Barcelona Tavern

We love to try a couple of new restaurants every month and over the past year, I have been watching the the evolution of a single level yogurt establishment into a two level tapas bar. What is so intriguing is the adaptability of the upper floor to imitate a roof top terrace in good weather by pushing back the glass walls. The other interesting thing is the dumbwaiter at the end of the bar to facilitate food getting to the upper level in a timely manor from the kitchen on the main level.

We opted to have have a bottle of wine and a bite at the bar on the upper floor. even though the temperature outside was hot and humid, there was a cooling breeze blowing that made the evening very comfortable. Although the bar staff was busy, he greeted us right away, in fact, each time someone new came behind the bar, they engaged with us making us feel like we were regulars.

Barcelona is a Tavern so you would think that they would have a good selection of beer, wines and liquor. We were not disappointed, in fact pleasantly surprised at the selection and extremely reasonable prices of their wines. 

Tapas or sharing bars are very popular right now and restaurants usually suggest to order 2-3 dishes per person. With this in mind, we ordered a total of four, Tomato with Serrano ham, Greek pork ribs, Mediterranean Wings and Parmesan Truffle Frites, Firstly, the portions are large so we could have ordered one less dish. The Greek pork ribs were AMMMAAAZING!!!! They were slow braised seasoned with Santorini seasoning (would love to get this recipe) and drizzled with Harissa aioli. Not only did they taste great but they fell off the bone and melted in your mouth.

The Mediterranean wings were crisp and juicy glazed in a honey Siracha lime sauce. These wings were sweet, sour and spicy in every bite. 

As you can see in the first photo, the frites were massive and delicious served with an aged sherry vinegar grana padano aioli. One suggestion to make this better is a little more truffle salt. 

Before we left, the manager introduced himself and inquired about our experience. This to me shows that the management is engaged and making an effort at to ensure each guest has a  good time or the opportunity to voice any issues that they were not happy about. We Loved every minute we spent at Barcelona Tavern and will definitely enjoy an evening there again in the near future. We also noticed that they will accommodate Budweiser Theatre event goers. 

Barcelona Tavern

109 Atlantic Ave., Toronto