I went to La Flauta in Barcelona for its honey cod and ended up trying a tableful of tapas. The cod was a little salty for my taste, but I understood the enthusiasm after trying it. The garlic shrimp and unexpectedly moreish eggplant chips were other highlights.
This La Flauta Barcelona review covers what we ordered, the prices on our photographed menu, and the dishes I would choose again. The foie gras was less suited to my preferences, so this was a meal with a few clear personal favorites rather than a flawless lineup.
La Flauta Barcelona: quick verdict
My picks: honey alioli cod, slightly spicy garlic shrimp, and eggplant chips with cheese and honey. Best suited to: a meal where you share several small plates. Worth knowing: the foie gras had a very soft texture, and the garlic shrimp appeared under more than one menu description.
Locations and what to check before visiting
La Flauta has branches at Carrer d’Aribau, 23 and Rambla de Catalunya, 91 in Barcelona. My retained photos do not establish the branch address clearly enough for me to label this visit with one location. Check the branch when saving your map pin rather than relying on the restaurant name alone.
For current branch details, opening hours and contact information, check the official La Flauta Group website. The prices below are from my visit photos, not a current-price guarantee.
Inside the restaurant
The counter was one of the first things I noticed: hanging hams, displayed seafood and colorful wall tiles made the entrance memorable. The restaurant we visited extended upstairs, so there were more seats than I initially expected.
There were plenty of diners too. It felt like a popular place, and most of the staff we dealt with seemed friendly. Having a choice of small dishes made it easy to try several things instead of committing to a single large main.
What we ordered and menu prices
Our food included honey cod, a beef tenderloin and foie montadito, garlic shrimp, eggplant chips, and a small ham-filled bread that looked like a croissant. I had wine, and Clara was available too.
The photographed menu listed honey cod at €14.40, beef tenderloin with foie at €8.15, garlic shrimp at €9.95, and eggplant chips with cheese and honey at €6.40. I could not confidently match the ham bread to an exact menu entry, so I have not assigned it a menu name or price.
Honey cod: Bacallà a l’allioli de mel
On the Catalan menu, the honey cod is written as Bacallà a l’allioli de mel. A Spanish rendering is Bacalao al alioli de miel; the English menu calls it “Codfish with honey ‘allioli’.”
The browned topping made the dish look appealing straight away. It was a little salty for me, but I still enjoyed it. This was one of those dishes where tasting it answered my question about why people recommended it. I was glad we ordered it.
Beef tenderloin with foie on bread
The menu calls this Muntadet de filet de vedella amb Foie. It is a small bread-based bite topped with beef tenderloin and foie, rather than a biscuit.
The foie was noticeably different from one I had enjoyed in France. That earlier version had a firmer, slightly crumbly texture that reminded me of the liver served with Korean sundae. Here it was much softer, closer to the texture I associate with monkfish liver.
That comparison describes my own experience of these dishes, rather than a rule about French or Spanish cooking. If you enjoy that soft texture, this may appeal to you. It was not quite my preference, so I focused on the beef.
Garlic shrimp: a little spicy and easy to enjoy
The garlic shrimp had a slight spicy kick, and I enjoyed them. They were listed as “‘Al ajillo’ style shrimps” on the English menu. The garlic shrimp offered among the day’s tapas turned out to be the same dish, despite the different wording.
If you are looking at both the regular menu and the daily tapas selection, it is worth checking with your server before ordering two dishes that sound similar.
Eggplant chips: the surprise favorite
The eggplant chips were an unexpectedly good addition. This was the “Eggplant chips with cheese and honey” dish on the menu, and I kept reaching for another piece.
I came for the honey cod, but the eggplant was a memorable little extra. It would be one of my choices again when putting together a few shared tapas plates.
Ham-filled bread, wine and Clara
We also had a small ham-filled bread with a croissant-like shape. I do not have a confirmed menu name for it, so the photo is a better guide than a guessed label.
I drank red wine with the meal. The drinks menu offered more than one red wine by the glass, and my photos do not establish which one I chose. Clara was also on the menu, which I was happy to see because I enjoy it.
Would I return to La Flauta?
Yes, especially for a meal built around honey cod, garlic shrimp and eggplant chips. The cod was slightly salty, and the soft foie texture was not for me, but there was enough variety to find several dishes I enjoyed.
La Flauta worked well for sharing small plates and trying different flavors. My most useful ordering tip is to include the eggplant chips and clarify any overlap between the daily tapas and regular menu.
La Flauta Barcelona: common questions
What is the honey cod called on the menu?
The photographed Catalan menu says “Bacallà a l’allioli de mel,” and the English menu says “Codfish with honey ‘allioli’.”
What else did I enjoy?
The slightly spicy garlic shrimp and the eggplant chips with cheese and honey were my other highlights.
Does La Flauta serve Clara?
Yes, Clara appeared on the drinks menu during our visit.
Are these current menu prices?
No. These are the prices recorded in my visit photos. Check the restaurant’s current menu before ordering.
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