Telefèric Barcelona to bring a taste Spain to Scottsdale this fall

A renowned tapas restaurant from Barcelona is coming to the Valley this fall, with a new location set to open at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Telefèric Barcelona is a family tradition passed down to siblings and current owners Xavi and Maria Padrosa.

"All the family from my mom's side, they had restaurants in the north of Spain," Xavi says. "They're from the Basque Country, from Pamplona."

It's from this background that the restaurant's signature pintxos, small snacks that are often skewered and served atop bread, originate. The Padrosa's mother, Soledad Urabayen Arza, brought pintxos to Catalonia when she opened Telefèric Barcelona in 1992. Her son credits the pintxos with putting the restaurant on the map.

In 2003, a tennis scholarship brought Xavi to the Bay Area, which led to the opening of five California locations, in Walnut Creek, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Los Angeles and Long Beach. After Catalonia and California, why did the Padrosas choose Scottsdale as their next locale?

Primarily, the Padrosas like to scout out areas that are near, but not in the core of, big cities.

"It's a place where restaurants are happening, popping now," Xavi says of Scottsdale, "so that kind of fits all of our needs."

Each location's menu is slightly different, and Scottsdale's hasn't been finalized yet. But, in addition to the pintxos and traditional tapas, diners can look forward to paellas, sangrias and cocktails.

Some of the standout dishes at the California locations include the pan con tomate, lobster paella and Pulpo Telefèric, a dish of Galician octopus with truffle oil and pimenton potato puree.

Drink options put unique spins on classic favorites including the Barceloneta Sangria which is made with lemonade, prickly pear, honey and rosemary and the Ibiza gin and tonic, made with butterfly pea tea gin, orange peel and juniper. The restaurant's award-winning tuna tartare tacos will also be available.

Beyond the food and beverages, every aspect of the restaurant is engineered to resemble the Catalonia experience. Dishes are made to be shared, the space was designed by Spanish architects and the Padrosas plan to bring the chefs, management and front-of-house staff from Spain.

The restaurant at Fashion Square will seat 150 people, and it has an indoor bar, an outdoor patio and an outdoor bar. Padrosa hopes to feature live flamenco shows in the future.

"We'll have a lot of fun," he says, "loud music, tapas, paellas, something very different."

Telefèric Barcelona

7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale
Opening fall 2025