CloverEats: Barcelona in New Haven

Grilled Hangar with Truffle Vinaigrette

Barcelona is so hip that it has an unmarked door. Fred had tried them when he stayed at the Omni hotel, which it is right next door to, and raved so much about it that I had to try it out. Pictured above is the hangar steak, probably the most frequently mentioned tapas dish on Yelp. Unfortunately, it was a little on the chewy side, despite appearing a perfectly pink medium-rare.

There’s certainly a great atmosphere at Barcelona, with good use of wood, glass, chalk, lots of textures. They even have their own cookbook and matchbooks. There are several Barcelona restaurants scattered around the east coast, which speaks to the restaurant’s success. Our waiter was maybe a little too cozy, but very nice and friendly.

Sangria Flora: French Rosé, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur,
Soda, Fresh Fruit

The cocktail menu featured a nice array of different drinks, and the fact that their present menu has several new offerings that aren’t listed on their online menu is encouraging that new additions are always being developed. I really enjoyed their floral take on sangria, it was perfectly refreshing for a warm summer evening. Fred also liked his “Mind Your Bees & Suze” so much that he insisted we go out and purchase our own bottle of Suze afterwards.

Mind Your Bees & Suze: Bar Hill Gin, Suze Saveur d’Autrefois, Lemon Juice, Pasteurized Egg Whites, Nutmeg

This bread was fantastic. Warm and fluffy, it was everything I look for in a pre-dinner bread. The only thing is I probably ate too much.

Spicy Eggplant Caponata with Sweet Pepper, Basil, Parsley

To my surprise, this eggplant was the star of the meal. Flavorful and juicy, it was a great little dish that I highly recommend! The rest of the dishes were good, but nothing remarkable; I was really surprised after hearing all the praise for Barcelona.

Spiced Chicken Empanadas with Avocado Puree

Grilled Garlic Scapes with Sherry Aioli

Chorizo, Sweet and Sour Figs, with Balsamic Glaze

Churros Y Chocolate with Dark Chocolate Dipping Sauce

These churros were a nice way to top off the evening. Overall, a pretty good meal, but nothing that lived up to the raving I see online. Am I not ordering the right tapas? Any recommendations?