Wrote the lead review above.
Restaurant · Ciutat Vella
Ziryab
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Our take
Small thing, but it stuck with me: I had to flag someone down twice before anyone took a drinks order, and when the wine arrived it felt like an afterthought next to a menu that clearly wants to say something. That's Ziryab in miniature. The fusion idea is genuinely interesting, and near the Museu Picasso that counts as brave, because the easy money around there is in serving the obvious. Some plates deliver on the ambition; others read better than they eat. I found myself rooting for the kitchen more than raving about it, which is its own kind of verdict. Would I return? Maybe once, out of curiosity, if I'm already in the neighborhood. The intent is honorable and the reach is real. The execution, drinks included, needs to catch up.
Order this: Pick the boldest-sounding plate on the menu and judge the kitchen by it.
R
Rachel K.
Lead critic · We Know Barcelona
Lead critic · We Know Barcelona
Our score
6.7/10
Our score
How often we'd come back
WeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyYearlyNever again
RLead: Rachel K. · panel of 3 · avg 6.5/10
Food
6.8
Wine / Drink
6.6
Service
6.6
Ambiance
6.8
Experience
6.7
Scored on our five facets. Last visit: .
What the guides say
MichelinNot listed
RepsolNot listed
Barcelona à Table5/10 ↗
MacarfiNot listed
TheForkNot listed
Observación Gastronómica 2Not listed
Guide ratings are facts, linked to each source. ObsG2 = Observación Gastronómica 2.
The panel — every critic who went
Unanimous — all agreeI nearly repeated my first order, the plates that had intrigued me months back, then chose new ones to give the kitchen a second chance at a first impression. The premise still interests me; the landing still wobbles. Ideas arrive half a step ahead of the execution, same as my first visit. A pity, truly, because I keep wanting this place to come good. Next year I will look in again, hope intact.
Nothing on its old-town street hints at aspiration, which made my first visit a pleasant surprise: a kitchen reaching for something distinctly its own. A second visit was meant to show the reach had steadied. It had not, quite. Ideas arrive underdone in the conception, not the pan, plates promising more than they resolve, and the gap shows wider the second time around. A pity, because I wanted this one to land. Curiosity may carry me back, eventually.
Each critic scores, verdicts and writes independently after their own visits. Where they disagree, we leave it on the page.
Good to know
Questions
Is Ziryab worth visiting?Rachel K. scored it 6.7/10 for We Know Barcelona and would come back yearly. Our panel of 3 rated it 6.5/10 overall.
What guides feature Ziryab?Barcelona à Table: 5/10 ↗.
Where is Ziryab?Ziryab is in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, at Carrer de Grunyí, 5, 08003 Barcelona.
How expensive is Ziryab?Mid-range for Barcelona: a proper dinner without a special-occasion bill.
Reviewed by our panel of 3 critics · a living guide, updated July 2026.