will be in town for a quick trip after some days of cycling and beach in costa brava. i have reservations at besta which came recommended but can any of you recommend some wine bars or nightlife in barcelona lately?
i havent been in town since 2017 and i imagine much has changed. is bar brutal a good wine option or more of a restaurant? ill be staying in barrio gotic.
I went to Mont Bar for a late lunch on the day I arrived this past December. Excellent food and even more excellent wine. It is somewhat small, so you might need reservations – it was recommended by some here and I add my recommendation.
Here is the link to when I posted last fall: Barcelona for wine by the glass and solo diner - Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum - WineBerserkers
Hi JP -
If you are into natural wine, Bar Brutal is an excellent option. An inch thick list of Jura, N. Rhone and other favorites. Based on our visit in 2019, I would characterize it as a Wine Bar with food, rather than a Restaurant with a wine list. We had a great time.
2019 thread:
Cheers!
Steve
thanks steve and ron. we were going to go to brutal after dinner elsewhere. appreciate the information.
just got back. spent a few days cycling in and near girona but had a quick 24 hours in barcelona. my first visit there since 2017. had lunch at cruix which was fine but a bit overrated. a set menu for 35 Eur with some additional items. i thought the service was a bit off, the space itself was casual in a bad way and the food was overall lacking. several items were of the fried variety and while perfectly fine, it didn’t really showcase much precision or ingenuity or creativity in the kitchen. their signature dish was an arroz con bistec that was just okay. we left full and not particularly impressed.
dinner at besta was the opposite. it has a bit of a buzz and delivered and thensome. good crowd, great service and some of the best dishes ive had in a long time (and we live in nyc). i think we had 8 or 9 dishes between 2 of us and you can tell from the first few bites that they can cook. opted for some natural white and a glass of syrah en magnum that was quite good but didn’t recall the producer. i would highly recommend besta if visiting barcelona in the next few months. they opened a smaller sister restaurant i believe recently.
ended the night at bar brutal for a glass and some cheese. the staff was great and while i dont recall what i drank, it was perfect and i really enjoyed my night there.
Thanks for the update Jean Pierre. I’m headed back to Barcelona in September and it sounds like a trip to Besta and bar brutal are in order.
@jprusack going to BCN tomorrow and got a booking at Besta. Do you recall how their wine list is? Size, any focus etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Honestly, I was dining with a friend who doesn’t drink. I had two glasses from magnums off the menu by talking to our server. Passable gsm catalunya red and a muscat if I recall?
Wine was secondary for me there. A friend was there in December and had a great meal as well.
Thank you! My alternative is Gresca at the moment. They have a decent wine list. Will be on a tight schedule with only 4 hours from 3pm to 7pm (and thus also challenged by siesta closings too).
Thanks again!
I went to lunch at gresca in 2014…it was fine but I barely remember it. Bar canete is our go to every time we’re in town.
Got it. Will stick to Besta. Bar Canete looks great but unfortunately seem to be closed on Sunday’s according to their website.
I’m fully aware that I’m in Spain however any bar/restaurant with a great burgundy list is ideally what I’m looking for after late lunch at besta.