Bocanariz - An Intimate Wine Bar With a Soundtrack
Gràcia holds all sorts of wonderful secrets, and Bocanariz Wine Bar is one of them. It might look small from the outside, but just wait until you step inside.
Bocanariz Wine Bar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Paula and Cris, the owners of Bocanariz Wine Bar, have created a unique and welcoming space that feels like a place where regulars love to come and hang out, and where curious newcomers pop in to discover the magic it holds. There is a wall lined with shelves packed with wine bottles, and beneath them are cozy tables, but my favorite place to sit is by the bar. There, you get to watch all the action: the kitchen team giving the dishes the final touch, you can eavesdrop on the wine recommendations, and check out which vinyl records are next on the turntable. And should you be dining alone, you’ll feel perfectly comfortable.
Bocanariz Wine Bar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Bocanariz Wine Bar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Because music is an essential part of the experience here, not only the food and wine, the music here does not stop, regardless of how busy Paula and Cris get with the service. The music makes the experience even more intimate and personal.
The team is an endless source of interesting information about the wines available. And there is plenty to choose from, many wines by the glass that keep changing, and of course also by the bottle. Friends of natural wines will be delighted, but if that’s not your thing, fear not: they have plenty of other exciting options.
Bocanariz Wine Bar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
There’s a very tempting offer available every day from Tuesday to Saturday, from 19h to 20h, during what they call the Orange Hour; you get a complimentary aperitif with your glass of orange wine. They have an extensive range of orange wines by the glass for this, which is in heavy rotation so that you can try new ones on each visit.
Scallops with lime at Bocanariz Wine Bar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Bocanariz Wine Bar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
But there’s more to Bocanariz Wine Bar than wines. The food here is very, very good. It’s hard to wrap your head around how such elaborate and delicious dishes come out of this small kitchen, but Chris shared that there is a lot of preparation being done behind the scenes.
The aperitif you get is well thought through, and picking dishes from the menu is not an easy feat. I suggest letting the team choose for you and surprise you, AND let them select the pairings. One of their most famous dishes is the scallop with lime: it’s both delicious and beautiful to look at. On our recent visit, we also loved the tuna with wakame and wasabi ice cream, the smoked sardines on sourdough, the stracciatella with fresh rosemary focaccia, the mushrooms filled with sun-dried tomato and Taleggio cheese… You get the drift.
Bocanariz Wine Bar, Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.
Bocanariz is a fantastic place for any wine lover, regardless of your level of knowledge. Here, you will feel welcome, you get to try new, exciting wines, and have a surprising gastronomic experience you might not be expecting. And it’s a place where you surely will feel welcome and will want to return to, over and over again.
Bocanariz Wine Bar, Carrer de Vallfogona, 12, 08012 Barcelona (Grácia).
