Do you know the kind of place you keep scrolling past because the Instagram account doesn’t quite convince you, the menu doesn’t immediately grab you, and the Google profile isn’t really helping either?

That was Amateur Bar for me.

Amateur, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.

My husband had been suggesting we go for a while, and I kept putting it off. Then we finally went, and honestly, what a treat. It was absolutely not what I had expected.

Amateur, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.

First of all, it’s much bigger than I imagined. For some reason, I had pictured something closer in size and feel to Masa Vins, but Amateur is a proper restaurant-sized space. The interior design is unusual, playful and full of personality, with warm lighting, wooden tables, gorgeous vintage chairs and a layout that still manages to feels intimate despite the size, which I really liked.

Amateur Bar Barcelona — *Amateur, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.*

The place was buzzing on a Wednesday night, with DJs playing and a every table occupied (we had booked a table beforehand!). Music is clearly part of the identity here, and they regularly host vinyl sessions, which gives Amateur much more of a nightlife feel than I had expected from a wine bar.

Amateur, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.

The wine list is loooong, with a strong focus on natural and low-intervention wines from different regions and plenty of less obvious choices. This is very much a place where you can ask the team for advice and try something you probably wouldn’t order elsewhere.

And then there’s the food, which surprised me just as much.

We started with the smoked butter, followed by cured bonito with ajo blanco and melon, and a burratina with watercress and fennel. I really like how vegetables are incorporated in the dishes, the combinations feel fresh and unexpected but aren’t reaching too far.

The pluma ibérica with plum and a herb emulsion was another favorite, beautifully cooked and so, so good. For dessert, the white chocolate cream with fig leaf and peach was very exciting, balanced and a lovely way to finish.

Everything we tried was very good, and the dishes came out at lightning speed. That really surprised me given how busy the restaurant was.

Another thing I liked was the service. The staff is young, but very professional, friendly and completely on top of things. Despite Amateur being much larger than many of Barcelona’s newer wine bars, it never felt impersonal, which is not an easy feat.

One thing I would absolutely recommend: book inside.

Yes, there’s a terrace, but for me you lose too much of what makes Amateur fun if you sit outside. The interior, the music, the lighting, the DJs and the energy of the room are such a big part of the experience.

Amateur ended up being one of those very welcoming reminders that sometimes you should try spots that aren’t that obvious. I went in with fairly low expectations and left wondering why I hadn’t gone sooner.

Amateur, Carrer de Llull, 101, Barcelona (Poblenou).

Amateur Bar: A Natural Wine Bar in Poblenou That Surprised Me

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