Quimet et Quimet

Who Should Book Quimet et Quimet

If you want the honest Barcelona tapas experience; standing room, tinned seafood, vermouth, montaditos assembled at the counter in real time; Quimet et Quimet in Sants-Montjuïc is the right call. It is the venue to return to when you already know the city's tourist circuit and want to eat like someone who lives here. It rewards people who show up hungry before the lunch rush, are comfortable at a standing bar, do not need a reservation system to validate the choice. For anyone who prefers a table and a printed menu, look elsewhere.

What Quimet et Quimet Is

Quimet et Quimet is a fourth-generation family tapas bar on Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, a narrow street in Poble Sec. The format is simple: a small standing space lined floor-to-ceiling with tinned goods, conservas, bottles, with a counter where montaditos are built to order. Chef Joaquim Perez runs the operation, which has been in the family for generations. The physical space is compact enough that it fills quickly, this is not a venue where you linger for hours, but one where you eat well and move on.

The Opinionated About Dining guide has ranked it consistently in its Casual Europe list: #102 in 2024 and #220 in 2025, with a prior ranking of #126 in 2023. That trajectory tells you something useful, OAD's casual list is crowded, holding a position there across three consecutive years signals a floor of quality that doesn't slip. For a no-reservation standing bar, that volume of opinion with that score is a signal worth taking seriously.

The focus is tinned seafood, conservas, cold assemblies. Spain's premium tinned goods culture is the backbone here: anchovies, mussels, octopus, similar products sourced from quality producers, mounted on bread with thoughtful combinations. This is not cooking in the conventional sense, it is curation and assembly, the skill is in the sourcing and the pairing. If you have eaten at El Xampanyet in El Born and enjoyed the conservas format, Quimet et Quimet operates in the same register but with a longer pedigree and a tighter, more local crowd.

Booking and Timing

Quimet et Quimet does not take reservations. You arrive and you wait if it is busy. The practical logic is: go at opening, 12 pm on weekdays, or just after the lunch peak, around 3:30 pm. Avoid arriving at 1:30 pm expecting a quick entry. The venue is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, which eliminates the weekend tourist window entirely and keeps the crowd predominantly local on weekdays. If your trip is a weekend-only visit, this is not your option.

Reservations: Walk-in only, no bookings taken. Hours: Monday through Friday, 12–4 pm and 6–10:30 pm; closed Saturday and Sunday. Dress: No code, casual is the norm and anything smarter will feel out of place. Budget: Price range data is not confirmed, but standing tapas bars in this tier in Barcelona typically run €15–30 per person including drinks. Getting there: The address is Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, 25, Sants-Montjuïc, Poble Sec is the neighbourhood, well served by metro.

How It Compares to Barcelona's Wider Scene

Quimet et Quimet operates in a different category from Barcelona's fine dining circuit. If you are considering Disfrutar, Lasarte, or Cocina Hermanos Torres, those require advance booking and a significantly higher spend per head, deliver a completely different format. Quimet et Quimet is not an alternative to those venues, it is a complement, the kind of lunch stop you build around a longer trip rather than a destination meal in isolation.

Within the casual tapas register, the closest comparisons in Barcelona are Bar Cañete (seated, more polished, easier for groups), Cerveceria Catalana (higher tourist volume, more accessible format), and La Cova Fumada (also walk-in only, similarly local in feel, different focus). For the standing bar conservas format specifically, Quimet et Quimet has the strongest OAD credentials of the group.

If you are travelling across Spain and want to benchmark this format against other cities, Antonio Bar and Bar Bergara in San Sebastián are the pintxos equivalent, different product focus, similar standing-bar energy, worth knowing as comparators.

Pearl Picks: More Barcelona

• El Xampanyet, Standing tapas bar in El Born, strong conservas and house cava
• Bar Cañete, Seated, more group-friendly tapas with serious kitchen output
• La Cova Fumada, Walk-in only, local, credited as the birthplace of the bombas
• Bar Mut, More upscale all-day bar, better for longer sits and wine
• Cerveceria Catalana, High-volume tapas, useful for groups, easier to access

For the full picture: our full Barcelona restaurants guide, hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences.