Review: Barcelona Wine Bar

A new establishment has opened in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis, and already it has become a hot spot for going out and enjoying wine. The restaurant is spacious, the wine list extensive, and the staff incredibly friendly and well-informed about the wine.

There are 11 other states with a location of this Spanish concept restaurant. According to the website:

Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar is an award-winning Spanish tapas restaurant group. Barcelona was begun in 1995 by Sasa Mahr-Batuz, based on his memories of years of living in Spain and Portugal, and Andy Pforzheimer, based on his 20 years as a chef at world-famous restaurants in France, California and New York.

Beginning with a tiny, 38-seat wine bar they set out to recreate the feel and the look of an evening in Barcelona. They worked hard and made no compromises to achieve their aims: sophisticated décor that evoked Milan, SoHo, or Rio de Janeiro. Simple, flavor-filled dishes redolent with olive oil, lemon, smoky paprika. A comprehensive list of wines by the glass from around the world, with an emphasis on the lesser-known regions of Spain and Portugal. They were guided not by any places that existed at the time, but only by what they liked, and the way they liked it.

The menu does stick mostly to Spanish fare. The wine list includes both bottles and by-the-glass options, with sparkling, red, white, rosé & skin contact wines, as well as dry and sheet sherries and a few wine flights. Most of these wines come from Spain, with a few other countries mixed in. They also have cocktails, including three different Spanish-style gin-tonics. Finally, sangria and beer options are also available.

The food menu includes a mix and match charcuterie section, where you can choose a single cheese or meat for $8 or try three for $22.50. Most of these cheeses and meats hail from Spain, and there is a variety of soft and hard cow, goat, and sheep cheeses.

Inside Barcelona Wine Bar in North Loop, Minneapolis, MN

The bulk of the food menu is a large list of tapas. Now, I’ll caveat a moment for a rant about American tapas menus. They miss the point of tapas–whereas in Spain, a variety of bar snacks will cost a couple dollars, every American tapas place I’ve visited charges much more than a few bucks for these small plates. But alas, that is the state of things.

There are a few large plates offered, from paella to branzino, as well as some salads and desserts (and naturally, flan is on the menu).

For guests with allergens, the kitchen offers a specially marked up menu

In the times I visited shortly after their opening, I was met with enthusiasm and great service. The servers were very knowledgeable about the wine list, offering recommendations and helping me narrow my selection. I tried a few wonderful wines:

• 2021 Menade Verdejo (Rueda, Spain): When I say my dirty-martini loving self was thrilled, I mean that the salinity of this wine was perfectly balanced with its crisp, refreshing quality. 

• 2021 Azul y Garanza Tempranillo (Navarra, Spain): a delightful red fruit wine that my friend tried and quickly ordered for herself

• 2021 Polkura Syrah (Colchagua, Chile): a deep, black fruit, smokey-spice delight (that my friend also tried and ordered for herself)

• Alvear Oloroso Asuncion Sherry: dry, refreshing, a great dessert wine with nice golden color and toffee notes

As for the charcuterie I tried:

• Drunken Goat (Murcia, ES) semi-soft, goat’s milk, aged 2 months, red wine-soaked

• Etxegarai (País Vasco, ES) semi-firm, raw sheep’s milk, smoked, 6 months. sharp, fruity, smoky

• Tetilla (Galicia, ES) semi-soft, cow’s milk, aged 15-20 days, mild, creamy

All were excellent and served with a palette-cleanser. The tetilla paired nicely with the Syrah.

2021 Azul y Garanza Tempranillo, House marinated olives, and Tetilla, Etxegarai, and Drunken Goat cheeses

When it comes to tapas:

• House marinated olives: garlic, thyme, citrus, giardiniera–tangy and tart, these definitely made my mouth pucker. I thought they were a tad unbalanced in flavor but overall tasty.

• Hummus: za’atar, olive oil–a classic. Can’t go wrong.

• House-made focaccia with rosemary and olive oil: again, a classic, delicious.

House marinated olives w/ garlic, thyme, citrus, giardiniera, and hummus: za’atar and olive oil

Overall, I was impressed with the wine and food. My only complaint is that with every seat full in this open layout, the room was quite noisy, and my friend and I had to shout across the table to be heard.

Why you should go: If you are looking for a good wine and charcuterie night, this is the spot to go, without a doubt. If you don’t know your wines too well, don’t worry–the servers are incredibly helpful, and they offer both 6oz and 3oz pours, so you can try a few to see what you like. And if you do know your wine, I am confident this will speak to you as well.

Reservations: I have been able to get in on a short wait, but I would definitely recommend a reservation to be safe!

I'll certainly be going back to keep trying more of the menu!