Lonely Planet

"Mouthwatering pulpo (octopus), calamari, sardines, bombas (meat and potato croquettes served with aioli) and grilled carxofes (artichokes) cooked in the open kitchen. Everything is amazingly fresh."

Geraldine Campbell

"The bomba is to Barcelona tapas bars what a bagel is to New York delis. And the best place to get this deep-fried, meat-filled potato ball is at the tiny, no-frills La Cova Fumada."

Mayssam Samaha

"La Cova Fumada is a family-run tapas bar frequented by locals. Arrive early if you want to find a seat at this packed bar where you must try the bomba, a spicy potato ball filled with meat that is said to have been invented here."

Isabelle Kliger

"La Cova Fumada has kept up all the time-honored traditions of tapas before they became trendy.The bar is most famous for its “bomba" (deep-fried ball of potato and spicy meat), so don’t even think about leaving without trying one.

Bon Appetour

"What to Eat: The legendary bombas (pork-filled, crumbed mashed potato balls that are deep fried) served with either mild garlic mayonnaise or a spicier cayenne pepper sauce."

Ben Holbrook

"One of my absolute favourite tapas restaurants in Barceloneta. But whatever you do, make sure you order “las bombas”. Unquestionably the stars of the show."

Maria Astrand

"There’s a little granny who takes care of the cooking, and it’s probably the same tapas she used to make 50 years ago. The menu is on a black board, and everything on it is tasty. They are famous for their bombas, so they are a must."

Nick Harman

"The restaurant is known, by those in the know, as ‘La Bomba’ because of one particular tapas it serves that is loved by all who go to this tiny place. When it arrives La Bomba is in fact a mashed potato ball, bread crumbed and deep-fried, stuffed here with carrot and flavoured with garlic and onion. On top are a tomato sauce and some aioli. They are delicious."

Charity De Souza

"A great place to visit on a Saturday morning for a hearty meal of homemade, old-school tapas that wash down perfectly with a jug of sangria or a cold beer. It’s famous for their “bomba” deep-fried potatoes with spicy meat."

Jose Lopez Rodriguez

"The most recommended dishes of Cova Fumada are; the famous bombas which are made of potato and meat with a delicious sauce; ‘capipota’, which is different parts of pig cooked slowly; squid; octopus; and any of their fresh fish tapas."