One night in Barcelona, I was hungry but didn’t want to put much effort into deciding where to eat. At the same time, I wasn’t in the mood for fast food. Then I remembered passing by Tast Gastro Bar, a restaurant and bar close to my hotel. It always seemed busy, and after checking Google Maps, I saw that it had great reviews. That was enough reason for me to give it a try.

Tast Gastro Bar is known for offering modern twists on traditional Spanish tapas in a stylish yet casual setting. Their set menu included a tapas sampler, a main dish, and a dessert, which sounded like a good deal, so I went for it.

Tast Barcelona
Iberian rice, sausage, mushrooms, and Iberian bacon

The meal started with a selection of tapas, giving me a taste of different flavors and textures:

  • Chupa-Chups Langostino – A deep-fried prawn lollipop, crispy on the outside and juicy inside. It was fun to eat and had a nice crunch.
  • Croqueta de Chipirón – A squid ink croquette, creamy and packed with rich seafood flavor. This one stood out as one of my favorites.
  • Sashimi de Salmón Marinado – Marinated salmon sashimi, fresh and slightly tangy, with a well-balanced seasoning.
  • Calamarcitos de Andaluza – Small Andalusian-style fried squid, lightly battered and perfectly crispy. Another highlight of the meal.

For the main dish, I chose the paella with Iberian rice, sausage, mushrooms, and Iberian bacon. It had a deep, savory flavor, with the richness of the Iberian bacon and the earthiness of the mushrooms complementing the rice. The texture was just right – not too dry, not too soupy. I also ordered a glass of beer to go with my meal (not included in the set). It paired well with both the tapas and the paella.

Tast Barcelona
the tapas sampler

The set menu came with dessert, and I opted for the limoncello sorbet. It was light, refreshing, and had a strong lemon flavor with a hint of alcohol. But by this point, I was already too full and couldn’t finish it.

Overall, this was a great meal. All the tapas were delicious, but my favorites were the croquetas and the squid. The paella was also very good, flavorful, and satisfying. The whole dinner set cost around €20, which I thought was an excellent deal for the quality of food. I forgot how much the beer was, but in the end, the experience was worth it.

Suppose you’re in Barcelona, particularly in the Poble Sec area, and looking for a solid tapas and paella spot without overthinking your dining choices. In that case, Tast Gastro Bar is a great option.