Telefèric Barcelona

Telefèric Barcelona is my go-to Spanish restaurant in the Bay Area. The combination of authentic dishes and a majority of the restaurant’s staff being from Spain makes guests feel that they’ve been transported to Spain with no flight required.

Growing up in the East Bay, I frequently visited Telefèric’s downtown Walnut Creek location. Later, I was happy to find that they expanded to Palo Alto and Los Gatos.

I recently dined at their downtown Los Gatos location that has an open-space concept with an outdoor patio facing the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s a vibrant spot that’s perfect for date night or getting together with friends. 

A meal at Telefèric Barcelona must begin with a cocktail as their cocktail menu features a wide variety of creative concoctions. I had the Barceloneta Sangria, a refreshing beverage of Cava, rosemary lemonade, prickly pear juice, and berries. My boyfriend, Matthew had the La Flaca – that comes with a show table side! It will excite your senses with Mezcal, Patron Silver Tequila, serrano peppers, prickly pear and lime.

We had a grand Spanish feast and it began with the following starters:

Iberian Oysters with Bloody Mary gazpacho and Iberian Ham. They sat atop a steamy platter filled with rocks – nice presentation!

Crab croquettes with tuna sashimi and aioli. They include a combination of wonderful textures – crunchy fritter crust, creamy crab filling, and thin slice of tuna sashimi on top. 

The Pan con Tomate is a classic and always a must! It is accompanied by chorizo butter.

If you’re a fan of jamon, you will not want to miss the large plate filled with paper-thin slices of aged Jamon Iberico de Bellota. The jamon will melt on contact with the heat of your tongue. 

The Pulpo Telefèric was cooked to perfection! It features Galician octopus, truffle oil and pimentón potato purée. 

Taquitos de Tuna and Avocado is a must and is the perfect combination of marinated ahi tuna, mashed avocado and crispy wonton shells.

As for mains:

The Prime Wellington is a unique and tasty dish! A puff pastry roll is filled with braised short ribs and Ibérico ham. It’s accompanied by crispy Spanish-style potatoes.

We enjoyed the Maine lobster paella that was delivered to the table sizzling in a pan. It features Gulf shrimp, octopus, and Maine lobster. I especially enjoyed the layer of socarrat or crispy, caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan to scrape up and savor.

As for dessert, I couldn’t decide on just one so I ordered the Trio Selection featuring Telefèric’s most popular desserts. It includes mini churros with a chocolate-hazelnut filling, torrija & arroz tres leches.

Before you leave, visit El Merkat, also known as a Spanish market located right beside the bar. One can find Spanish wines, beer, chocolates, olive oil, and other essentials. The market even offers paella kits and gift baskets. 

All said, Telefèric is the closest you can get to Spain when in the Bay Area!