Xemei

Venetian soul, seafood muscle, and a room with real pulse

Xemei serves Venetian cooking—“cocina venexiana” with a strong seafood backbone—translated into Barcelona with confidence. Think cicchetti-style starters, fish that tastes like it came straight off the ice, and pastas that feel handmade rather than manufactured. The style is bold but not fussy: real sauces, clean salinity, and that Northern Italian knack for making simple ingredients feel rich without feeling heavy.

What we love is the attitude. The place has a lived-in, slightly chaotic energy that keeps it fun, and the kitchen cooks with a steady hand: you can taste technique, but it never turns into a lecture. It’s the kind of restaurant where we end up ordering more than planned because the menu reads like a greatest-hits list of things we actually want to eat. If we have one caution, it’s that the room can run lively—great for a night out, less ideal if we’re chasing silence. Still, as a food-first, Venice-in-Barcelona address, it’s hard not to come back.

Clean: 7/10
Comfort: 7.5/10
Food: 8.5/10
Wine: 8/10
Service: 8/10
The Experience: 8.5/10

Price: 55€/pax