![HappyCow logo](/img/hc-logo-name.png)
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Beer/Wine
Spanish
Spanish food and tapas restaurant in an intimate and modern space near metro Sant Antoni. Originally opened in the 2000s as Sesamo Bar y Comida sin Bestias by different owners and was all-vegetarian, then not, and now is all-veg again since 2010. Open Mon 09:00-21:00, Tue-Sun 19:00-00:00.
125 Reviews
First Review by Jan
n5igrid
Points +21
Really good experience! - Edit
Almost everything can be made vegan. We had the tasting menu and the food was amazing, very very tasty. Staff was very friendly and helpful, service was really fast even though the restaurant was completely full.
Read moreGuest
bruixa86
Points +346
Fantástico - Edit
Comimos menú degustación vegano y fué buenísimo! Buen precio y incluye bebida. Muy recomendable! // We ate the vegan tasting menu and it was so good! Goos price and it includes drinks. Very recommendable!
Read moreGuest
iainStuart
Points +16
Sesamo - Edit
Our visit to Sesamo was great. The staff are very nice, the food wonderful and the restaurant is very cozy. We had the vegan tasting menu and each dish was unique and interesting.
Read morePros: Inventive food, Lovely staff
Guest
sikke5472321
Points +24
good food, friendly staff - Edit
we went there for dinner. We did not eat the menu, because we weren't that hungry, but had some of the tapas and shared a main dish. everything was delicious, the staff was very nice and welcoming.
Read moreRecommendation!
Guest
CorinnaJayne
Points +55
best food in Europe - Edit
I went here for my birthday and having been traveling through Europe and eating a lot of bland boring food, this place was so exciting with so many options for a reasonable price.
Read moreGuest
Nikolate
Points +2297
Experience - Edit
This was amazing evening experience. Place is nice even bit small. We tried the vegan tasting menu with wine and dessert for 2 that cost 50euro. We were fine! Full. It was great experience of local cuisine, great for good date :) food was delicious!
Read moreGuest
AliAlexander
Points +52
Great food - Edit
I enjoyed this place! Really great beet hummus with roasted carrots and creative melon and basil soup. Staff was really friendly.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Friendly staff
Guest
leyllie
Points +28
Very welcoming - Edit
Nice dishes and very welcoming staff and chief
Read moreGuest
agentjaybird
Points +28
Mucho bueno! - Edit
Absolutely delicious food - really inventive. We had the tapas tasting menu and also ordered extra desserts so we could try them all. My boyfriend is an omnivore and he also loved it! The service was warm, welcoming and funny, and the space has a cozy charm. Would absolutely come back. I spied on my neighbouring table and they ordered from the a la carte menu - everything also looked brilliant.
Read morePros: Good cocktails, Very attentive service , Interesting menu
Guest
Manmoon
Points +82
Excellent food - wish I'd eaten here more - Edit
The food here is the best I've had in Barcelona. I tried bunch of vegetarian places and this was my absolute favourite. The food was presented in an appetising way, the mix of ingredients creative - and the taste excellent. Wish I could've had the chance to eat here more than once. Would've loved to eat my way through the menu. Staff friendly. The back room gets hot. I'd recommend you book ahead and ask for a table in the outer (cooler) room. I hope the Resturant upgrades inner room with some sort of cooling system. Otherwise this was s spectacular experience. Definitely coming back!
Read morePros: Fantastic food
Cons: Gets hot in the back / inner room
Guest
TatianaNidegger
Points +20
avec oppociones veganas - Edit
Restaurante agradable con muchas opciones veganas y muy ricas
Read morePros: mucha opción vegana
Cons: accesible
Guest
CanalCat
Points +332
Try their tasting menue - Edit
Their tasting menue is well spent money. The a la carte menue is a bit disappointing regarding vegan desserts, but the staff is very nice and helpful.
Read moreGuest
ArtVB
Points +332
Delicious tasting menu - Edit
Very creative plant based food from the innovative Argentinean chef who runs this place. Make sure to reserve since this place is booked almost every night. The tasting menu is a good way to try the best of his dishes, although I think it is much better for vegetarians than for vegans. If you are vegan, choosing individual items such as the outstanding roasted cauliflower (almost never included in the tasting menu) might be a better bet.
Read moreGuest
Reenie123
Points +75
bad service! average food - Edit
waiter was moody, service was terrible..We were told we'd get a table in 15, never did and ended up eating our meal off bar stools. Very uncomfortable experience.
Read moreplates were snatched as soon as finished.
Food was average, nothing amazing!
We didn't reserve a table so maybe if you reserve you might have a better experience.
Guest
Gabeuk
Points +83
Great food, but busy, with slow service - Edit
Sesamo is a really good restaurant, but it is a popular place and on the Saturday night I went it was busy. The food was slow to arrive, but worth the wait when it came.
Read moreSummary: The food is really good, if you have time. Better to go with friends and make an evening of it rather than go for a quick meal like I did.
Pros: Food
Guest
rachaelj
Points +53
Brilliant Food, Service is Uneven - Edit
I would rank Sesamo, food-wise, as among the best vegetarian restaurants at which I have eaten. The menu is excellent, and all items we ordered were extraordinary. The beet gnocchi, pumpkin soup, and the agnolotti were brilliant as was the brownie for dessert. I am very particular about brownies/brownie sundaes, and this one was probably the best one I have ever eaten anywhere. The tomato bread was easily the best-tasting we ate in Barcelona. In fact, all other tomato breads tasted really poor or marginal in retrospect, after eating Sesamo's. The only issue was of the service. During our second dinner there, the young man who was one of the two servers on duty was coughing very often in close proximity to food and guests , usually without covering his mouth properly. Our first visit was marred by a kitchen staff that glared at us the entire meal. If a restaurant is going to feature an open kitchen, people in the kitchen need to act in a friendly manner or at least not in a very overtly unfriendly manner. We were very bewildered by their behavior as we were both very appreciative, friendly, and complimentary of the food. The kitchen staff was definitely more friendly our second visit, but I would say the restaurant overall could improve on the uneven nature of the entire staff's behavior. Even with the service issues, I would highly recommend this restaurant. Food-wise, our two meals there were really satisfying.
Read morePros: Quality food, Very large, all-vegetarian menu, Very close to Metro line
Cons: service issues per my review
Guest
Alexbmiller
Points +25
Excellent dinner in Barcelona - Edit
We loved this place both food and atmosphere were excellent. We did al a cart but the tasting menu was a great deal -- 7 dishes, 2 glasses of wine each, water and dessert for 25 euro each! Various cuisine on the menu. If you go before 9 no reservation needed but then seemed to get more crowded!
Read moreGuest
Parasol
Points +401
Try the Chef's Tasting Menu - Edit
It's no easy feat deciding which veg restaurant to pick when you have only a couple of days to spend in Barcelona. I'm glad we picked Sesamo though! I went with my partner and her parents (staunch carnivores) after they asked us to pick a place to eat.
Read moreThe walk was fine for us young folks but the elders found the 25 minute walk from La Rambla a little tough. When we arrived without a reservation there was no problem seating us but it was only 7:30 (opening time).
We chose to get the chef's tasting menu so we could have the best plates without the burden of having to order off a veg menu with meat eaters. It was a great choice. The plates arrived to our delighted faces each time, and we all enjoyed the meal very much. My father-in-law said to the manager that he would always remember the delightful meal he had had there. It was pretty amazing to see him rave so loudly about this all-veg meal.
It was 105 Euro for us all to eat. We were charged for a couple of extra glasses of wine. I think the set menu comes with two glasses, it wasn't all that clear and they just offered refills without really explaining it would be extra. That's fine, it's probably standard practice.
I was more critical perhaps than my fellow diners. I thought the food was great for the most part except for a pink gnocchi dish which was a little bizarre. The plates arrived erratically - at once we would get three dishes and then we would have a very long wait (20 mins or so) before another plate arrived. That would be my main complaint.
In the end I think our 7 plate meal was more like 10 or 11. A couple of times we expected dessert to come next only to have it be another plate of tapas. We were all delighted and full by night's end.
Pros: Value and quality of food, Quaint place off the beaten track, Tasty tasty food and lots of it
Cons: Plates arrive at unpredictable intervals, Wicker sunken seat chairs not comfy
Guest
emilapa
Points +33
Strongly Recommended! - Edit
By far the best vegetarian restaurant I've ever been to. Had the taste menu and 7 out of 8 dishes was very well cooked and full of wonderful flavour. Very welcoming and helpful host. I'll definitely come back to this gem!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Friday May 16, 2014
Pros: Flavours, Nice Staff, Good Drinks
Cons: Maybe a little pricy
Guest
moliverd
Points +24
Sesamo - Edit
Best meal I've had out since becoming vegan! The staff were really helpful and friendly and explained all the options and the specials for the day including what the vegan versions of the applicable dishes would be. We decided against the tasting menu (which gives you 7 courses, 2 drinks each and water for 25euros each). We ordered 2 starters to share, canarian style potatoes with 2 puréed vegetable dipping sauces (divine!) and tomato bread. For the main my partner had filled gnocchi with a beetroot and walnut sauce (vegetarian) and I had one of the daily specials which was a pie filled with tofu and mushrooms sautéed in beer plus salad and a balsamic type dressing. Desserts were peanut butter cheesecake (Veg) and chocolate fondue with strawberries, apple and banana for dipping (Vegan). My partner who eats meat and dairy etc. really enjoyed it too. We were also each given strawberry gazpacho as an aperitif which was incredibly good!
Read morePros: Amazing food, Brilliant staff/service, Nice atmosphere
Guest
Happy Veg Man
Points +134
Nice spot. Good food and good service! - Edit
Had a nice meal here with my wife and two children. My wife and I had the tasting menu, and the kids ate a la carte. When reserving, I let them know I am vegan, and they were ready for it! The fried artichoke was amazing, and the mushrooms with truffle oil were great. I can't say that it was amazing, but it wins for best meal in Barcelona so far!
Read moreGuest
Frijoles
Points +416
Loved it! - Edit
Visited here in 2012 and cannot wait for an opportunity to return. The best vegetarian restaurant I've e er been to - tasty, Spanish style food with excellent presentation.
Read morePros: 'real' food, excellent meals, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Limited opening hours
Guest
youfoundcandy
Points +40
Delicious food - Edit
My husband and I are vegan and came here for dinner on a weekday with reservations (recommended) and we loved the food! The vibe was super friendly and the chef came out to talk to us about the meal and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Each item packed a flavorful punch and we just kept adding to our order. The atmosphere was great, the place was small and the staff spoke fluent English and had a menu available. Vegan items were clearly marked and they were willing to modify vegetarian items.
Read more*Give yourself a little extra time to find it though!
Pros: intimate space
Cons: hard to find
Guest
Wine Lover
Points +261
Unimpressive vegan options - Edit
Having read the reviews below I was really looking forward to eating here with my partner. We were rather disappointed in our experience as it wasn't hat we were expecting.
Read moreWe turned up late without reservations and got a table which was great and the staff were all lovely. The place was much smaller than I expected and so was the menu which was the main problem - we just didn't have much choice.
I wasn't able to have the vegan tasting menu as my partner just wanted a starter and main course but I honestly wonder what they would have given me that was much different to what we had since, as I said, there weren't many vegan dishes on the small menu.
The array of inventive gin & tonic options looked great and I really enjoyed the one I chose. We were also given a complimentary shot of smoked watermelon gazpacho which was divine and the best thing on the menu.
To start my partner had canarian style potatoes with mojo (vegan) which were small whole potatoes boiled in their skins with two dips which we felt was pretty dull and unimaginative. The slow roast aubergine, red peppers and onions with caramelized goat cheese and rosemary oil bruschetta was marked as vegan and I enquired whether the goats cheese was vegan and was told yes. A while later the waitress came back and asked me if I wanted the goats cheese. I said if it was real goats cheese I would not eat it so the dish was topped with sliced tofu triangles instead but I can see this might be quite confusing. The dish was okay but not very flavourful and was absolutely dripping in olive oil, I don't mind oily things but it was too much.
For the main course there were two vegan options. My partner had the chickpea and spinach curry which was very good, the sort of thing I would expect from an indian restaurant in London and that's quite hard to find in a general restaurant. Since I didn't want that my only option was the vaguely described home made puff pastry filled pie. What came was a small disc of very oily puff pastry (which reminded me of Jus-rol) topped with cooked tomatoes and a few more small triangles of sliced tofu. There was a small bit of salad with it but it was quite unsubstantial, lacked flavour and was again so so oily.
For dessert the only vegan option was fruit salad with chocolate fondue. I had it becasuse I was still hungry. It was sliced banana, apple and strawberries with a melted chocolate dipping sauce (I thought apple was a strange combo choice). It was so boring.
Pros: Friendly staff, all spoke english, some tasty items (smoked watermelon , gazpacho shot & curry)
Cons: Small restaurant, small menu choice,, expensive
Guest
Jeremywhite
Points +284
Fabulous veggie food - Recommended!! 14/05/2013 - Edit
Our most expensive meal (54 euro for a 3 course meal with no alcohol for two) so far on a holiday to Costa Brava and that includes a few nights of those eaten in expensive Sitges!
Read moreThe venue looks like a small bar from the outside but don't let this put you off, at the back there's a nice seated area.
The meal was worth every euro we paid. There was a good selection of veggie and vegan foods on the menu and we found it a bit difficult to choose with so many options.
Before the food arrived we were give a small glass containing a smoked watermelon gaspacho which was gorgeous!! The food we picked was well presented, fresh, hot and extremely tasty. A nice open kitchen and very friendly staff (one of who gave the recipe of one of the starters to a lady on the next table).
The highlight was a fantastic tiramisu with raspberries and white chocolate pieces embedded in it.
With 20:20 hindsight we'd have chosen the tasting menu purely to sample the full range of the food. With this tasting menu you also get a bottle or water and either 2 glasses of wine or 4 beers all for 25 euro per person.
Pros: Excellent food, Great service, Interesting menu
Cons: Mineral water not chilled
Guest
jimbobse
Points +22
Superb - Edit
I went to Sesamo this evening (March 2013) and had the Vegan taster menu. Excellent food, well cooked and friendly service. If I was in Barcelona for longer, I would definitely go back again. This was the best food I have eaten in Barcelona.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Saturday March 02, 2013
Pros: Excellent vegan food, Very tasteful restaurant, Friendly service
Cons: Looks like an average bar at the front
Guest
OneNightStanzas
Points +127
Hello vegan chocolate fondue! - Edit
I went to Sesamo as one of a party of four. It is kind of hard to find as it's easy to walk past the small door without noticing it, but we got there eventually! The place opens out at the back into a nice intimate restaurant with great hip decor and lighting. There was only one waiter working when we were there but he was friendly, funny and pleasant. We ordered gin and tonics (a different one each) off the extensive menu and they were all TOTALLY LUSH and came in impressive glasses! To start I had the potatoes, which when they arrived looked literally like uncooked potatoes on a plate with some sauce next to them! A bit odd, but I thought they were delicious - my friend who got them too found them too plain, though. Main courses were all gobsmackingly delicious. Vegan options are a bit predictable, I was stuck with a Thali while my vegetarian friends got more inventive stuff, but I'm kinda used to that happening! The dessert situation was odd - like others in these reviews, we were all excited about the peanut butter cheesecake, only to be told there was none. Does it actually exist I wonder? My veggie friends had the Baileys brownie which was apparently very delicious but HUGE and very rich so hard to finish! I got the vegan chocolate fondue and may I say I was one happy lady! So delicious and served very elegantly (not eaten so elegantly though...!). One big con was the loo -- kind of outside and really rather stinky :Z I made use of it and then advised my companions to avoid at all costs! But perhaps they were just having plumbing problems that day? I don't know. We all thought the price was good. It was a special birthday dinner and it definitely felt like a special, classy place to go. Kind of sketchy neighbourhood but we were OK leaving quite late at night. Recommended!
Read morePros: Fondue fondue fondue, Amazing gin and tonic menu, do not miss!, Very nice waiter
Cons: Stinky loo!, No PB cheesecake, sad times, Better choice for veggies than vegans
Wine Lover
The toilet was pretty rank when we were there so obviously not just a bad day.
Read moreGuest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 38621 times.