Barcelona Wine Bar — Restaurant in Atlanta

My husband made reservations for 8:15 last night to take me out for my birthday. We arrived at 8:05, the hostess checked us in and told us she was backed up about 20 minutes so we were told to hang in the bar area until we received a text. We went into the INCREDIBLY crowded and loud bar area and stood waiting to order a drink for about 10 minutes before seats at the bar became available. Once seated we were completely ignored by about 4 bartenders. We sat there for about 30 minutes and not one person addressed us, asked if we’d like a drink… nothing. I can’t overemphasize how loud the music was and how crowded it was; it felt like we were in a dance club, not a restaurant. My husband finally went back over to the hostess to inquire about our table (now 45 minutes after our reservation time and almost an hour since we arrived) and he was told the table was almost ready… even though we are looking at several empty and set tables for two. We decided to leave the chaotic bar area and stand near the hostess area to wait. They finally walked over and asked our names again and then escorted us to a table… right next to the bar where we had just been waiting. My heart sank, I couldn’t even maneuver to the table without difficulty and when I sat across from my husband I couldn’t even hear him talking. At this point, hungry and on the verge of tears (and on my birthday!) I walked back over to the hostess and requested another table on the other side of the restaurant away from the bar. She was not empathetic at all and simply said “no.” I calmly explained that we’d been there an hour (she replied “yeah.”) and told her I cannot sit in the middle of that noise and chaos and asked how much longer we’d have to wait for a table away from the bar (and I can clearly see at least three open and ready tables right there!) She acted very annoyed with me but said she would rearrange things. We were finally seated in a more quiet area and then began the loooong wait to order drinks. Our waitress came over and was very polite when introduced herself, but never asked what we would like to drink and just walked away. Maybe she thought we needed more time to decide?! A different waitress came over and said she’d be helping the other one out and told our drink order. I think it was about 20 minutes before someone else (maybe a manager) brought our drinks over. She was the only person who seemed concerned about us. She took our food order and offered us some bread. Food dishes came quickly after that, but we never received the potatoes we ordered. We didn’t even ask about them because we were just so grateful to be eating and drinking something… anything. The food was good but I’m not sure if it was just because I was so hungry at that point! The waitress brought our bill that included heavy discounts and apologized for the long wait- it was a generous attempt to make it right… but the night was already what it was. We would have much preferred to spend lots of money on a great dining experience. I don’t think we will ever return to this restaurant. They clearly either overbooked reservations, were seating people without reservations or were understaffed. It seems like reservations mean nothing there. They just could not keep up. Major disappointment on a...

Update: After my initial experience, and leaving a one-star review, I was contacted by the General Manager, Courtney. She went above and beyond to make things right and demonstrated truly outstanding customer service. It's clear she cares about the guest experience and takes feedback seriously. I really appreciated her professionalism - made a big difference. Thank you Courtney!

I had high hopes for Barcelona Wine Bar after glowing recommendations from a friend and seeing all the positive reviews, but unfortunately, my experience fell far short of expectations.

I made a reservation for a party of four at 7:45 PM tonight. Despite having a confirmed booking, the host completely mismanaged our group. I had to approach him three separate times, and each time, he acted like he was seeing me for the first time. He claimed our outdoor table was being prepared, yet continued to seat other parties of two and four who arrived after us. I stood right by the door, fully visible, but it felt like I was being deliberately ignored.

Eventually, I had a friend from my group go up to the host... and like magic, we were suddenly seated. Finally acknowledged. We were then seated 20 minutes after our reservation time. Frankly, what’s the point of making a reservation if you're treated this way?

The outdoor seating was another letdown. We were placed in an area that smelled of sewage, which was completely unpleasant and impossible to enjoy a meal in. We asked to switch seats, and while we were eventually moved, the staff seemed burned out and disinterested. Our server rarely checked on us and seemed visibly annoyed when we ordered additional dishes. Isn't that the whole point of tapas?

As for the food: it was average at best. Nothing stood out flavor wise, and it lacked the punch or creativity I was expecting from a place with such a strong reputation.

To top things off, when we were ready to pay, it took another 20 minutes just to get our check collected. We finally tracked down the server ourselves because we were just ready to be done.

Sadly, I can't recommend Barcelona Wine Bar based on this experience. Between the poor service and forgettable food, it was a night of...

My friend and I were celebrating New Year’s Eve and made reservations here. Upon arrival, the host suggested we wait at the bar while our table was cleared off. We sat in front of dirty dishes at the end of the bar, close to the kitchen. Not one of the bartenders greeted us. After some time, we began pushing away the dishes away, devouring the area ourselves, and then a bar tender came over and wiped down an area in front of us. Once she was there, we asked to order drinks and see a menu. The bar tender drops our drinks off, we attempt to order food, as the host has yet to come over without a ready table. The bar tender ignores our request. We stop a second bar tender and attempt to order and receive an order of bread. This bar tender relays our request to the initial bar tender and she responds over her shoulder “The kitchen is closed”. It is now 11:59 and as the clock strikes twelve 3 or 4 bartenders pop the tops of shaken champagne bottles and spray the bar area and its patrons. My dress and jacket were soaked . The womans hair to my right was drenched. I sat in shock for a few seconds and a server standing in the kitchen entrance came over to me and said “you see I got out the way!” My response was, “how should I know to run from the servers at this establishment?” Since when did it become ok to wet the customer up with alcohol?? While cleaning off my handbag,I yelled out, why would you ask do that!?!?!?” A different bartender comes over and says with a chuckle “We don’t care! We’re cooperate, we don’t care about the costs!” I responded with bugged out eyes “What about the patrons? The customers???” The girl responded “Oh, I tried to watch MY spray”, and walked away. My party and I left the establishment feeling overlooked, assaulted, and a part of the twilight zone. When leaving, there was a patio server going over the food menu with a customer as they began to order food from the kitchen that certainly was not closed. Utterly...