I had the Barcelona IPA, which was very hoppy and bold in flavor. We then ordered about $80 worth of tapas. I was a big fan of the chorizo bocadillo, hanger steak, and coppa. The only tapas item that I was not impressed with was the chicken empanada. It was good, but lacked flavor. We also had flan for dessert and it was incredible. I would recommend this place to anyone.
Review Source:I had been on the search for churros in New Haven for a few days and when I found out that Barcelona served them, I had to stop by. Upon nearing Barcelona, you see an amazing display of wines showcased in racks along the windows. The restaurant is dimly lit, a bit rustic, and not too pretentious for a nice date. As it is a tapas bar, we ordered many to share. We started off with the churros to satisfy my craving. They were a bit too crunchy for my liking as I was expecting something soft and airy. Â But it did come with a nice chocolate dipping which was a good complement and probably the fanciest churro I've had. We had six tapas: mushrooms and herbed goat cheese, albondingas, grilled hanger steak, grilled lamb chops, white fish and the spicy eggplant caponata. The lamb chops and mushrooms and herbed goat cheese were my favorites. They were perfectly seasoned and generous in proportion. The grilled hanger steak was good too but the truffle shoe string like fries weren't my favorite. The albondingas (meatballs) were good but they tasted like any other meatballs. The eggplant caponata was a chilled dish and quite tasty. Â The only disappointment was the white fish was had an overpowering fishy taste and tasted nothing other than grilled fish I could have made at home. Overall it was a great experience and I'll definitely be back!
Review Source:OK, let's start with the bread. Â Freshly baked (not on the premises, but fresh that day), steaming, with the crust very crispy and the center creamy smooth. Â My paleo diet went out the window as soon as that bread hit the table.
We had two salads, including one with fresh rocket (arugula, sorry since I learned, last winter, that Europeans call arugula rocket, I couldn't resist) and feta that was some of the tastiest we have ever had. Â The other tapas we had were gazpacho (excellent, and I judge all gazpachos against my wife's, which is the best!), cod fritters (tasty), eggplant tapenade (spicy yummy), empanadas (beef and chicken, nice dipping sauces (guacamole with the chicken, and tomato with the beef), crust was a bit too crunchy, more like deep fried pie dough) and anchovies (the only disappointment, too fishy). Â For desserts we shared the chirps with chocolate and the dulce de leche crepes (particularly tasty).
Excellent wine list!
The only thing we were puzzled about was why Barcelona does not have a sign on the building, telling patrons where it is?!?! Â It's on the NW corner of Temple and Crown. Â Go there!
just ate again at this establishment in new haven connecticut and im here to say they still frontin, axin ppl if they been here before. HOMIE IT DOESNT MATTER if i been here before you are jsut a restaurant like any other let me figure out which tapas i want
ok so they dishes are still mad creative and innovative and usually pretty well executed, but sometime you order something EASY like the hangar steak and it comes out cold :( :( :( :( :( :'( :((((((((( #norillydoe #coldsteak????
also i think they forgot about everything we ordered, so shit kept coming out in waves, and then real awkward when, after about 15 minutes, the last tapa ("la ultima tapa") arrrives and its like all alone. I didnt want tapa anymore, i just wanted dessert.
ok so nothing really new the only thing that is keeping this place in business is the legit conception of they menu which has really A+ guy fieri type dishes on it good job
I love Barca. It's only gotten better as the years go on. The bartenders are awesome, the service is always great and the food is delish. Yes, there is usually a wait on weekends...but relax, enjoy your night out and you can score some bar seats. Food comes out quicker and the bartenders are in the know. Plus, you get a decent view of the open kitchen--only other seating that has that is the chef's table.
Also, it's not on menu.... but go for the calamari a la plancha, if they will make it for you. Thank me later.
Review in a few words: Â An upscale spot to grab tapas and booze - leans on the pricier side of things. Â Great place to bring a date. Â Service is extraordinary.
Full review:  While Barcelona offers entrees their bread and butter are tapas.  For those unfamiliar, tapas are small portion meals that you mix and match... essentially appetizers.  In addition to tapas Barcelona also have a truly expansive wine list, great cocktails, and pitchers of sangria.  I have been here a handful of times and without fail I always get the chorizo & fig tapa.  I can't NOT order it.  Seriously this dish is worth a trip alone.  Portion sizes are a little small (even for tapas) and you really have to order big or get an entrée if you are coming for dinner.  On the upside, the smaller portions allow you to sample a wide variety of dishes.
It needs to be said that the service at Barcelona is outstanding. Â Service isn't typically a deciding factor for me but it really needs to be mentioned here. Â I am more of a booze and beer guy (read: I know nothing about wine) but these folks are extraordinarily knowledgeable and can fire off a slew of recommendations depending on your tastes. Â Furthermore, the bartenders here are great if you are just popping in for a drink and I have to thank them for turning me on to Bluecoat gin. Â Across the board the staff is friendly.
The restaurant is about as nondescript as things get from the outside (there is literally no sign for the restaurant) but inside is quite nice. Â Ultimately this is really a great place to take a nice date. Â The tapas allow you to sample and share, the booze is top notch, the atmosphere is great, and it is just pricey enough to mark the occasion without completely breaking the bank.
I bought my sister-in-law a gift card for this place because she and my brother were moving to New Haven and they love tapas.
They absolutely LOVE the place so when we were visiting, we made reservations for Saturday night.
The ambience is very cool. It's a bit on the darker side (I love low-lighting) but very elegant, yet you still feel casual.
We had two servers and they were very attentive and knew a lot about the food and the wines.
They suggest 3-4 tapas per person. That seemed like a bit much. We ended up ordering 10 total for 4 of us, and we were all very full. We did have lunch earlier in the day, however, so if we'd been starving that might have been appropriate. Unlike many tapas places I've visited, the portions were very good. Sometimes there barely enough for everyone to get a taste, but not here.
We got olives, the mussels, whipped sheep's cheese, roasted red peppers (which weren't on the menu, but they put together for us!) and these FABULOUS roasted green peppers (wish I could remember what type!) that were simply charred, and seasoned with olive oil and salt. They were a little spicy, but not too much and there were a LOT of them. YUM! We also had the eggplant caponata, the octopus, and chorizo with figs.
There was absolutely NOTHING we didn't like. Everything was fabulous, reasonably priced (especially for the size) and the wine was great.
This will be a regular place anytime we're in town visiting.
This place probably doesn't need another glowing review, but my fiance and I love it so much, I've got to comment. We came here on a date very early on in our relationships. It was crazy crowded - and that's its only flaw on the weekends. Very crowded and so also a bit noisy. However, with our reservation, we were seated right away and the service was impeccable.
The tuna tartar was like eating heaven. We ordered too much of several delicious things and were way too stuffed - the plates may be small, but they are filling, so you don't have to spend a crazy amount to have an amazing meal.
We returned many months later, right before said fiance was going to be deployed to Kuwait. It was a weeknight (or maybe a Sunday?) and MUCH more calm and quiet. Â We sat up in the balcony area in front of the bar, in a low corner booth that was really cozy. Again, amazing service and the wait person had time to really talk to us and tell us about how the restaurant sources some of its meat (which I was interested in). Â
We ordered the most delicious thing in the universe...I think it was scallops (?) wrapped in bacon. The bacon was awesome. They were so good we decided to get a second order. When we did that, we also ordered dessert.
The dessert came first and we assumed they forgot about the delicious bacon wrapped items, but we figured that was fine...we probably didn't need the extra food!
After we finished dessert, the bacon tapas came! Our waiter noticed the error and apologized left and right. We didn't care because the bacon was so good, it was fine to eat after our chocolatey desserts (which were very good but not as drop dead delicious as their main meal food).
Even though we assured him we were good with it, he gave us two tokens to use to get complimentary drinks the next time we visited. Â Now that fiance is back from the deployment, we've got to make that reservation!
This is a great place to get a cocktail or glass of wine and hang at the bar, or for a date or just a special dinner out. I can't say enough great things about it.
Good food, great staff and accomodating for vegetarians/vegans.
I've been here a few times and the service is great. The staff is very friendly and they even offered to take our umbrellas last night after we came in from the pouring rain. Classy. The prices are reasonable too.
The first time I came here I was a bit concerned about finding vegan options, so I stuck with the drinks. I eventually asked our waiter about options and he suggested I try the spinach chickpea tapas. He followed up truly cared about what I thought of the dish and it was quite good.
I've tried a few other tapas and they were good, but not great. The asparagus as decent and the mixed olives were OK, but the pits were large and the "mixture" appeared to just be two different sizes of green olives.
We were going to ask about the bread and our waiter immediately asked if we were vegan and reassured us it was vegan-friendly. There are not many (non-vegan) places out there where you can get fresh bread that is vegan!
In summary, it's a classy place with reasonable prices and a very friendly and helpful staff. I forgot to mention, but the red wine sangria was superb and generous on the alcohol. Definitely recommended.
Barcelona is a perfect representation of some of the best food I enjoyed in Spain. Â We have been twice now and haven't ventured very far out into the menu yet but really enjoyed the Idiazabal cheese, patatas bravas, grilled pulpo, and Barcelona mixed grill. Â Stylish looking place, can be a little crowded but with the low lighting you can still feel like you're in an intimate setting. I would say that I could close my eyes and pretend we were in Spain, but that would be a lie because there wasn't any trash on the floor, people weren't screaming, and the waitstaff was nice. Â And it didn't come with a free bottle of wine or dessert. Â But short of that, it was pretty close to an authentic experience.
Review Source:I've been here twice and was happy both times.  Yummy food and good service.  It's upscale but not overly dressy/fancy, and quite reasonably priced for a date night.  Order 3-4 small plates per person.  Recommend the chorizo and figs, anything from the meat and cheese section, and the  Bourbon spice rack cocktail.
Review Source:I came here for an interview dinner and I wasn't disappointed. Â The food here was very good. Â I tried a bunch of the appetizers and they were all pretty good. Â I got the steak and I wasn't disappointed. Â Seems like a pretty fancy place for the area, but the food is good and you're able to have a nice conversation at the table.
Review Source:Though we had a different maitre d and server on visit #2, friendliness and professionalism appear to be the byword at Barcelona. This visit, on an early Sunday evening, coincided with Yale graduation ceremonies so there were a large number of servers in apparent anticipation of higher occupancy later in the evening. Â The menus and our drink orders were shortly followed by hot, right out of the oven, crusty bread with olive oil. We started off with chorizo with sweet-sour figs which proved to be light on the figs. Â Much better were our chicken empanadas with a spicy guacamole. Â The crust was flaky with the filling being spicy and delicious. Â Our second order included a small plate of sauteed escarole with garlic and chili. Â Like the empanadas that preceded it, Â this was the best rendition of this dish I have ever experienced. Â We also had the monkfish a la plancha which was very moist and tasty. Â Though portion size is sometimes a negative, the quality and preparation of each dish is excellent.
Review Source:I have loved Barcelona for several years! Recently we went on my birthday and though the food was excellent that service was not the best. I do have to say that they were packed. Even so, I expected better service. My immediate reaction was to Yelp my displeasure but my daughter who is a part time waitress had told me once that you should always  give them a chance to correct it. I wanted to let the manager know but could not get to the staff to get to the manager.
As I was getting in the car I decided to call. Mostly just to let them know, since it has always been one of my favorite spots ( why it was chosen for my birthday dinner)
I spoke to the manager and he was so wonderful and apologetic. He offered to make it up to me and I told him it was not needed I just wanted him to know.
I had given him my name and told him where I worked but thought that the conversation was done.  He literally found my email address apology  and more. He did not have to do this. No need we were good. All I can say is that we went back in to a wonderful dinner and the fact that he took the time and made sure that we were happy, means everything! Things can go wrong and do, but the fact that the Asst Manager  (Steve) went out of his way to make it better, well that is something that will keep me and others going back!!
I saw the reviews on service and went in a bit concerned. Â I think they took the reviews on here to heart because the service was awesome. Â This place is hidden since there is no signage on the outside so be ready to find this place just next to the Omni hotel.
Here is a list of tapas I tried with a coworker:
* Â Jamon Iberico de Bellota - you have to try this aged boar leg that is fed nothing put walnuts for its entire life. Â That is a right a Spanish Boar who has eaten nothing but walnuts. Â The best thing I have ever tried
* Spanish Olives - not my favorite. Â Heavy pits and not super soaked in olive oil. Â I may be letting my time in Italy overtake what I thought these should be
* Patatas Bravas - really good. Â They actually place the Garlic Aioli on top and put the potatoes in the spicy tomato sauce. Â You mix it as you want which I have not seen before
* Mushrooms - solid but nothing amazing
* Grilled Octopus - not bad but I found a few pieces were over charred at times and actually tasted burnt. Â Even if that is what they were going for it just didn't work but I have a few pieces that were good
* Chorizo + Sweet-Sour Figs - awesome paring of both sweet and salty
Drinks:
* Caipirinhas - legit. Â Pretty solid drink
* Red Wine Sangria - awesome. Â Definitely worth it
A must try place.
This place isn't bad. In terms of taste, it'd probably be a 3, but the cheap (relatively) prices bump it up to a 4.
Like many tapas restaurants, this place offers plate sized dishes under the pretense of being "Spanish"". For those wondering why Spanish is in quotes, it's because this place doesn't really offer traditional Spanish dishes. It's not the comfort Spanish food you would be used to visiting Spain. It's more of a pretentious meal that includes paella on their menu.
Anyways, in terms of tapas, this place isn't the best. However, this place is a good $5-10 cheaper than most other Tapas places around the US, which definitely makes it more of a viable option if you're in the mood for some classy food.
Also, the waiters/waitresses are super nice, and will try their best to make you feel like a VIP. Talk, interact, have fun with them.
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Not the greatest in terms of taste, but definitely great for the atmosphere.
My trip to Barcelona was a comedy of errors. Â I made reservations for two several days in advance in anticipation of my trip to Stamford. Â When we walked in, the hostess told us it would be a few minutes and to get our drinks at the bar. Â The bar was packed. Â And not just "It's Friday night" packed, but "everyone is going to elbow and push each other on the way to the bar packed. Â A half an hour went by, then forty minutes, then fifty and no one came to get us. Â My friend went to the host who said that the computers had gone down and there was a delay. Â This quieted her mind until she saw the waiter seating people who had an 8:30 reservations (30 minutes after ours). Â When we were eventually sat (an hour after our reservation without anyone offering up an apology), the person who sat her told her to "settle down" because she had remarked about how long it took us to get a seat. Â That gentleman later apologized and comped drinks and some tapas from our bill.
I hate to even write this review because I did enjoy the food. Â The food is why this is not a one star review. Â I was just confused and surprised by the service. Â Given the other yelp reviews, I assume this was just a bad night for the restaurant and I do hope that this is just one of those one in a million bad experiences there.
We made early reservations before a show at Yale Rep to give ourselves plenty of time to dine and we had a great dinner.
The space is beautiful--chic, modern and upscale, it is a great choice for date night or a nice night out with friends. Service was prompt and friendly. Nice warm, crusty bread was brought to the table and we let the fun begin.
We split a bunch of tapas: Potato Tortilla (more like a quiche, but still good); Crispy Calamari (probably the best calamari I've had--so light and delicate, crisped to perfection and not chewy in the least); Chorizo & Sweet-sour figs (love the tang that this dish has!); Grilled Hangar Steak (I wish this was a bigger portion! so good); Broccoli Rabe (spicy and garlicky goodness); and Spiced Beef Empanadas (worst dish we had--filling was not very good). We also split a pitcher of the sangria (white--I loved it but hubby wasn't the biggest fan).
Of course, we needed to top this off with dessert--the warm chocolate hazelnut indulgence with a scoop of coconut ice cream. I wish I didn't have to share this one because it was heaven on a plate.
Overall, great evening. Definitely make a reservation and give this place a shot!
I had a hard time finding this place because the front door is lierally just a huge wooden door. I had to ask someone outside of the Omni hotel. It is literally to the right of the Omni. The lighting is low and creates a relaxing setting. The servers are really helpful and explain everything on the menu in great detail if asked.
Barcelona has wonderful tapas! I highly suggest getting the potato tortilla and calamari. I love seafood, but the seafood paella was too fishy for my taste here. I recently visited Barcelona and the tapas here made me feel like I am back in Spain.
Although Barcelona has been a little hit or miss for me in recent trips, it remains one of my favorite restaurants in New Haven. It isn't the best first date restaurant because it is generally loud enough that you have to lean in quite close to make yourself heard... probably a plus for romantic dinners out once you're all cutesy and cuddly but I'm not a fan of having my personal space invaded on the first date for the sake of potentially awkward first-date conversation. Anyway, moving on, the cheese and wine selection is excellent, and they do half-priced wine on Sundays. The servers I've had have all been pretty helpful and friendly, and accommodating of my various dietary requests.
Okay, first, up front, MY LEAST FAVORITE thing about Barcelona:
Definitely, definitely the wait. I always make reservations, but without fail I've had to wait for at least 30 minutes and often much longer for my table every single time I've come. I get that it's a busy restaurant and I'm certainly made some of my reservations for busy times, but waiting over an hour for my reservation?! Isn't the point of the reservation to try and shorten (and, in most restaurants I've been to, completely avoid) the wait?! Get your act together, Barcelona reservations!
***
As for the food, an ongoing list of brief thoughts below.
Favorites:
- Roasted quail (paired with a sherry?). God I love quail.
- Grilled lamb chops. These are delicious and fairly large for lamb chops! I brought a friend here and we fought for the plate, as in, she snatched one lamb chop before I could react and then tried to battle me for the other. That's how much we like these lamb chops. I hear the grilled meat platter is amazing as well but have not yet found someone willing to split the price with me.
- Oxtail croquetas SOOO GOOD. I feel like these were paired with a sherry but it's been a while since I last had them. Too long. Whatever was in the little glass that came with this plate--excellent pairing, really complemented the dish.
- Mussels al Diablo. When done with the mussels, I guard the sauce from my waiter like an angry dragon (I'm sure my date really liked that) because it is delicious when sopped up with the fresh-baked bread they bring out before the meal.
- herbed goat cheese and mushrooms. Every time.
Really delicious but not exciting enough for me to resist ordering tempting new dishes instead, in rough order of decreasing preference:
- grilled hangar steak with truffle sauce. To be fair, my date loooved this.
- Bone marrow (comes out with small glass of sherry): okay, so the sherry pairing was a great call, loved it. But the bone marrow itself was eh. Great for New Haven (does anywhere else in New Haven even serve bone marrow right now? I can't remember), but I'm a bone marrow snob and would rather hop a train down to NYC next time I need that fix.
- Potato tortilla. Actually, come to think of it, I probably get this almost every time, because starches. Their house-cured olives are also quite good but I have a hard time bringing myself to specially order olives when I'm out unless they're phenomenal.
- Homemade empanadas. Date loved it though!
Not impressed by/would not order again:
- Brussel sprouts. Looking at the other reviews, it seems that lots of people loved these, so maybe I just ordered them on an off night. Because my immediate impression was that my homemade brussel sprouts are way better, and I once set fire to my hand while frying an egg, so I mean... it's been a couple years and I'm much better in the kitchen now, but still, I'm no master chef here. Step up, B.
- Serrano ham croquetas (with Manchego cheese). Date thought these were great, I thought this was meh. Not bad, just very ordinary. We are clearly culinarily incompatible.
My husband and I had dinner here this past Saturday night. Â The food and service were superb! Â We walked by the restaurant the first time because it doesn't have a name, so we walked to the next corner and had to turn around and walk back. Â My husband went into the Omni hotel to ask them where the restaurant was. Â We also had an 8:30pm reservation but had to wait at least 20 minutes before we were seated and the restaurant was super crowded. Â They gave free drinks to those of us who were waiting. Â I honestly wanted to leave because it didn't seem like we would get a table, but I'm thankful we stayed because the food and service were superb! Â Overall, a great place to eat although I'd recommend making an earlier reservation on a Saturday night.
Review Source:Great drinks. Â Decent beer selection and really good cocktails. Â I had a rasberry drink that was delicious and there is a grapefruit one that is awesome too. Â The best was the Ay Cucumbara which was spicy and cool.
Service was great once we were seated but we had a reservation and were seated 15 minutes late which is annoying.
The food was also great. Â Great vegetarian options. Â The brussell routs were great. Â So was the cauliflower. Â For New Haven, this place is great. Â This will be to my go-to place when in the area.
I've been here several times and have tried out the delicious tapas. But there's one dish that I can't get enough of - the half-chicken with red peppers. The peppers just creep up on you and gives the chicken a kick that's incredibly mouthwatering. I guaranteed if you were feeling tired, you would be fully awake after one bite of this entree. Service was impeccable and the drink pairing recommendations were excellent.
Review Source:Barcelona is perhaps my favorite restaurant in New Haven. I also have lots of great memories here. The food is wonderful but I always seem to have great company here as well; a winning combination! Barcelona simply put is excellence. The tapas are amazing with the beef empanadas being my favorite dish. Everything is carefully prepared and flavorful. The wine selection will leave the most discerning oenophiles satisfied. Barcelona has great ambiance but it is also a popular spot so it can get busy and noisy. That aside it is a wonderful dining experience.
Review Source:We had been to Barcelona years ago for food and many times for cocktails, but tried them again for dinner on Friday night and were beyond impressed! We sat at a high top in the bar area and had an amazing server that recommended 2 great wines, was attentive and gave great service. We mentioned to the manager that we loved the clams and were extremely happy with our evening, and he brought out the executive chef, another round of clams and an offer for the recipe. That sort of service and kindness pushed the experience from great to incredible. We eat out a lot, but it had been a long time since we've been so impressed with a meal as a whole.
Side note - we don't eat gluten and were not only steered in the right direction on the menu, but our server also brought us yucca chips instead of bread before our meal. Small touch that made a big difference to us!
Wow. In one word, thats how I review Barcelona. The service my wife and I experienced was TOP NOTCH - the restaurant was busy on the Thursday night we dined here, but the Asst. Manager (Tom) took it upon himself to walk us through the menu, as well as the wine list. After upselling me from a Chilean Malbec to a Barcelona-exclusive Spanish red blend, he kindly comped our first round of drinks. Pro move, Tom. Pro. Move.
We went with the 6 tapas for $49, ordering fresh local bay scallops, herbed goat cheese and mushrooms, the grilled hangar steak with truffle sauce (this was AMAZING, and will cause any vegetarian within a 30 foot radius to reconsider their lifestyle), roasted pumpkin, baked cauliflower, and a grilled octopus with onions. Mid-meal, the Executive Chef came out with a slow-roasted Bone Marrow dish that was ethereal, accompanied by a small snifter of sherry wine. I'm in love, at this point!
We finished our evening with a platter of three cheeses, all of which were very tasty and paired well with the wine and sangria.
I can't recommend Barcelona Wine Bar enough, and my wife and I will definitely be putting this place on our list of "regular" restaurants to visit in the New Haven area!
When I lived and went to school in New Haven (1990 to 1995), Mexican and Spanish food were hard to come by. I don't know that I ever ate a burrito or taco while in CT, come to think of it. But I came home to LA for vacation on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter breaks and summers so it wasn't as though I would have withdrawals severe enough to be hospitalized in a Tex-Mex detox facility. New Haven has gone Latin, however, and those not enthralled by a steady diet of pizza will no longer be forlorn during their college years in that city of which I am very fond.
Yale (and SCSU, Quinnipiac, and Albertus Magnus) students now have many tapas bars from which to choose, including Ibiza which I went to only once (in 2009) at the Hamden location and absolutely adored. I still remember that chocolate hazelnut dessert and the short rib or beef dish my friends ordered.
Across from the Taft Apartments on College is Nuevo Latino (it used to be Bruxelle's, then Barkie's and then a few other places). I neither entered nor browsed the menu, Â but I heard decent things about it on the street.
I took the advice of a few kids (early 20s and not Yale students) to try Barcelona and decided to forego Basta (the excellent and charming Italian bistro adjacent to and owned by Claire's, the New Haven institution which sadly lost one half of its beloved ownership, Frank, not long ago). I used to go to Claire's for frozen yogurt every day after class before going back to the Taft to study before late night gym. I avoid it now because it's just so fattening but sooo good. Those mini-loaves of bread with olive oil are definitely responsible for the Freshman 15 of everyone on my floor except me and the lacrosse player.
Barcelona on a Saturday night turns into a bit of a nightclub but the DJ doesn't play the music so loudly you can't have a conversation (unless you're old or accustomed to nearly silent restaurants) and the music is fun, easy house not insufferable electronica or really angry, aggressive hip hop.
Neal is a wonderful, charismatic server who knows and loves the menu as well as the wine list and didn't steer me wrong once. My brussels sprouts, small filet mignon and herbed mushrooms with goat cheese were sublime. I didn't know Barcelona was a chain with locations throughout Connecticut but I so wish we had a Barcelona in SB. Milk and Honey is good but dark and kind of cave-like. I haven't been there in well over a year and it was very good, to be sure, but not the greatest ambiance.
This place is fun, delicious and not out of line with other high-quality tapas.
My only complaint is that there isn't one in West LA or Santa Barbara!
(I went alone after Dear Elizabeth at the Yale Rep and ended up hanging out with five sweet kids from Hartford--ages 23 to 25--who invited me to dance at the Russian Lady, a new nightclub across the street which replaced the Playwright. It was a lot of fun and I will definitely be back to Barcelona, but this old broad can't take that sort of nightclub more than once in a blue moon.)
P.S. The reviewer upset by the "hoity toity" s*** (which somehow got past the Yelp censors) might want to try a bite at Wawa if she can find one with a hot food section if she objects to a nicely laid out bar/restaurant with a low-key modern decor, extensive and reasonably-priced wine and beer list and specialty cocktails. Perhaps a jello shot would be more to her liking. Just as she professes to "hate that s***," I am severely annoyed by a) reverse snobbery, b) lack of appropriate standards of assessments.
You do not review the Four Seasons as though it were Burger King. By the same token, you do not review a casual family diner as though it were the Four Seasons.
barcelona can be hard to locate, since it's unmarked on the outside (or at least i think it is). just look for the heavy wooden doors on temple st, at the corner of crown st, and next to the omni hotel (technically, it IS within the hotel- they share the same address). a short walk from yale's old campus.
once you open those doors, you immediately notice the nice ambience inside. dark, warm, inviting- seductive and sexy, even. there is a big private event space to the right, which has a huge mural on one wall. near the kitchen, there's a long communal table that's perfect for a large group.
there is nothing inventive about the food here, but they are executed quite well. if they have a market menu (usually during the summer, i think), i would recommend ordering from there. terrific razor clams. one of the better ceviches this side of south america. from the regular menu, the standouts include roasted garlic bulbs (!), grilled asparagus, and boquerones (marinated anchovies). i had high hopes for the pulpo gallego, but it's just a bit too inconsistent to recommend (sometimes tender, other times rubbery).
love the wine selection- plenty of affordable but decent options. most of all, i love the service here. the servers are friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. one of them recommended that i come back for their weekly pig roast. i made a mental note. which means that, of course, i will be back.
We had our annual brothers and sister dinner here on Saturday night, the place was packed and loud and terrific!
We had one minor complaint over the couscous being too salty for my brothers taste and the staff and the manager overcompensated us with free tapas and desserts.
The staff was really attentive and made it into a very enjoyable evening.
But the real star of the show was the food! Can't wait for an excuse to go back and have the tuna again and the Tapas where all excellent especially the figs and chorizo and calamari
Barcelona is a great place to go with a group of people. Small plates, trendy atmosphere, and a fun late night scene. Â
I've been to the New Haven and West Hartford locations. Â I recently went to the New Haven location for a friends birthday. Â We ordered a bunch of tapas, it seemed 1 or 2 per person was enough. Â Some of my favorites were the goat cheese and mushrooms, hanger steak, and the best one was the chorizo with figs.
The lounge got pretty loud around 9:30ish so if you are trying to have a later dinner I wouldn't sit in the bar area.
My boyfriend and I came here during New Haven Restaurant Week, and our beef steak was to die for~! Oh my gosh, the place was so crowded, our neighbor's table was set only two inches apart so we had to shout a little to have an audible conversation. Nevertheless, my experience was too good for anything less than 5 stars.
First, the food was very memorable. From the soft homebaked bread appetizer to the shrimp al ajillo dinner, my mouth was salivating nonstop. Their caramel crepes for dessert was so sweet and light, I would order it with my girlfriends any chance I come back here.
Then, the price was what I expected -- high and appropriately priced for gourmet food -- but especially good during reduced price Restaurant Week.
The service was very friendly, the waiters all attractive, and the party room seemed spacious and glam.
Next nice occasion, I would put Barcelona's as my top choice of New Haven Restaurant.
Food-wise, it's 3 stars, but I'm docking for the following...
Minus one star for totally overpriced food that's just average really. Â It's not bad, but it's definitely not worth the price. Â And this was the WORST part...
Minus another star for taking 1.5 to 2 hours for the entrees (non-tapas) to come out. Â What kind of service is that. Â I get that paella can take 20 maybe even 30 minutes to cook, but really? Â I went with a larger group of people and had I been the one waiting for my entree for that long....things would've gotten ugly. Â I asked one of the guys who had to wait that long if the food was good and his response was - "It was good, but was it 2 hours waiting good? Â Probably not."
The one star is for the ambiance and set-up of the place...at least they have that going for them.
My husband and I used to go to Barcelona New Haven at least once a month for dinner. Â About a year ago, the quality started slipping and we had a few lackluster experiences with the service, so we stopped making it a regular place. Â This past weekend we decided to try it again and were pleasantly surprised.
We did not have a reservation, but were told the wait was going to be minimal so we grabbed a drink at the bar. Â I highly recommend the Summer St. Sling. Â It's Chamomile infused Tito's vodka, Fresh Pink Grapefruit & Lemon Juices, and Grapefruit Bitters. Â I'm not a big grapefruit fan, but this was DELICIOUS! Â I had 2 before the night was over. Â
We were seated within 10 minutes and the manager profusely apologized for the wait...no big deal dude, but thanks! Â We had a nice table by the window and our waitress was very friendly. Â We promptly ordered 6 tapas plates. Â The first 3 were brought out quickly - Organic Greens with Goat Cheese Croquettes, Papas Bravas and Seared Sea Scallops with an Heirloom Tomato Jam and Crispy Speck. Â The greens and papas bravas (potatoes with a smoked paprika sauce) were delicious as we had remembered, but the scallops were just ok. Â The jam was very sweet and over powered everything and the scallops themselves left something to be desired. Â
Next up was Chorizo with Sweet & Sour Figs, Hangar Steak with Truffle Sauce and Halibut a la Plancha with Salsa Verde. Â The chorizo is always a hit and the sauce is perfect for dipping bread in, and the steak is my absolute favorite dish on the menu. Â Grilled to a nice medium rare and so incredibly flavorful with that truffle sauce. Â The halibut was not very good. Â Right off the bat it smelled super fishy, which was unappetizing. Â When we tried it, it was very dry and overcooked, plus the salsa verde was incredibly oily and unappetizing. Â
At the end of the meal, we told our waiter that we didn't like it. Â We didn't expect anything, but the manager promptly came over, apologized and took it off of our bill. Â Fantastic customer service!
I seem to never have a great experience with seafood here, so I'm going to keep that in mind for the future and try some other non-fishy items. Â It's a shame because it's one of my favorite types of food, but oh well!
For desert we split the warm chocolate hazelnut indulgence with Mounds ice cream. Â This way really good and the ice cream was definitely the best part!
We'll definitely be returning to Barcelona in the near future and might even add it back into the rotation :)
Dark, sleek, trendy, hip, cool, and sexy. Â All these adjectives can be used to not only describe Barcelona, but also the type of clientele this place draws. Â Located in the heart of downtown New Haven, the darkly tinted windows lined with dark wine racks prevent even the slickest peeping Tom's from peering in. Â You're going to have to step through the cool front door made of thin and widely spaced wood planks to see what's going on in this happening spot.
Overall this place has a chill lounge feel, but because it's so popular it's packed most weekend nights. Â Reservations are definitely required if you want to dine during peak dinner hours. Â It's definitely a great place to bring friends who aren't from New Haven so you can show them that this city isn't the wackest city on the east coast. Â It's a tapas style restaurant so it's perfect for groups who like to share. Â The food isn't bad, but it also isn't that good. Â But for the price, you can definitely get better quality food in this aspiring foodie city.
I've dined here a number of times and here are the standouts. Â The herbed goat cheese and mushrooms are fantastic. Â Definitely order at least two of those. They come in this balsamic reduction sauce that you'll be pouring all over your face. Â The lobster risotto is quite tasty as well, and has a few solid chunks of actual lobster in there. Â The house made empanadas and grilled hanger steak in truffle sauce are winners too. Â The calamari comes with a nice smokey aioli sauce with a but if a kick. Â The beets tapa dish, while sounds simple, is pretty tasty too.
Barcelona is a place to be seen and people watch, and I often swing by for a night cap being that I live half a block away. Â But with all the choices of tasty dining spots and watering holes all within a two block radius, Barcelona tends to usually be an after thought.
I was not really impressed with Barcelona and I'm giving it three stars mostly because my husband really liked the food.
First of all, this may make me uncool, but I was SO ANNOYED at the fact that this place is completely unmarked. We couldn't find it, at all, even though we had the address, and we were totally starving. Somebody finally told us how to find it, thankfully, cause we never would have otherwise.
The place was pretty hopping at 8 or so on a Wednesday night, we waited a few minutes for our table.
Service was pretty good, in the beginning. We tried a bunch of tapas plates, most of which I thought were just okay. My husband loved the roasted garlic bulb, and enjoyed the other stuff we got - off the top of my head: cauliflower flan, ham and cheese coquetas, spinach and chickpea casserole.
After we finished, I really wanted dessert, but our waitress was MIA for a long time. She had a lot of tables, and she was super busy, and she never got anywhere near us. My husband was super tired and couldn't wait to get out of there, and it took forever.
So we went back the next week for dessert, and while the experience was nicer and more relaxed, the dessert was totally unimpressive. I had the crepas salguero, and found the ingredients to be lacking. It tasted like hershey's syrup, and the whole thing felt thrown together and it lacked cohesion.
Overall, I found it disappointing for the price, but not entirely lacking promise.
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