La Barca Spanish Tapas & Wine Bar in Argyll & Bute

This is really good Spanish food.

Good food great to be on the Costa del Helensburgh by the clyde

Fantastic tapas restaurant on the shore front. Amazing food, friendly staff and the atmosphere was great

Been twice before and enjoyed it. Back again after a couple of years, and found it extremely disappointing. The chicken was dry and stale. The ox cheeks and mash sounded particularly tasty, but was virtually tasteless, and the mash was like liquid. We were surprised that even the mussels were disappointing, with a very watery sauce. The steak strips were delicious, but it was £12 for what was the equivalent of no more than half a standard steak. As trivial as it sounds, the disappointing cherry on top was the sparkling water. We asked for a bottle of sparkling water, but the waiter took the initiative to already pour most of the bottle in a glass with ice. We tend to avoid ice as they are often made in moldy ice machines (not implying this was the case). Explained our disappointment to the waiter, who apologised. It is what it is. Won't be back, unfortunately.

Delicious food and great service, the gentleman has a great sense of humour and has a pleasant manner towards his customers, he found us a table outside in the sunshine Perfect way to enjoy tapas 😊 Fully recommend 👌 😋

A friendly Spanish oasis with delicious tapas, great sangria, and reasonable prices. Try the homemade sangria. Not too potent but also not overly sweet. Very refreshing. The owner was very welcoming. Delicious tapas!

Staff were attentive and friendly. Food was great with generous portions. Nice place with a great location on the sea front 🙂

Excellent service, great good. Staffade our night.

Great service and fantastic food. We enjoyed a mix of 8 dishes for the adults and each was beautifully presented and delightful. The kids options were great and our little ones finished their food faster than the adults for once. The owner/manager was fantastic at both service and keeping things running in the restaurant. Our little one became overstimulated at one point with music and we noted it had been turned down without us even having to ask. Everyone was super polite and accommodating and we look forward to returning on our next visit to Helensburgh.

Honestly, the food was amazing as usual as we have been here a few times. The thing that made tonight special, was the young gentleman who served us.! Absolutely outstanding customer service and very efficient. We didn’t need another excuse to visit but we will definitely be visiting more often. Couldn’t recommend this place enough! Sat quickly, drinks served in promptly, food is fresh and delicious and like I said previously, service couldn’t be any better.

Very nice friendly staff food was very tasty and fresh definitely a place to visit as a couple

Myself and my two gown up sons met up briefly in Helensburgh and headed to this restaurant as we love Spanish cuisine, having lived there several years ago. The atmosphere, toilets and service were exceptional. The food was just fantastic, not too pricey. Will definitely be back and highly recommend this restaurant

Had a sit outside in the sunshine and had a pint and a mocktail with my wife. Young lad who served us had outstanding customer service and is a credit to the team at LA Barca.

A beautiful presented Tapas restaurant with welcoming staff, terrific atmosphere and most importantly high end food at a very reasonable price. All our party ordered different items and everyone agreed the food was flavoursome in every way. I would highly recommend.

Really nice food. Staff are friendly and helpful. Music was a bit loud for our liking. Would definitely go back.

Very enjoyable meal, and good service from the staff. Disappointed that they no longer serve a Spanish draught beer, and have had to revert to an Italian one which is not as good - in my opinion .

Knowledgeable attentive service, extensive menu to meet all tastes. Food was well presented and tasty.

Great food and wine as per usual

Excellent service food and atmosphere.

Lovely lunch menu.So good we went back at night. Great selection of tapas and brilliant service from friendly staff . La Barca has become a firm favourite

First time here. Received such a warm welcome. The food was delicious especially the polio Al j erez - it was like a warm hug. Ross was so lovely & friendly he deserves a mention. Such a wholesome boy who enhanced our experience! I will recommend & return! 😊

Absolutely no complaints, everyone at the table loved their food, the waiters were really friendly and the food came out quite quickly. Definitely coming back next time I'm in town, not just for the dessert I was promised 😉

Visited this afternoon and what a treat. Delicious tapas and very attentive, friendly staff. Thank you.

Have eaten here a number of times on our annual family trip to Loch Lomond. Had dinner on Monday evening for 3 people . Tried a variety of tapas which were great and very friendly and efficient service. I was impressed by the fact that as someone who is coeliac ( gluten free) Icould have the albondigas ( meat balls) . They were very good in a tasty sauce. A great way to start our week in Scotland

Absolutely love this place. The chicken skewers especially. The waiting staff are all friendly and it's affordable. Lovely restaurant.

Visited twice as we enjoyed it so much. First visit was for lunch. Second visit was for dinner. Great selection of meat, fish and vegetable dishes should su it the majority of tastes. Very friendly staff, good service and a definite place to visit again on our next trip up. And on that next trip, we still think that this is one of the best restaurants in Helensburgh.

Went to restraunt for a visit before a wedding , the sparkling sngria i highly recommend so refreshing and nice , movimg in to the food the lamb tapas were amazing and the chicken skewers id recommend service was great amd friemdly will return

Great place, brilliant food, lovely welcoming staff, and easily accessed by disabled customers, will definitely be returning.

Great food and service. Cocktails were tasty also. Defo worth a visit

Very good food & great service.

Ja was soll ich schreiben...wir wollten jns heute mal was gönnen und haben mal nach einem schönen Restaurant in Helensburgh gesucht, da viel uns das la Barca ins Auge sehr gute Bewertungen und das war für uns ausschlaggebend. Was wir nicht beachtet hatten, das es n diesem Jahr keine einzige Bewegung gab. Und die positiven Bewertungen alle vor paar kehren abgegeben wurden. Wir kennen sehr viele gute Tapas Bars in Deutschland und mussten leider heute feststellen das wor so viel fritiertes nicht erwartet haben. Es waren ein paar spanische Zutaten gewesen jedoch der Rest hatte nichts mit Tapas oder spanischen Essen zu tun. Sorry Wir würden das Restaurant niemanden empfehlen der auf spanische Küche steht. Der Service war sehr nett und höflich, daher auch die 2 Punkte.

I love this restaurant. I eat here every time I visit Helensburgh.

Special birthday celebration. Had table for 7 booked for half 7. Felt the pressure as soon as we sat down. Starters came quick. Main courses came while still eating starters. We felt like we were on a schedule. At 9.10pm a waiter came through and said the restaurant was closed and we had to get out. This ruined my mother’s 81st birthday. As a resident of Helensburgh who has always enjoyed this restaurant and others in the chain we will never be back to any of the restaurants. When you get to 81 birthdays are special. This was ruined tonight. Such a pity. This was a fantastic restaurant in its day with live music. Seems like those days are gone.

Excellent food, good prices, lovely staff. Had a wonderful meal & highly recommend.

Amazing Spanish Paella and Tapas!! I spend my day-off before my birthday there and had a really good time. Nothing disappointed me!

Well first time eating Spanish food and it was delicious would highly recommend it’s must if you like Spanish food sorry no photos

Staff are very friendly and polite. Food was very nice. I was in a group of 4 and it came to £150. Check the menu for surcharges so you know what you're paying.

The food is fantastic. Slightly more dearer than thought, but worth it

Dinner for a group of 6, very helpful staff and food was good. Very busy good atmosphere. Not a cheap night out.

My first time having Spanish tapas and oh my goodness has the bar been set high!! I've been compelled to write this review because it's several days since I visited and I just cannot stop thinking about the king prawn! All of the seafood was fab, you can tell it's fresh and local. Frankly, everything was amazing, but that king prawn will be in my dreams for weeks to come...

I was so looking forward to this meal with my family. And then on Saturday night we sat down to look at the menu. £14.95 for three tapas it proclaimed - great we thought. Then we looked at the VERY small print next to each dish. Almost every dish had a supplement cost attached to it bringing the cost of each tapas between £7 and £10 - expensive! Compare and contrast with Cafe Andaluz or Tinto Tapas menu prices which has better value and tastier food. And dont scam your customers with a 3 for 14.95 deal that doesnt exist. So noticing this little scam we ordered two tapas each instead of the three and almost everything we ate was greasy and stodgy. The meatballs in particular were cold and tasted like the frozen ones you get out the supermarket. Everything was out in record time so no way was it freshly cooked. You want tasty Spanish tapas go to Cafe Andaluz West End or Tinto in Shawlands. Avoid this place. Although the place was busy so if the locals keep paying for this average food La Barca will keep charging for it.

Good size portions, quick service with a friendly smile.

Excellent Spanish tapas with a bit of Scottish influence. Beef cheeks were a delight.

On the front of the sea beautiful place recommend

The tapas are big, so don't order too much. But they're delicious. The staff are really friendly and so helpful.

Yes great place for food had a very nice meal and very friendly staff well recommended will be going again.

I assumed Spanish tapas were a quick, simple, economical bar snack. This wasn't that. Quality average and a bit stodgy. Well over priced - many tapas are main course, full price but didn't even reach child portion size. Child portions were also small and over priced. Service also not great. We three were sat at a table set for two and eventually I had to grab a setting from another table. Our meal cost over £100. Will not be returning.

Always fabulous food, we were here at lunch time so was a bit quieter but really enjoyed it .

Excellent lunch shared with friends. Great service.

Had a great evening meal with fiancée & in-laws (to be). I haven't been to La Barca in about 2 years, I loved it then and loved it now. Friendly, personal service, and the food is great quality/ value for money.

Food was lovely, friendly staff. Nice beer👌

Food was amazing and great service

Can't fault food or service over numerous visits. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

Fabulous place...great food with super attentive waiters.

Food was lovely, staff were attentive. Do highly recommend a meal there.

Friendly staff, good location on the seafront.

Delicious food, nice atmosphere

Excellent food and service paella was amazing

Service was terrible. We didn't book, and popped in early afternoon as I could see from outside it was empty. The look I got when I said I hadn't booked was as though I'd punched a baby. The paella was tasteless and rigid from where it congealed in the microwave - the croquettes a massive disappointment also, deep fried to a crunch. Very over done. Couldn't wait to drink up and leave.

It has been about 18 months since I ate at La Barca. Great to see a special deal for 3 Tapas, sadly, the price for 3 is not what you pay. All my favourites had a supplement, which was very disappointing, even Potatoes Bravas. It was difficult to order anything without it having a supplement. Bill was much more than I would have liked to pay. Food was great albeit smaller portions than previously. Suggestion: If you are going to advertise a set price for 3 Tapas, then increase the price per person to reflect this to stop customers working out just how much more it will actually cost them.

Such a lovely place to go, beautiful food, very tasty and a great choice. The window seats let you have a magnificent view as you enjoy your food. The staff are very friendly and provide help with the menu if needed. Definitely worth a visit.

Absolutely great all round. The food is amazing and the service is great. A wide-ranging tapas menu. We also had both paellas on offer and were blown away with the freshness, flavour, and quality. Very friendly staff and owner.

Absolutely great all round. The food is amazing and the service is great. A wide-ranging tapas menu. We also had both paellas on offer and were blown away with the freshness, flavour, and quality. Very friendly staff and owner.

The food was okay, but a bit lacking compared to many other Spanish restaurants I've been to (although never in Scotland). Great service and cozy shop. You can absolutely do it

Superb tapas restaurant. Great food with friendly staff. Nice wine list. I'd highly recommend this place

Enjoyed the food , service was good , however the prices are ridiculous, £11 for bread and olives , way OTT, supplements,rip off , got 4 tapas each , paid full price on the 3 most expensive ones and realised they had charged us supplements for them also , tried to point this out but the waiter was acting all stupid (I think he was acting), eventually left and vowed to spend £80 for tapas for 2 and 1 drink each , elsewhere in future, it's a shame because the food was nice , but place was empty, I now know why . £ 80 is way too much for tapas .

Excellent tapas revisited La Barca after a two year break and found it up to the usual standard, very busy early evening, service excellent and with a smile

Fabulous time here with lovely staff, and filling tapas , delicious

Great food, that paella 🤤 and super nice service 🙂

Fantastic tapas. Fantastic service. Fantastic cocktails. Highly recommended.

Amazing experience. Great food, great wine and amazing service. Lunchtime menu was great with loads of choice and all very flavoursome

Had such a wonderful night in here last night.! Not one to leave reviews but the food was amazing. 🤩 The food was so good, fresh and tasted great. The atmosphere was perfect with first class service. Looking forward to going again.

Got 3 tapas for £13.95 before 6pm. There were surcharges for most of them but was still a good deal. Good service, fast and friendly.

Lovely meal. Portions looked small initially but we're more than adequate. Friendly and attentive staff.

Delicious food. Great service. Lots of variety. And it's affordable.

The steak was incredible and the sauce complemented it perfectly, I loved the crust on the steak. It might be one of the best steaks I've ever had. The lamb and potato casserole was good. The king prawn in a garlic and chilli olive oil infusion was ok but I felt like it was lacking in quantity. The oil was tasty though. I regret not getting bread to dip into it. Overall I really enjoyed this place. I paid around £30.

Great place n food delightful..I like Good portions, taste exquisite

Fantastic evening and incredible food!

Amazing food and atmosphere been to this restaurant a few times now staff are so welcoming food is so tasty and fresh our favourite go to restaurant

This is a very nice place. Located on the sea front at Helensburgh. The food and drinks were excellent, and it has a great atmosphere. Prices are about average. The place is clean and tidy and the staff are friendly. It gets a bit busy so book in advance. We had a lovely evening. Thanks. We went back three years later, and it's still very good. Thank you.

First time today at La Barca. Loved it. I'd definalty make a point of driving back through frpm Glasgow to go there regularly . Staff and service really good. Friendly manager,great chat, very welcoming which made all the difference.

La Barca never disappoints! We were there for a Christmas Eve meal with family and as usual we ordered an absolute feast. Great service, friendly staff, amazing food and good company. What more do you need?

Food was ok. Could of been hotter but it was busy.

Mixed experience. It says online it’s opening hours are till 10pm however when I made an 8pm booking I was called and asked to come in earlier which I explained I couldn’t do. Friends arrived first and were asked almost immediately to place their order, we felt rushed the entire experience. We were given the bill while we had food and drinks still to enjoy, and were hurried to pay this well before the advertised closing time. Perhaps close earlier if you don’t want people eating there past 8pm?

Sehr nett, großartiger Service, coole Bedienung, Essen ausgezeichnet, 3 Tapas pro Person darf es schon sein :-) gerne wieder, schöne Grüße aus "Good old Germany"

We really like La Barca. They have a great selection of tapas, we particularly like the aubergine, the pork cheek and chicken with peppers and chorizo. We usually get 3 tapas each and that is plenty. The staff are always great and the food comes out quickly.

Fantastic tapas with a great variety. Attended as a group of 12, decided to order 18 random dishes per 6 to give 3 per person but a taster of all. Great decision and every single dish was fantastic. Service was excellent also. Highly recommend.

Great tapas, excellent alcohol menu, and extremely attentive staff. 1st class meal.

Very good but just about every dish on the 3 dish offer carries a surcharge 😀. The atmousphere rating was related to a mid week visit so very quiet.

Great meal, good size portions, great atmosphere great place for a meal 👍 We love here if you love tapas go here

Beautiful food and lovely service!

Food amazing staff absolutely delightful

Food was 10/10 and the service from our server Jack was amazing 👏

Food was delicious, not rushed from the table, good buzz but not too loud.

Always where I go for lunch when in Helensburgh. Great variety, well priced and the staff are lovely. Excellent restaurant.

We are regular visitors to La Barca for the reason that in our experience, we have been dealt with quickly, the food has always been excellent and the staff are polite and helpful without being pushy. No doubt we will return very soon 😀

Nice restaurant with good atmosphere

Was ok. Food didn't seem fresh, came out very quickly, like under 5 mins, more heated than cooked.

Great Tapas 👍 plenty to chose from. Reasonable prices and fantastic friendly service.

Excellent food, service and decor. Staff are excellent. Highly recommended.