Barcelona Wine Bar

Photos Courtesy of Elite Focus Studio

Hello my fellow foodies and welcome back. I am on a Spanish food kick as of late. There is a restaurant down in the RINO neighborhood of Denver that I have been wanting to go to for over a year. Barcelona Wine Bar might be familiar to many people as they have twenty-four locations across the USA but it was a new and exciting opportunity for me. Barcelona Wine bar opened in RINO in 2018, and eight years later is still bustling most days and nights with a lively clientele. With a large menu of tapas, cocktails and wines, Barcelona Wine Bar was an obvious next stop on my Spanish cuisine adventure around Denver.

Tapas are such a beautiful way to enjoy Spanish cuisine. It is all about sharing small bites and tasting the different regions of the country through food. Maybe it was because we were all locked inside for Covid or maybe it’s because I truly love to share. For me, tapas bring people together, let’s them relax, order at their leisure, and bond over delicious food. I was hungry, so as usual, let’s eat.

The menu features a wide range of tapas along with a few larger plates, and it rotates regularly to give diners an ever-changing taste of Barcelona Wine Bar’s Spanish-inspired cuisine. There are so many different Spanish cheeses and meats on the menu, it was hard to choose. It was a perfect way to start the meal. I judge a good Spanish restaurant by their Croquettes de Jamon & Manchego, and Barcelona Wine ranks right up there with the best of them. They are smokey, cheesy goodness, so a must order when you visit. With three different Paellas on the menu, I decided I must try one of them.  They take 45 minutes to cook, and it was worth the wait. Full of saffron, pork belly, chicken, and Gaucho Sausage, the Paella Salvaje was the winner of the night. A half order is enough for two people, and a bonus, the leftovers are fantastic with eggs the next morning. I am not a huge dessert person, but the Olive Oil Cake intrigued me as it is one of my favorites. If you go for anything at Barcelona wine Bar, go for the house made Olive Oil Cake. It is served warm, complete with flaky salt on top. It was a bite of foodie heaven, so much so that I brought an extra slice home. They sell it by the slice or full cake, and after trying it, I can see why it is a diner’s favorite.

The wine program at Barcelona Wine Bar is extensive. They have one of the largest Spanish wine lists in the country. You can order wine by the glass, bottle or try a flight. The cocktails are Spanish oriented with several of the famous Gin Tonic drinks to try. Celebrating 30 years in business, their UNCORKED 30 event is coming up June 21st and is a walk around wine party with food pairings. They have these UNCORKED events 3 – 4 times a year, with themes ranging from Summer Crushes UNCORKED to The Old World UNCORKED.

The vibe at Barcelona Wine Bar in RINO is vibrant and high energy. This isn’t exactly a candlelit dinner for two kind of place, but it’s truly one of the best Paellas in the city. And let’s not forget the Olive Oil cake—I’m dreaming about it almost every day since I visited. Until next time my fellow foodies, eat well, drink well, and be well.