a prix modérés, dans une ambiance hipster faussement traditionnel, avec un service plutôt attentif, mais gros gros gros point noir: qui pousse a la consommation, au mépris des petits appétits ! :(
PS: Vegan-​friendly aussi…

My 2^nd favorite tapas place in Barcelona! The staff is awesome and super chill. The prices on the food are good and they crank the AC, which is great for hot nights! A little hard to find but totally worth the effort.
The bravas are good and if they still have the zucchini and goat cheese with honey you should definitely try it!
Also free bread!

Touristique, quelques plats sont bon (filet boeuf, purée de (vrais) pommes de terre. Parle français, allemend, anglais… etc. Sourir du personnel obligatoire … Trop Cher pour ce que c’est! Cuisine OK.

Nestled ever so discretely among the dark avenues of the Gothic quarter of Barcelona resides Sensi Bistro. Although a mere 2 blocks away from Sensi restaurant, the Bistro is this small, quaint tapas restaurant lead by a man named Sebastian. I ate here during one vacation, twice; twice because the food and service are extraordinary.
The first night, a group of five decided to give it a shot, however only three made it to the bistro. The other two were waiting for us at Sensi restaurant. Hearing us describe in French that they need to come to us, Sebastian offered to go get them. He’s a nice guy, and one reason you should support this business. Once we were all in, he walked us through the tapas options and helped with wine pairing. We decided to go with a tasting menu and worked our way through many tapas. The pork and the mussels with cream (Sebastian’s Grandmother’s recipe) are amazing. Pair this with a charcuterie starter, tomato bread and a nice wine… it’s a great way to spend an evening with friends.
I enjoyed the ambiance, the food, the service… just everything –so much I had to go back a second night a week later. This time, I brought a different group. Everything exceeded my expectations once again.
If you are going to Barcelona, you have got to experience Sensi Bistro. I suggest you get there no later than 8pm, unless you make reservations.

This is an absolute must! The food was incredible and the service was great! It was a little easier than most restaurants as there were a couple American servers that were students so there was no language barrier. It’s been hard finding restaurants during our trip because my wife is a pickier eater than I am as I will try anything once… So this was perfect because it had extremely delicious dishes that we both loved. Definitely one of the best, if not THE best, meal I’ve ever had.
It was difficult for us to find as Google Maps and Trip Advisors placed the restaurant in two different locations pretty close to each other. I included a screen shot of my maps app when we got there to help!