Barcelona Wine Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Wine Bar Built on Memory and Craft

Barcelona Wine Bar began in 1995 as a 38-seat room on a straightforward premise: recreate the feel of an evening in Barcelona without compromise. The founders brought complementary obsessions to the project — Sasa Mahr-Batuz drew on years of living in Spain and Portugal, while Andy Pforzheimer brought two decades cooking at renowned restaurants in France, California, and New York. From that small starting point, they built something that has grown into a recognized Spanish tapas restaurant group while keeping its original convictions intact.

The Food: Clean, Rustic, Layered

The kitchen works in a register the restaurant describes as "clean and rustic" — tapas shaped by Mediterranean, Spanish, and South American influences. The flavors lean on olive oil, lemon, and smoky paprika: simple combinations with real depth. It is Spanish cuisine in spirit, with enough range to keep the menu from feeling narrow.

The Wine Program: Nearly 400 Bottles Deep

The wine list is where Barcelona Wine Bar has earned its most formal recognition. Wine Spectator awarded it the Best of Award of Excellence in 2016, a distinction that reflects both breadth and curation. Nearly 400 wines appear on the list, with a deliberate emphasis on the lesser-known regions of Spain and Portugal — the places that reward curiosity more than familiarity.

The program goes further than most. A dedicated section of the list focuses on biodynamic wines, and the restaurant has written thoughtfully about why: producers like Bernabeleva in Sierra de Gredos, where Marc Isart farms plots too steep for machinery using a local mule, and Gramona, makers of exceptional Cava. The guiding question behind these selections, as Barcelona frames it, is simple — how can I help the earth make the healthiest grapes? The answers on the list range from small-batch rarities to some of the most celebrated names in European wine.

The Atmosphere

The original vision called for décor that evoked Milan, SoHo, or Rio de Janeiro — sophisticated without being stiff. That sensibility has carried through. Barcelona Wine Bar on North Highland Avenue is a place designed for an unhurried evening, built around Spanish cuisine, good glass pours, and a wine list that gives you somewhere to go once you've found what you already know.