Enjoying my very good vino tinto and pan con tomate at Barcelona Wine Bar brought up a fundamental Miami dining scene question: Does it matter anymore if a restaurant is local? It used to be that foodies, critics, pretty much everyone had a bias for supporting local chefs. But these days, the definition of a “chain restaurant” has evolved far beyond IHOP, venturing into the realm of fine dining.
Barcelona Wine Bar in Wynwood joins what feels like a few thousand new upscale chain restaurants that have opened in Miami since the pandemic. The place is quite pretty with a gorgeous courtyard, and even though service can run spotty, the food is a long bocadillo better than many of our local tapas restaurants.
Based out of Connecticut, Barcelona Wine Bar now has a couple dozen locations nationally and is owned by the same company that runs the pretty decent Bartaco next door to its Wynwood digs. The space feels industrial with exposed AC ducts and concrete block walls but is made more cozy with bookshelves full of knick-knacks and leafy philodendrons. A circular bar up front gets boisterous at happy hour.
The paella verduras with asparagus and squash is a study in socarrat, the crispy bits that form along the pan’s edge.
The menu is lengthy and full of Spanish dishes that stay traditional. The aforementioned pan con tomate is a garlic explosion with very fresh tomatoes. Albondigas meatballs swim in a peppery red sauce spiked with bits of jamón. And the paella verduras with asparagus and squash is a study in socarrat, the crispy bits that form along the pan’s edge.
On one of my visits, sitting at the bar for $7 half-pour versions of their cocktails during happy hour, I had to flag down somebody at every step. A series of small things kept going wrong for me and others: forgotten dishes, long waits for food, drinks that stayed empty. It’s harder for chains in Miami to find good employees—career servers often want to work for local chefs they know.
But spotty service aside, Barcelona Wine Bar joins an inordinately large list of very good boutique “chains” in Miami, like Cote, Carbone, Pastis, Uchi, Delilah, Zeru and many other great spots. Should we skip a place simply based on who owns it? Before you decide, hit Barcelona Wine Bar for happy hour, try the sausage bocadillo and stay for a pan of paella.