Bar Salvatge

The problem with gentrification hasn’t got to do with what’s being changed: the substitution of  local traditions – cupcakes instead of ‘ensaimadas’, 'baos' instead of ‘entrepans’ – is something you may or may not welcome, but it’s hardly going to segregate neighbourhoods or cities. Where the discrimination lies is in the prices. The problem with a lot of these newest and coolest spots is that they’re expensive: where you used to be able to stop in for an afternoon snack with the whole family, now you’ll be lucky if you can afford a flavoured water. The wealth gap is growing faster than ever with the ever-inflating cost of living, and along the way, Barcelona is losing its sense of self, and the locals are being forced to move from neighbourhoods where they’ve lived their whole lives.

Lucky for us, there are exceptions. Bar Salvatge is an innovative and popular spot with the aim of sharing the culture of natural wine with everyone. They offer wine by the glass at fabulously refreshing prices ranging from €2 to €6. The wine is served out of eight rotating tapped barrels, plus one filled with Rubén Parera vermouth. Parera also happens to be responsible for the interior design, which features plenty of wood, beautiful posters of wine fairs, and a wild neon sign on the ceiling that bathes the place in light. They do offer snacks to keep something in your belly, and you can even bring your pets if you’ve got them with you. In fact, their logo is a hippopotamus bartender, with an apron, corkscrew, bottle in hand and fennel between its teeth. The image represents a cheeky, original and accessible spirit.