Cafe de l’Academia

Recommended to us by our air BnB host. This was one of the best meals we had in Spain. wonderful food that is prepared with love and tradition. My wife got the lamb half rack of ribs and it was truly one of the most delicious things I ate on the whole trip!

The atmosphere is authentic and quaint with an outdoor patio in a small square to add extra ambiance. The food was amazing. My wife and I shared a few dishes and we’re both surprised that even things a little out of our comfort zone, were fantastic. The swarm of waiters were attentive and I was amazed that they all knew our order in such a busy place. Try the eggplant, calamari and salmon tartar! We enjoyed the wine and coffee at a reasonable price. Definitely worth wandering the Born to stumble upon this gem!

This is truly a great spot, especially for lunch. It’s such a cute restaurant and there’s outdoor seating in an adorable piazza. The food is good but not outstanding. I ate the cod with pistachios and it was nice but nothing to remember. the service was great too. Honestly I think it’s a terrific place to have a nice lunch in a beautiful place. I went alone and it was perfect to just relax a little and be comfortable.

Restaurant petit, confortable, net i tranquil.
Un servei familiar i molt correcte.
Una carta completa amb productes de la terra i una cuina casolana de molta qualitat.
Recomanables les croquetes casolanes boníssimes i el canaló d’ànec.
Les postres també són exquisites i s’han de demanar al principi de l’àpat.
Hi he anat en diverses ocasions i sempre amb màxima qualitat.

A perfect place to propose after dinner! Warm ambiance and perfect setting to spend an entire evening getting lost in time!

Definitivament la millor poularda amb pastís i salsa de poma de la vida, i d’entrada unes torradetes amb tomàquet marinat i anguila confitada.

Amazing, I love this place. Food is fantastic, waiters are nice (and easy on the eyes…) service is actually really good, and to top it off, it is affordable. The only drawback is it is rather touristy.

Amazing! This was the best meal that I have ever had. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. The food was so tasty and beautifully presented. The menu had full and half portions for many of the dishes which allowed you to create a nice tasting menu. I was hesitant to write such a positive review because I don’t want it to be too crowded when I return, however, it really is deserving of the praise. My husband and I have eaten out all over the world and this experience really stands out.

One of the best meals I’ve had anywhere in the world. I was a little nervous about its location in the crowded gothic quarter, but this was tucked away on a stunning little street that was pretty devoid of tourist nonsense. This made it a little hard to find! I recommend arriving a bit early for the reservations you ought to make, so you can wander the lovely side streets and find the unassuming entrance. When we arrived, we were seated outside, and enjoyed the gorgeous ambience (and the great street musicians). We ordered four dishes between us and a bottle of wine, and each was fantastic. The foie gras toasts were to-​die-​for, the cod was succulent. This meal would’ve cost, probably, $ 300 in NYC and we paid a third of that, which made this even more terrific.

We ordered the Esqueixada (bacalao, or cod salad), bacalao with saffron, and grilled lamb chop.
Esqueixada is definitely a five star. Amazingly tasty. One of the best thing have ever had in my life. And I’m actually not a fish person.
The bacalao with saffron was excellent but eclipsed by the esqueixada.
The lamb was the reason for deducting one star. For a restaurant so highly recommended by Unilocalers and travel guidebooks alike the lamb they prepared for us was extremely disappointing. The quality of meat was fairly tender but the flavor was super salty. Like they spilled a whole jar of salt instead of rubbing it on. I’ve seriously had better lamp chops at random INDIAN restaurants in America.
Anyways. I would definitely go back to the restaurant if I ever visit barcelona again. Next time I’ll order two full portions of Esqueixada! ^ ^

Five nights in Barcelona and I had the best meal here. Diverse menu with well prepared food offering outdoor and indoor seating in the church square. Service was friendly with great recommendations. Local wine complemented the dinner. Priced appropriately. Highly recommend. Enjoy.

We went to Café de l’Academia on the reccomendation of a local friends advice. It was crowded from the start with all the early American diners. It was hard to get the waiters attention and interaction with us at the table wasn’t very friendly, rushed and curt.
Food was nothing special. My husbands steak was good, but nothing to write home about.

Went here for my birthday dinner while in Barca. I was not disappointed. Nice little restaurant tucked away on a little side street. The wait staff was great and even brought out my desert with a candle, turned down the lights, and played happy birthday on a saxophone. All my wife did was ask for a candle.
Good selection of wines at reasonable prices. All the entres looked good and very traditional. I had a steak dish and wife had squid but in the style of pasta. Had the soup traditional to the region as well. All in all a real good find. Thanks Rick Steves.

Make a reservation for this hustling nicely designed restaurant. Our server was understandably a little rushed. Catalan menus in Spanish or English. Large portions. I had really good salmon but our pasta with shrimp was extremely salty.

3.5 stars.
Food was good, but portion is tiny and it’s so expensive!
It’s not definitely not something I’d call a «local flavor». Most diners are tourists, and the food is half Spanish half Italian. Ambiance is pretty nice, relaxing and intimate. Service we received wasn’t great, but not terrible either.
If you are travelling nearby it’s a good place to stop by and grab a bite, but its not worth going across the town for.

ESPAÑOL: Vine aquí con amigos. Yo aconsejo que haga un reservacion porque siempre hay una cola. Pedimos unos aperitivos, entradas, y postres. Hace un poco tiempo y no me acuerdo que pedimos pero todo son muy buenisimo. Aconsejo este lugar por un ocación especial o una cita porque es muy íntimo y caro.
ENGLISH: I came here with friends. Thank goodness they had a reservation and we were seated immediately. We got appetizers, entrees, and dessert. It was a little while ago so I dont remember exactly what we got, but everything was really good. I would definitley recommend this place for a special occassion dinner or date.

Das Café de l’academia liegt mitten in der Altstadt und bietet wie viele Restaurants die Möglichkeit vor dem Restaurant auf dem Platz zu sitzen und dort zu essen. Genau das wollten wir auch, allerdings wurde us –sehr freundlich mitgeteilt, dass die Plätze alle serviert seien. Wir könnten ja drinnen essen. Wollten wir aber nicht und haben daher vorgeschlagen, einfach für den nächsten Abend zu reservieren. Kein Problem.
Wir waren also am nächsten Abend wieder da und durften unter einem der Schirme Platz nehmen. Ok, das ganze ist schon sehr touristisch, Spanisch sprach hier außer der Bedienung wohl niemand. Lecker war es trotzdem.
Wir hatten Fleischsuppe und Tagliatelle mit Scampi als Vorspeise und Tintenfisch auf Reis und Fisch (ich weiß nicht mehr welchen). Alles sehr gut gewürzt und von der Menge her Ok.
Die Bedienung war etwas in Eile, was aber Ok war, da wirklich viel zu tun war. Am Nebentisch wurde einem englischen Paar ca. 10 Minuten jedes Gericht der Karte geduldig erklärt. Von daher wirkten wir vielleicht einfach nicht so betreuungs-​bedürftig.
Die Toiletten habe ich nicht gesehen.
Insgesamt sehr lecker und sehr positiv, ich würde hier definitiv wieder hingehen.

Like many others, we found this place in a guide book. My brother thought this was the best meal he had in Spain. I also thought it was very delicious but we had so much good food in Spain that for me, it wasn’t The Best overall. We ate the following:
1. Eggplant and goat cheese terrine — this was delicious, my favorite dish here and one of my favorite dishes in Spain
2. Cod — this was okay. It was a little too bland and fishy for me.
3. Sausage — this was good. Tasty but I’ve had better sausage.
4. Risotto with duck liver and mushrooms — this was delicious, very creamy.
This place was full of American tourists who also probably found it in a guide book. :)
The location was a bit hard to find. It’s near a church in one of the alleyways of the Barri Gotic area. The interior is romantic and dark — which I loved (although I was with my family). I also noticed that many of the customers were in dressier clothes than in other restaurants. I was in my sightseeing clothes though (capris and tank top) and I did not feel out of place.
I thought the prices were quite reasonable for what you get! Our waitress was also nice and attentive. I’d eat here again.

Excellent restaurant dans le centre de Barcelone, derrière la Cathédrale et la place Jaume dans le quatier Gotic. Qualité des mets excellents. Liste de vins espagnols proposés d’un très bon niveau. Les prix sont en rapport (35 à 40 Euros par personne, vin compris) Service professionnel et cordial et parlant un peu Français. Hautement recommandé si vous souhaitez déguster une cuisine espagnole qui sort des chemins classiques tapas/paëlla.Il faut reserver pour être sûr d’avoir une table surtout si vous etes plus de 2 personnes.

Traveled to Barcelona in March, 2012. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best restaurant in all of Spain! Yes, we also found this spot thanks to a guide book. What a wonderful surprise. I was soo impressed i immediately wanted to e-​mail the author and say «Thank You»! This place embodies everything I imagined a Spanish restaurant would be! I have been to many fine dining destinations and seriously this place rivals all of them.
Location: Exterior –hidden and charming /​Interior –rustic and chic (background music was super cool– jazz to classical pieces)
Food: We ordered the «Menu — Servit a la Barra which consisted of roasted chicken in a harvest fruit sauce and potato purée, prefaced by an escarole bacon salad and finished with a lovely apple tartine. We were also served this beautiful (seriously) and delicious medley of rustic breads and olives. Their house wine was also solidly good. Remember to have a carajillo to finish off your meal.
Service — Warm, welcoming, friendly. We loved our waitress! We initially sat at the bar because it was less expensive. However, we would have paid full price anyway to sit and chat with the servers.
Do not pass up this place. It epitomizes Spain in all of it’s splendor.

Outstanding
For something that was recommended in a guide book, i was blown away. I expected average food with some international twist. Instead i got an amazing meal, a quiet table, service when i needed it and all at a reasonable price.
Just some of the highlights:
A duo of cold soups, gazpacho and a carrot purée to die for.
Foie gras and a poached egg that i will never ever get in san francisco
And a duck leg that just melted off the bone.
Great wine list, a glass of tokay and some real crema catalan to top it all off.
Yes, get there early, we snagged the last table at 8:30 (unfashionably early) or just make a reservation.
Eat, enjoy, and go back again

TLDR:
— Charming restaurant in the Gothic Quarter. Incredible Catalan food with French and Italian accents.
— Appetizers: house salad, eggplant terrine, Catalan bean soup.
— Mains: quail with foie gras and pâté, rack of lamb.
— The quail — meltingly delicious.
— The lamb — served with slowly-​cooked pear slices and a little butter cracker — was ridiculously tender and substantial with every bite. The delightful reduction rounded out the dish nicely with the right touch of sweetness and subtle sharpness.
— Desserts: fluffy, light cheesecake topped with a tangy berry marmalade and a well-​constructed crème brûlée.
— Service is top-​notch and the décor is chic and rustic.

Exquisite service, beautiful and delicious food, and a lovely setting made for the perfect last night in Barcelona.
We had numerous starters, and the care in preparation and presentation were clearly evident: vegetable timbale, mini toasted cheese wedges, and eggplant terrine.
The entrees were just divine: shrimps, squid, and a gorgeous plate of thinly sliced, very rare beef.
I highly recommend this delightful restaurant if you’re in town. Pricey, and worth every euro.

We arrived here at 9:30pm this past Tues. night and were told there would be a 30 minute wait. We ended up waiting about an hour. But it was worth it.
The atmosphere is wonderful. It’s a tiny place, but it’s very romantic and warm. I really wish restaurants in the US would provide olives as well as bread, like Spain. I’m a gluten-​allergic foodie and this was such a wonderful treat.
For our dishes, we shared a large portion of the duck liver pâté’ on toast. I ordered the duck leg confit, which was huge and delicious. My hubby ordered the mini burgers, they were good but not amazing.
Unfortunately, our dessert was not what we were expecting because of words being lost in translation. But it was still good.
At the end of the night a cute little dog came into the restaurant and sat next to the kitchen door waiting, eagerly. While we were on our way out, we noticed that they were ushering her around the tables to clean up the floor. It was a pretty cute & smart way of cleaning up.

I will never forget this amazing dining experience.
My advice? Make your reservations today. Do it. The Catalan food was so good that we stayed there until they closed. My wife and I spent three weeks touring around Europe (France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain) and this was the best place at which we ate. That includes the incredible culinary delights of Paris and Burgandy.
We ALMOST couldn’t find the restaurant. It’s in a tiny square. It’s a very romantic place.
If you go here, eat something with duck liver in it.

3ème jour de notre virée barcelonaise. La matinée avait commencée avec les nourritures pour l’esprit: visite du MACBA et du CCCB, ensuite arpentage en règle du Raval et retour vers le Barri Gotic. Vers 14H30, notre estomac a pris le dessus sur notre cerveau et a réclamé de la nourriture solide !
Et donc guide à la main (je né sais plus lequel car j’en étais bardée !), comme de bons touristes nous partons en quête du Café de l’Académia. Une devanture discrète qui donne sur la tranquille Plaça San Just, nous poussons la porte et malgré l’heure avancée, ça a l’air bien rempli. Un serveur affable nous trouve une table pour quatre et nous nous installons avec bonheur (nos pieds nous disent merci …) pour cette pause que nous espérons gourmande.
Et elle l’a été ! Je vous fais un peu saliver? En entrée, timbale de légumes au boudin noir et au parmesan suivie d’une morue aux pois chiches et à la vinaigrette au piment rouge et pour finir en beauté assiette panachée de gateaux tous plus suaves les uns que les autres ! Le tout arrosé d’un excellent vin catalan: Abellars Priorat — Finca Mas de l’Abella, aromatique et charpenté et de l’inévitable Vichy Catalan. Un café pour terminer et nous étions de nouveau prêt à repartir vers … 16h15 ! Finalement on s’y fait très bien à l’heure espagnole.
A la qualité des mets, s’est ajoutée la gentillesse du service malgré le nombre de clients. Au final, une addition pas forcément légère mais un excellent rapport qualité-​prix, de mémoiré il me semble que nous sommes arrivés à environ 30/​35EUR/​personne (le prix du vin est également raisonnable contrairement aux habitudes des restaurateurs français). A noter que quasiment tous les plats de la carte sont disponibles en raçio et ½ raçio (portion et ½ portion, lesquelles né sont pas ridicules).
Et l’atmosphère? me direz-​vous. Je cherche le mot juste et je dirais cosy: lumières tamisées, nappes blanches en tissu, très jolis verres, pas trop bruyant et visiblement fréquenté par beaucoup de barcelonais qui travaillent (notamment tout près à la Generalitat de Catalunya ou à l’Ajuntament situés sur la Plaça San Jaume toute proche, dixit le guide et je veux bien le croire vu le nombre de convives attablés avec la cravate balancée sur l’épaule pour éviter les taches …) ce qui est il me semble un gage de qualité.
Donc recommandé chaudement !

Uno de los pocos sitios de Barcelona en los que se puede comer en la terraza con total tranquilidad, ya que no pasan coches por allí.
Si comemos dentro, en la barra sale más barato que en las mesas. No es el típico menú de mediodia, pero tampoco es demasiado caro, por menos de 15 euros podemos comer.
No se que horario tienen, porque por la noche siempre lo he visto cerrado, creo que solo abren al mediodia. Hay que aprovechar cuando lo encuentras abierto.