About the Business
Having just opened late last year, Telefèric has quickly built up a name around Spanish classics ranging from paella and jamón Ibérico to plenty of tapas and 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 is becoming embedded into the Long Beach community in more ways than one.
Telefèric, 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 opening their first location in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Written and photos by Brian Addison.
