Yes, there is such a thing as an authentic Mexican cocktail bar in Barcelona. Oaxaca – the restaurant – is already a place of pilgrimage for aficionados of real Mexican cooking, but far fewer know about the 'mezcalería' of the same name next door, a celestial space where the bartenders are masters of the mysterious alchemy of tequila and mescal. The perfect hideaway to take your better half and skip supper, if you know what I mean.
Oaxaca is an oasis for lovers and dating couples in need of that little extra push. Warm, sensual, exquisitely furnished, moderately exotic, it begs you to claim one of the most secluded brown leather sofas and let the waiter light the candle. The cocktail menu is a sinful delight from the first entry to the last. This is probably the bar with the widest range of mescals and tequilas that I’ve seen in my life. The list of margaritas has me licking my lips – there’s one with chocolate and raspberry – but to raise the temperature, what could be better than their Clamato, a Mexican Bloody Mary with clam broth, or the Vampiro en Bolsa (Vampire in a Bag), a work of art with tomato juice, tequila, chilli and spices? ¡Fuego!
While you let the drink, the Mexican décor and the music – also Mexican – from the jukebox take effect, you can always complete the process of stirring up your hormones with the best-kept secret of the house: oysters in a green 'aguachile' sauce. They work as the perfect complement to the alcoholic onslaught. Feeling a shortfall in the passion department? The oysters and the cocktails will restore lost vigour, and you’ll save yourself the tedious formality of dinner. Before you leave, lips still tingling with tequila, give a nod of thanks to the skulls that watch over the bottles at the bar.