Gata Mala

This was a wonderful dining experience– a real highlight of my time in Barcelona! I went with a group of six and the staff took very good care of us. All the food was delicious and they even catered for me as a vegetarian! I would recommend the eggplant and patatas gravis. The woman who served us was absolutely amazing and so sweet! She helped us choose items on the menu and ensured we were we happy, despite the language barriers. Would highly recommend this place!

Lovely night at Gata Mala’s. Pilar was very warm & welcoming. She suggested we try the Combinacion Catalana as we are open to trying anything. That platter included ensalata de patata (very moist & tasty), sun dried tomatoes (delicious), manchego, olives, zucchini, and ensalata de zucchini & onions. We ate every bite. Though we were full, we squeezed in some bites of the entranadita — so tender and cooked expertly. Pilar lent us a plate to bring our leftovers home. Excellent overall — including the beer!

I read a few reviews and decided to give Gatamala a try. We met Pilar just outside the door she was very welcoming and invited us in. We ordered a couple beers and talked to Pilar about some food suggestions. She recommended the «Combinacion
Catalan & Entrenadita» based on our food preferences and level of hunger. We were immediately served the «Combinacion» which was essentially a sample platter. It was both tasty and filling. We thought we were done (forgot about the Entrenadita) but as soon as we finished the sample platter we were served the Entrenadita. Despite feeling satisfied we couldn’t resist trying it. It was very tender and perfectly cooked meat, yum. After sampling this dish we asked if we could take it to go and Pilar generously offered us a plate to take home, trusting us to bring it back on our next visit, which will definitely be tomorrow!

WTF unbelievable warmth and comfort from a new friend, Pilar! She greeted us with hospitality, understanding and care! Just go if you’re nearby and have a wonderful time!!! I will look for our photo with Pilar and post it to this blog. Enjoy life!!!

Wow truly AMAZING!!! Everyone must go to this restaurant if they are in Barcelona for tapas! Hands down the best experience for tapas my family and I had in Barcelona! The owners: Pinar and Nacho, were so friendly and inviting and made conversation with us and everyone else. They shook our hands, gave us kisses on the cheek, made an effort to get to know our family! They gave us a couple free tapas as well, after we had ordered a few drinks. We had asked for Nacho’s favorite tapa and he suggested the Venezuelan beef and the potato (which is Pinar’s dad’s recipe)! Seriously a little whole in the wall with the best tasting food and incredible atmosphere!

Tonight at Gata Mala, I had the best meal of my life. Of all the restaurants in the world I have tried, this is my favourite. Not only is the tapas indescribably beyond delicious, but the prices are extremely reasonable. With every couple of drinks, a free small plate is included.
We arrived for our second night here in a row. As soon as we entered, Pinar greeted us with such amazing warmth and hospitality. We asked her to simply give us delicous food. Her and her staff did not disappoint.
The first plate was a simple yet delicious one. Pieces of baguette topped with cold shaved ham, paprika and olive oil. The second, my personal favourite, was a four cheese, zuchinni and leek pie served piping hot. The third was succulently roasted potatoes in olive oil loaded with pureed tomatoes and a delicious hallandaise-​esque lemon garlic sauce. Next, we were served legendary cold long sliced veggies in olive oil topped with hot goat cheese and cracked black pepper. To finish, we were each given one piece of bread topped with fresh roasted pork belly.
After stuffing myself for an amazingly low price, I decided to go home and rest. As I left, I noticed Pinar smoking on the curb and told her how wonderful my experience was. Truly the best tapas I could imagine. As she beamed with happiness and kissed me on the cheek, I realised that I felt so at home here despite being halfway across the world. My night at Gata was one I will never ever forget.
If you are in Barcelona, eating at Gata Mala should be right at the top of your list. It is not only a meal you will never forget, but an experience you’ll cherish forever.

My first experience was quick: the bar was empty, with only half an hour before all reservations came in. 1rst lesson: always make a reservation if you wanna go on weekends.
We felt rushed to get in and than leave, which was bad, but other than that the staff was really nice.
I ended just having one beer and leaving, so a more complete eval will have to wait.

I went here last night with my friends to show them a typical tapas experience here in Spain. If we hadn’t been too eager to eat all the delicious food, I would’ve taken pictures because all of the tapas were beautiful, and they tasted even better. We started off our night with a typical tortilla de patatas, which this place does very right. We interspersed the rest of our meal with dishes with potatoes, tomatoes, and meat. Also, highly recommend the bombolas with spinach which come with a tomato paste, very typical in Spain, on the side.
While the staff do speak mostly Spanish, the host was very welcoming and made sure that the lone group of young Americans felt at home. She makes the Gata Mala the kind of place at which you want to become a regular. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend. ¡Muchas gracias!

I was persuaded by all the good feedback to check this place out with my boyfriend for our first tapas experience. Wow! We were greeted warmly despite not having reservations on a Saturday night. They even had one of the servers recite the menu in English when my Spanish did not hold up. Our favorite dishes were the eggplant and the veal with potato. Also enjoyed the homemade pie and spinach bolitas. Two glasses of red wine rounded out the meal nicely. In total, our meal was 40 euro including tip and we were VERY satisfied. Great service, cozy space, and amazing food.

This review is in two parts–
1. Gata Mala food and atmosphere– amazing and delicious. We started with vermouth and then switched to wine and with each drink got an additional tapas beyond what we ordered off of the menu. We ordered bombolas (meatballs from heaven), and a mixed tapas plate with tomatoes, eggplant, olives cheese, bread and salade russe. I think we barely spoke to each other without starting the sentence with «oh yum!» The inside of the bar is cozy, with a cute chalkboard as the menu and lots of local folks. Firing on all cylinders in my opinion.
2. Now for the real reason I am writing this review — the service. Let’s talk about our server Pilar — we loved her and it was clear that she cared so much about this place. She knew every single person that walked into the restaurant. She described the food to us in great detail and told us about how much time and care went into each dish. She clearly wanted us to know how much she loved her guests. When we left she hugged my husband and me and told us «when you are at Gata Mala, you are home.» We have traveled far and wide, and this was the most caring service we’ve ever had!!! We love you Pilar!!!

If you want the perfect little cervezas And tapas in Barcelona in the best neighborhood then come here. My wife and I came here because it had good reviews. To be honest we came here our first night in Barcelona and came back here for our last night because it’s that amazing. The entranita was the best meat we had in the whole city. The beer called «Mahou» were served in the perfectly sized glasses and for some reason their tap created the best taste. Anyways I can go on and on so just go here, you won’t be disappointed.

Our first night in Barcelona, and it won’t be beat! The tapas at Gata Mala were incredible (special shout-​out to the Chori, which was the highlight, but everything we had was fantastic) but the friendliness and accommodation of the staff was second to none. I hope we get back here in our short trip because it was terrific. Go here and make a reservation, you won’t be sorry!

Les tapas sont délicieux (mention spéciale pour l’entrenita, les patatas bravas et le mini tapas offert avec chaque verre). L’endroit est minuscule mais très convivial ! A faire sans hésiter !

Trato muy cercano y familiar, tapa gratis con la cerveza (y una verdadera tapa), la Gata Mala es de estos rincones a descubrir sin falta! esto sí, ojo es muy pequeñito, así que mejor ir temprano o llamar para reservar!

Excellent food great vibe make sure to make a reservation if you’re coming late they can get pretty packed in there highly recommend this place.

My husband and I are visiting Barcelona from the US and came here for dinner. The place is great! Very kind servers. Funky ambiance, a bit hipster. It is quite small, so get there before 9 if you want seats. When you order an alcoholic beverage, you get a tapa for free… real, freshly made tapas! Wow, so yummy! And the prices are great!

Fantastic! We arrived close to when they opened and were some of the first customers there. Not much english was spoken but that didn’t matter. Everyone was so friendly and kind. We ordered a couple of cervezas and with each, came an amazing snack. One of the owners came over to us and spoke a bit of english. She was so kind, so went to call her partner who spoke perfect english to come in and talk with us. We had such a nice visit here and only got a sample a few items as we were headed to other places, but it has been most memorable. They even gave us a phone number in case we need anything during our time in Barcelona. Between the excellent food, service, prices and pure kindness, we will be back many times.

Went tonight with my family (wife, me, 5 year old and one year old). I’ve had the opportunity to travel quite a bit, and this was truly one of the best meals and experiences I’ve had. The staff spoke little to no English, we spoke little to no Spanish, yet they went out of their way to bridge the communication gap — including engaging local guests to aide the translation. They politely checked in with us regularly to ensure that we were enjoying our food and that our boys were happy. And the food was simply wonderful: the ‘small plates’ were anything but small and the flavors were fantastic — we had the vegetable compote and grilled beef with pureed potatoes, my son had the meat pizza — and all were exceptional. Could not more highly recommend this place…

Tapa gratis con cada consumición, rara avis en Barcelona, ambiente agradable, recomendable, suele haber problemas con el aforo por lo que la gente (la simpática dueña nos lo dijo), suele reservar barra (esto es algo que nos sorprendió de Barcelona)
Nos gustó.

Lo bueno es l dan algo de comida con la cerveza, nada de mucha calidad (tipo una chistorra), pero está bien para pasar el rato. Clientes jóvenes.

Great tapas. Good fair price. I could tell that food was prepared fresh. You get a small tapa with each drink and the owner introduced herself. Intimate. Get there early for seating. Opens at 630 pm weekdays. I’ll be back.

Fantastic local spot. Got there right when it opened, was buzzing with people within minutes. Popular for good reason!
Superb gin and tonic, excellent tapas, and ordered the patatas bravas which were to par with everything else.
Loved it, and highly recommend!

Excellent place for tapas. Everything on the menú is good. Come early in order to get a place to sit, because it gets crowded fast. The owners run the place and make sure you are treated right. Prices are very reasonable. Popular with locals. Highly recommended.

Super freundlicher Service! Die Dame hatte uns auf englisch durch die Karte geführt und uns wunderbare Empfehlungen gegeben. Die gemischten kalten Tapas waren ein Traum. Und das Preisleistungsverhältnis stimmt ebenfalls. Ein kleiner Geheimtipp. Man trifft dort überwiegend Menschen aus dem Viertel.

Las tapas están súper ricas, especialmente las patatas bravas! Y la camarera es muy simpática! Por desgracia no hay una terraza.

La mejor ensaladilla clásica probada, atún excelente, patata un poco chafada y deliciosa. Caña bien tirada por dios, mira que es difícil!

Read about this bar on
as one of the best Gin and Tonics in the city — they were right. As well as having delicious drinks, free tapas are served with each round. We also ordered Patatas bravas and they’re to die for. Step away from the tourists and come here. New favourite bar.

El gata mala es ese sitio en el que siempre estarias metida pero al ser tan pequeñin y tener tanta demanda pues esta complicado, es la unica pega. La dueña es de pm, eso hace sentirte agusto alli por mucha gente que pueda haber, nunca tendra una mala contestacion contigo como en otros sitios donde el ambiente esta tenso. En cuanto a la comida te invitan a una tapita con tu caña, es de agradecer ya que creo que es el unico sitio en BCN que lo hacen y todas las tapas q tienen estan increibles, cualquier cosa q te pidas estara bueno, la cocinera se lo curra. Mi máxima recomendación es la entraña… Mmmm…

El local visto desde fuera y sin conocerlo no te invita mucho a entrar pero el que ya conoce lo que se cuece en esos 30m2 de bar de la calle rabassa no se lo piensa 2 veces. Las tapas son sencillas pero super apetitosas, la ensaladilla rusa, la escalivada con queso de cabra, los chorizos criollos… todo acompañado siempre de un buen chorrito de aceite virgen extra y una cestita con tu panecito que entra de vicio!
Trinity y sus chicas te hacen sentir como en tu casa.

Cañitas acompañadas de una tapa :) A quién no le va a gustar? Y si encima las tapitas están ricas, ya te vas con la sonrisa en la cara.
Es un local bastante pequeñito, puede que te toque estar de pie, pero vale la pena.
Cuantas más cañas pides, van subiendo la categoría de la tapa. Todo a un precio muy recomendable.

Lugar super pequeñito (cerrado los domingos) situado a lado de la Plaza Rovira.
Sus tapas están buenísimas y es de los pocos lugares de Barcelona que te regalan tapa cuando pides caña.
Es uno de mis lugares predilectos cuando hago ruta de cañas por Gracia aunque siempre está a reventar y es difícil hacerse hueco si vas con mucha gente.
El trato de los camareros es siempre estupendo.

Todo lo que dicen es verdadero. Increíble calidad y precio, además de que el trato es muy cariñoso. Entrañable, y la entraña riquísima.

Aquí la típica cañita de un euro vale 1.75… pero eh!!! antes que digáis nada, cada una viene acompañada por una tapa molona!!! Y no me refiero a las aburridas olivas o las simples patatas chips, sino a panes con embutidos catalanes, ensaladillas y demás delicias. Tengo entendido que a partir de la tercera, las tapas son calientes… pero no llegamos a comprobarlo porque nos pidieron lugar ya que le dan preferencia a la gente que va a cenar. Cuando esto pasa me suelo cabrear muchísimo, pero las chicas son tan majas que no me importó en absoluto y lo entendí totalmente… así me quedan las ganas de volver pero está vez no desistiré hasta llega a la tercera cañita y su tapa caliente!

Bar muy cerquita de la Plaza Rovira, es muy pequeñito pero gusta mucho, uno de los motivos para que guste tanto, es que a parte de que el trato es genial, pides una caña y te acomapaña con la tapa (a partir de la 3ª cañà la tapa es caliente). Perfecto bar para ir detrás del trabajo para desconectar. La semana pasada fuí con un grupo de Unilocalers y esta tarde ya he quedado con otra gente para repetir. Me encantó!

¡Por fin! Llevaba tanto tiempo deseando ir a este local tan bien valorado por los Unilocalers… ayer tuve la oportunidad de ir y la verdad es que mereció mucho la pena. Llegué sobre las 8 de la tarde y el local ya estaba llenito, aunque pude conseguir unos taburetes y un trozo de barra al final del bar. Hay poco espacio por lo que os recomiendo ir a horas no puntas y coger sitio si queréis beber o comer cómodamente. Las chicas que me atendieron fueron muy majas, y con mi primera clara me pusieron un trozo de pan con tomate con fuet que estaba la mar de rico. A medida que íbamos pidiendo más consumiciones nos iban sacando más tapitas (de butifarra blanca, de «empedrat» con judía blanca, cebolla, y pimiento…). A las 9 y pico el local ya estaba a reventar y no cabía un alfiler, con lo que decidimos irnos a tomar algo por alguna terraza de Gracia. La verdad es que esto de que te inviten a una tapita cada vez que pides algo de beber se agradece mucho, y más si están buenas como es el caso de la Gata Mala. Además las propietarias y demás camareras muy majas, ¿Qué más se puede pedir? Solo que no se pusiera tan a petar, pero me alegro por ellas porque es señal de que hacen las cosas bien. Vuelvo seguro.

Solo pida las cervezas que las tapas vienen juntos. A partir de la 3a ya son calientes. Y están muy buenas! Pero si puede pedir comidas del menu y la entraña estaba deliciosa.

Llevo muy poquito en la ciudad y éste ha sido uno de mis mejores contactos a la hora de salir por la noche «a tomar algo». Cerveza bien fría, servicio amable y unas tapas riquísimas. Además a partir de la tercera puedes elegir tapa caliente. Espero descubrir muchos sitios como éste. :)

Me encanta este lugar! Y además teniéndolo al lado de casa, resulta siempre muy tentador el quedarse un rato. Un ambiente estupendo y unas camareras muy simpáticas! Con cada consumición, una tapita y a partir de la segunda puede ser caliente.
Es bastante pequeño el local, con lo que es posible que no te animes a entrar si está lleno, pero inténtalo! Hay gente que se queda de pie con tal de poder saborear estas tapitas! ;)

El millor lloc de Gracia!
Simpatiquissimes, mejor entraña y ensaladilla rusa. Dan tapas con las cañas. Es un sitio de lo mejor. Mini pero lo mejor de Gracia!!!

¡Me gusta, me gusta, me gusta! Le dije a mi amigo actor que estaba haciendo reseñas y me dijo que pensaría algún lugar guay al que llevarme. Y la pasada semana santa me llevo a la Gata Mala.
Ya me habían hablado de este local antes pero nunca había estado. Error. Si a vosotros os han hablado de este bar, tenéis que ir (y teniendo en cuenta que estáis leyendo esto ya no tenéis excusa). Te pides una consumición y te regalan una tapilla. Sí, parece que ya hay más de un local en Barcelona que ha instaurado la tradición de tapa gratis. ¡Dios los bendiga con clientes (y puestos a pedir con algo más de espacio)!
Además, si os gustan los gintonics tanto como a mi, aquí los encontrareis muy buenos. Los preparan con pepino y pimienta y sólo valen 5 euros. Puedo decir que la Gata Mala está muy bien.