Barcelona Wine Bar opens in the Cultural District

Feb. 6—Pittsburgh, meet Barcelona Wine Bar.

And you're invited to the party.

That's the message from Barcelona general manager Autumn Williams.

"Our goal is to have a party every night in the restaurant," Williams said. "And to have a party, you need people at the party."

On that note, reservations are accepted, but not required.

The authentically Spanish-inspired wine tapas bar opened Jan. 14, making Barcelona in Pittsburgh the chain's 22nd location nationwide.

"Each Barcelona is unique to the city they're in," said Williams, excited to have relocated back from Nashville to her hometown of Pittsburgh. "They all feel different. The music does get loud, the lights get low."

Since opening, Williams said the customer base has included all demographics and ages.

"We're a bar first, we want to have fun but we happen to have really good food," Williams said.

Training teams from Barcelona have remained onsite for weeks to assist the Pittsburgh staff in learning everything they need to provide excellence in front-of-the-house service.

"The best reviews so far have been that's the staff is amazing, attentive and informative," Williams said.

Blending Mediterranean, South American and Spanish cuisine amid more than 400 bottles of wine from Spain and South America, executive chef David Lee, most recently chef at The Porch, grew up in New York City, working and training at Michelin star restaurants that include The Modern, Gramercy Tavern, Nobu and Tribeca Grill.

"I felt I needed more training in well-established restaurants in NYC, so for seven years I was crashing on my parents couch and would go home to Connecticut to see my wife once a week," Lee said.

After moving to Pittsburgh in 2017, Lee, 48, leads the Barcelona culinary team of almost 20 employees.

The sous chef is Bredin Beach.

The ever-changing menu offers tapas, charcuterie and cheeses, salads, large plates and desserts.

More than 25 tapas on the menu include patatas bravas, served with salsa brava and garlic aioli; gamnas al ajillo, shrimp with guindilla peppers, olive oil and garlic; chorizo with sweet and sour figs; red snapper a la plancha, spiced beef empanadas and pork belly.

Charcuterie and cheeses, all inspired by the culture of Spain, are priced $7 for one, or $19.50 for three.

"Our short ribs is a chef's creation item that is a very hearty dish for the winter," Lee said.

The first Barcelona opened in Norwalk, Conn., in 1996.

Diners are invited to ask, ask and ask some more about the more than 40 by-the-glass wine options.

"The staff is here to help and answer all questions. A lot of our customers are spending hours here and some of them can be a bit overwhelmed looking at the menu," Williams said.

"But everyone on staff is so good at guiding them." said Williams, explaining Barcelona offers teamwork service with pooled gratuities.

Jon and Melinda Burdette of Aspinwall recently visited Barcelona for date night.

"Spanish wine is one of our favorites and we've traveled to Barcelona and Rioja for wine tours," Jon Burdette said. "We were very impressed with what Barcelona had."

The couple ordered paella and described the ambiance as very fun.

With a homey, approachable atmosphere, the space offers separate dining areas, large windows, ample light, original exposed brick, an expansive marble bar, exposed beams, a mix of leathers, woods and mixed metals that lend themselves to an industrial vibe.

"This is really sophisticated for Pittsburgh but we need that," Williams said. "Pittsburgh's on the map for its food scene."

In a few weeks, Barcelona plans to roll out happy hour from 4-6 p.m. and add weekend brunch.

Barcelona Wine Bar is located at 922 Penn Ave. in the Cultural District. It opens daily at 4 p.m.

Joyce Hanz is a TribLive reporter covering the Alle-Kiski Valley. A native of Charleston, S.C., she graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com