La Vinoteca Barcelona – Spanish Brunch Like No Other!

Saturday Brunch at one of the island’s only upscale Spanish restaurants, La Vinoteca Barcelona! What can I say…Delicious! The food was gorgeous and plentiful and the drinks kept flowing. The idea of eating squid and calamari for the first time was fascinating (even though in the beginning I was slightly fearful).

La Vinoteca Barcelona / Café Amsterdam outdoor garden

Vibrant Restaurant and Lounge Interior

Great place for spending a Saturday afternoon with your friends over the world’s most admired wine (Torres wines)

The happy hostesses Daisy and Mary – they made me feel like family

The very charming Dragi at the smoking lounge upstairs

Love the wood work, and all the little details

My 10th brunch experience on the island, I went there on a recommendation from my friend Ryan, who also happens to be the restaurant manager there. La Vinoteca Barcelona has been making quite a stir on the Bahrain fine-dining scene since it opened its doors in early 2015, thanks to its unique culinary and oenological experience. The menu offers sublime Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on contemporary Spanish and Catalonian dishes.

Love the look of my table – it has been set up with Torres La Oscuridad Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Vinegar and El Silencio de Torres Picual, extra virgin olive oil

Chef Zablon cooking my lunch. I was pampered to death by this wonderful team

Here’s my first attempt at this hearty paella

Virgin Sangria

My tasting party began with Virgin Sangria (that’s a non-alcoholic sangria) – made with three different juices, apple, pineapple, and grape garnished with banana slice, cinnamon stick, orange and lemon slice.

Stand-out dishes at this outing were Fried Calamari, Patata Brava, Lucky Pepper and Octopus Croquettes (starter dish).

Lucky Pepper

Patata Brava

The verdict: A classic tapas dish – just like you’d find in Spain. What I (absolutely) loved tasting in this dish is the patata brava. This stuff is gooood. If you’re not aware, patatas bravas is basically crispy potatoes served in a spicy tomato sauce and garlic aioli…which kind of sounds a bit boring. But trust me, it’s amazing. This is a must for your Tapas table at La Vinoteca Barcelona, Bahrain.

The perfect classic crème brulee

What followed next was a surprise! My main dish for the day was a proper paella dish. Like I previously stated this was my first time eating calamari, squid and octopus, I immediately asked “What’s in this!?”

Traditional Spanish Paella

After careful consideration and much thought, I decided to dive in.

The verdict: If you’re looking to try the most authentic Spanish paella on the island, look no further. The Spanish rice made with freshly caught seafood including white fish, calamari, cuttlefish, mussels & shrimps will leave you drooling. What a meal! (Only if you are a Seafood fan)

Lemon pie passion fruit gelee, cardamom ice cream

My favorite – Cappuccino

A true Spanish experience – my tasting ended with a Lemon Pie (Homemade) topped with passion fruit gelee, served with cardamom ice cream and a signature cappuccino!

Final review: Good food, fantastic ambience and service (slightly pricey) but very effective overall de-stresser, and you get what you pay for.

La Vinoteca Barcelona Events:

Business Lunch: Mondays thru Thursdays from 12 noon till 3 pm get choice of 2 tapas + choice of main course + dessert for BD 9+

Afterwork at the wine bar: Every day except Sunday from 4 pm till 8 pm enjoy 30% discount on tapasand wine + Draft on Mondays from 4 to 12 midnight

Saturdays: Brunch from 12 to 5 pm