Barcelona Wine Bar — Restaurant in Raleigh

Update: 12/11/2021 We've been here a few times, and have some updates.

While we still haven't had a good paella experience, and they forgot the bread at the last experience, I am happy to say that their mushrooms a la plancha game has improved. While there are still a ton of textures going on, the variation wasn't as stark and melded well. There weren't improperly cooked mushrooms that were chewey, and the crispy bits were the perfect compliment, not burnt/overbearing.

The spinach and chickpea cazuela was served at a good temperature and was still just as delicious.

The last couple of visits have been during brunch and we also ordered the patatas bravas, but we forgot to order without the aoli (I'm vegan). Luckily there was plenty around the side not covered in aoli I could grab and they brought us some extra salsa for me. However, my fiancé, not vegan, didn't seem to care for the garlic aoli. It was piled on pretty high, but the serving was big enough to share the aoli-free pieces we removed.

We'll be returning, but do hope they up their paella game soon.

Oh, and you must try the Bourbon Spice Rack 👌

Prior post: Utterly disappointing visit. We were so excited moving here from Dallas that one of our absolute favorite restaurants has a location in the Raleigh-Durham area.

The first disappointment was experienced with their version of the mushrooms a la plancha. This is our go-to dish. We got it all the time in Dallas, and sometimes an extra order to go. Their salsa verde is phenomenal! However, their chef used a wide variety of mushrooms in the dish. While I'm a big fan of mushroom everything, it was not pleasant having so many textures clashing in this dish. Some mushrooms were completely crisped, some were soft and moist, others were extremely chewey. There were too many sizes and textures of mushrooms that the inconsistencies were just... wrong.

Next was another staple, the spinach and chickpea cazuela. Luckily the flavors were on point. The only infraction was that it was barely warm.

Another staple when you come here is the bread. Somehow, even that was unsatisfactory. I expected a crunchy crust and a soft crumb, but it was very chewey and flavorless. They definitely had an issue with their water ratio, and clearly didn't give the dough enough time to actually develop any flavors. Again, a major disappointment.

Finally, we were very disappointed in their paella verduras. While I appreciate that they had chickpeas for at least some veggie protein option, sweet winter squash does not belong in paella. Just no. And the execution was pretty poor as well. It was clearly baked at some point and tasted more like a casserole, being too wet and goopy for being classified as a paella. When we made it to the other side, we finally foune some crispy rice on the bottom... Burnt really, not crispy. It was very unevenly cooked. It should have a nice crispy, not burnt, rice bottom across the pan. Not goopy on one side and burnt on the other.

The brussel sprouts were something we've been craving for a long time. We'd had them before, but haven't seen them on the menu in a while, and I must say they did not disappoint. Best thing we had.

Really we don't know what happened with this location. Is their chef completely inexperienced, or was their chef off for the night and substituted with a completely inept kitchen staff? We sadly may never know. But this was by far not up to the Barcelona Wine Bar standards that we've come to...

THIS PLACE HAS GOT TO BE YOUR NEXT DINNER DESTINATION. It’s well worth your time and money. I don’t leave reviews very often, because I am not always impressed. However, this place is the best restaurant & bar I have been to in a long time. The service was just as phenomenal as the food and drinks. My family and I shared what felt like the whole dinner menu, and a LOT of these dishes and drinks were among the best I have ever had. My dads fruity drinks were not too sweet, just perfect and fresh. My stepmom’s margaritas were so good I ordered one for myself. My leaf gin tonic was refreshing. & From what I can remember, the food we tried: -the crispy calamari (served with aioli and a couple different kinds of peppers; one sweet, and one salty with a slight kick; which when paired with the calamari honestly made that calamari the best I’ve ever had.) -the bone marrow (which was on the house after we had enjoyed most of these dishes, and again the best I’ve ever had; not too plain, but not overpowered by its complementing flavors.) -the beef short rib (which was a favorite; so full of flavor in both the meat and its complementing fennel purée) -the steak paillard (which forgive me because I mean this in the best way, tasted like pizza at first then transformed in your mouth like I’ve never experienced before with an entirely different meaty taste at the end) -the salt cod bunelos (which if you are allergic to shellfish, you get to try something so similar to a crab cake or a fritter, and ALSO among the best I’ve ever had. Not too fishy, and perfectly cooked through but not dry.) -piquillos rellenos (the bread was just as tasty as the cheese!) -the blistered shishito peppers (which were salty and crispy but also not dried out, and some had a little kick - the perfect snack) -the roasted beets (which I admit i was not expecting much, but they were sooo refreshing) -the roasted carrots (and this reminds me, let me just add that their food runners were ON POINT by bringing things out HOT andddd even knew where to bring them at our spot in the bar. & Their bartenders were WELL versed in both their drink and their food menu, and every question asked was answered with detail and kindness. there were two young men and a woman behind the bar last night that all took care of us as if we were their own family. The taller boy made some kind of tequila shot for us with peach puree and cappelletti and it was absolutely delicious. I’ve never had a tequila shot that didn’t taste like tequila - and it wasn’t too sweet! The boy that looks like Steve Harrington made us PERFECT margaritas. Fresh lime juice, not too tangy, not too sweet, not too strong - I MEAN they were just perfect. The young woman gifted us an extra margarita that was accidentally made - it was also delicious. I mean I sound insane raving about this place like this but they genuinely deserve it! The host was beyond accommodating in our seating, even with half the place booked for a party. And that food runner, Spencer, is just as kind as he is professional. He got everything to us hot and ready with a smile on his face, and even when we asked him questions, he kept it short and sweet and to the point , and made sure to run right back to get the next tables food to them.

OUTSTANDING FOOD, DELICIOUS & REFRESHING DRINKS, BEAUTIFUL AND MODERN VENUE, AND UNMATCHED SERVICE. (:

WE WILL ABSOLUTELY BE BACK NEXT TIME WE...

WOW. JUST WOW. My husband and I have eaten at numerous restaurants in the Raleigh area. This one just blows them all out of the water. We have a few restaurants that we consider our top favorites, places where the food, service, and ambiance, across the board are all exceptional- places like Second Empire and Angus Barn. I will say now Barcelona is definitely among those ranks. As a caveat, we did arrive here for dinner very hungry after a day in the sun kayaking- but still! Every single dish we had was incredible! We had: 1. Meatballs (like a normal meatball but a million times better with a generous amount of sauce), 2. Brocolini (who knew greens could be this sexy? My husband was devouring them!), 3. Beef empanadas (not like your freezer empanadas!), 4. chorizo with figs and balsamic reduction (savory, sweet, with the balsamic sauce adding complexity), 5. Chicken with lemon sauce to share (cooked to perfection crispy on the outside and moist on the inside with delicious flavorful sauce). With all of this, we were served the most delicious bread. Almost every dish had a mouth watering sauce that we could savor until the last bite with the bread. Well, to be honest we were totally full by the time the chicken came out but we thought, why not see if their desserts are just as amazing?! WELL! The flourless chocolate cake we shared with complimentary coffee sorbet (AMAZING) was to die for. We enjoyed our meal with a 6 oz glass of Cullerot for me and grapefruit cocktail for my husband. Both were great and complimented well. Service was all in all pretty good though we had about 3 different waiters helping us the entire time. At one point we ordered our drinks and they took a while to come out such that we were holding off eating our food. I love that when I pointed this out to our primary waiter he was apologetic and understanding and got the drinks right away. The rest of the wait staff was attentive and polite. To top it all off we enjoyed dining al fresco enjoying the beautiful brick and industrial atmosphere. For what we paid for all the food (~$83) it was reasonably priced and good value in our opinion. We will be back to Barcelona and wish this restaurant nothing but the best to come! Well done. Keep up the good work! P.s. It is true that we experienced our dishes being served in a scattered order. However for the most part this was welcomed because it allowed us to eat in stages rather than have everything at once. I can see, however, how this could complicate things if you have a group who ordered separate dishes that are not being shared. You must remember, though, that is not the format of this restaurant! It's tapas that are meant...