La Xampanyeria or as it is officially called, Can Paixano, is practically an institution in Barcelona. We were lucky enough to be introduced to this unique place by a friend several years ago and it still remains one of our favourite food spots in the whole city.
It is a pretty unconventional restaurant due to the following reasons: there are no chairs, no benches, no stools, there is nowhere to sit basically; the situation can get pretty hectic, at peak hour you’ll find yourself in a can of sardines trying to climb over other patrons in order to get your tapas or “bocadillos”; and last but not least, you can get extremely cheap bottles of good quality “cava”, the equivalent of champagne in Spain in what is considered a very “touristy” neighborhood.
Some of these situations might not sound very attractive but if you’re up for an out of the ordinary brunch and some daytime drinking, you can actually avoid many of the aforementioned situations by arriving before lunch time. If you decide to drop by 11 or 12 you’ll find yourself in the company of locals and only a few tourists. An important thing to consider is that bottles are only served along with some food, so be sure to decide what you’ll be eating first.
We went there on a sunny Thursday afternoon to enjoy some mouthwatering sandwiches, tapas and drinks.
Restaurant information
Type of food: Tapas, sandwiches, frankfurts.
Address: Carrer de la Reina Cristina, 7, 08003
Opening hours: Mon – Sat: 9AM – 11PM
Online menu: Not Available, but you can buy their cava online.
Vegetarian, Vegan or Gluten-free options: Vegetarian available.
Type of atmosphere: Unique, ranges from very relaxed to very busy.
Reservations: Not available.
Our experience
People: Eeva and Rafa
Visited on: 2020.
Type of meal: Lunch
Drinks: 1 Bottle of Cava “Rosat”
Average drink price: Bottles start at around 7 euros.
Spicy frankfurt and guindillas (hot peppers)
Red peppers and cheese “bocadillo”
Iberian ham “croquetas” and cava
Beef burger with pickles and cheese
Total paid (including drinks): €20,90 | Per person: €10.45 – Very Cheap
Our opinions
Eeva – “I remember the first time I visited this place and it was definitely love at first sight. This restaurant is so original and it’s extremely difficult to find anything like La Xampanyeria anywhere. The combination of sweet cava and salty food will feel like heaven in your mouth, and I think it’s something you won’t want to miss. I absolutely love everything there and I could go through the whole menu but if I had to choose only one thing to eat, I would go for their burger with pickles and cheese with a lot of mustard and spicy sauce. It’s extremely important not to miss the tasty sauces that they have available. I also have to mention that the buns that they use for the sandwiches and burgers have a perfect tender consistency that I haven’t tried anywhere else.
All I can say is that you have to experience this place by yourself. I will definitely go back to La Xampanyeria many many times more, without a doubt. Make sure you try their “Rosat” cava, leaving this place without trying at least a glass should be considered a felony.“
Rafa – “Can Paixano was actually the first place I ever ate in when I moved to Barcelona, it was introduced by a friend from England, and I have to say that I couldn’t have had a better introduction to the local restaurant scene. Everything here is top quality and it’s so cheap it’s practically surreal, they’ve raised the prices in past years but I have to agree with them, they deserve to earn a bit more considering how amazing the food is and how hard they work.
I’ve eaten many incredible sandwiches throughout the years, such as the “roquefort and lomo bocadillo” or the “pimientos and queso bocadillo” but at the moment I’d have to say that my favourite thing to eat here is the spicy frankfurt, I’ve had several frankfurts all over Barcelona but nothing beats the one they make here. I usually order it with a side of “guindillas” which are pickled spicy peppers. In Mexico we are very used to eating sandwiches called “tortas” with picked jalapenos on the side, it’s also very common to eat them while standing up, and for some reason, it’s one of my most beloved “Mexican food traditions”. Can Paixano pretty much recreates that experience but in the most “Barcelonian” way possible, so you could say that few things can be more satisfying than enjoying a meal in here.“
Our scores: Eeva 9.6 – / Rafa – 9.6 | Consensus: 9.6 (Best of Barcelona)
Instagram: instagram.com/can_paixano/
Website: canpaixano.com
Food Aesthetics Barcelona 
Leave a Reply