Barcelona Wine Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where Spain Meets the South End

Barcelona Wine Bar on Tremont Street carries a story that starts well before Boston. The concept was born in 1995 when partners Sasa Mahr-Batuz — drawing on years of living in Spain and Portugal — and Andy Pforzheimer — with two decades in the kitchens of celebrated restaurants across France, California, and New York — opened a tiny, 38-seat wine bar with a single ambition: to recreate the feel of an evening in Barcelona. No compromises, no templates. Just sophisticated décor that evoked Milan, SoHo, or Rio de Janeiro, and simple, flavor-filled dishes built on olive oil, lemon, and smoky paprika.

The Food: Tapas, Market-Fresh and Unadorned

The cuisine is clean and rustic, shaped by Mediterranean, Spanish, and South American influences. Barcelona's kitchen prides itself on preparing tapas both simple and elegant, using seasonal picks from local markets alongside unusual specialties from Spain and the Mediterranean. Bold flavors, quality ingredients, nothing extraneous. Every location has its own Executive Chef who writes the menu daily — the philosophy being that the food should feel as alive and immediate as what you'd find at a stall in Barcelona's Boqueria Market or Valencia's Central Market.

A Wine Program That Sets the Standard

The wine list is the other half of the story — and it is formidable. Barcelona Wine Bar operates one of the largest Spanish wine programs in the United States, with approximately 500 selections at any given time spanning more than 100 regions. Over 40 wines are available by the glass, offered in both 3 oz and 6 oz pours, and guests can build their own flight combinations. Roughly 50% of the list is Spanish, with another 15% from South America, and half of all bottles are priced under $50 — a deliberate and proud choice. The program leans heavily toward sustainable, organic, biodynamic, and natural winemaking, with a particular focus on small producers who prioritize craft over commercial scale.

Overseeing this collection are Gretchen Thomas, VP of Food & Beverage Innovations and a certified Spanish Wine Educator who ranked in the top 15 in the world through the Wine Academy of Spain, and Beverage Director Emily Nevin-Giannini, a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist who travels extensively to source wines from quality-driven small producers.

The program's credentials speak for themselves. Wine Spectator first recognized Barcelona with an Award of Excellence in 2007; by 2012 that had been elevated to the Best of Award of Excellence, an honor the Boston location continues to hold. The World of Fine Wine has also named Barcelona North America's Best Organic Wine List and awarded it Three-Star rankings — the publication's highest — alongside Jury Prizes for its exceptional Spanish wine selection.

The Experience

Barcelona Wine Bar is not trying to be formal or precious. The original vision — casual, eclectic, genuinely fun — remains intact. The atmosphere is relaxed enough that you can order a single glass and a few small plates, yet the depth of the Spanish cuisine and the seriousness of the wine program mean there's always more to discover.