Telefèric Barcelona Verified listing

Having opened in 2024, Telefèric Long Beach has quickly built up a name around Spanish classics: Paella. Jamón Ibérico. Pan con tomate. Plenty of tapas. Plenty of well-made cocktails. Filling in the void of proper Spanish food, the space is now filling another void: that of Spanish culture. And it plans on filling it with every-third-Wednesday-of-the-month flamenco performances from Emmy award-winning dancer Yaelisa and guitarist Jason McGuire (aka “El Rubio”) of Caminos Flamencos.

With its food never being better—its latter months of operation have shown stellar output from its kitchen—Telefèric Long Beach is becoming embedded into the community in more ways than one.

Telefèric Long Beach, which has its roots in San Cugat, just slightly northwest of Barcelona, opened in 1992. It pioneered what would become the Basque and Catalonia region’s staple: pintxos and tapas. The restaurant’s quick growth in patrons made the children of its owners, brother-and-sister team Xavier and Maria Padrosa, open shop in bustling Barcelona to equal acclaim.

After coming to the States on a scholarship, Xavier—called “Xavi” by friends—wanted to open up shop in NorCal, eventually having spots in Walnut Creek, Palo Alto, and Los Gatos, before expanding to Southern California with restaurants in Los Angeles and Long Beach.

“Southern California has really been a gem of a place for us,” Maria said. “Walnut Creek [our first location in the States] was a bit of a challenge getting people to understand the food. Here, people are either already knowledgeable of Spanish cuisine or, in the least, open to the experience of it… We’re truly honored to be a part of Long Beach.”

Written and photos by Brian Addison.

For Brian Addison's latest feature on Telefèric, click here.