15 Years of Tapas, Gin, and Good Times at Barceloneta
If you know your way around Sunset Harbour, chances are, you know and love Barceloneta by now. And if not, let us put you on. The Spanish tapas bar turns 15 this October, and there’s a reason this neighborhood sweetheart has stuck around while the surrounding scene has continued to evolve. Fifteen years later, Barceloneta is still very much in its era.
Barceloneta was one of the original restaurants to help put Sunset Harbour on the map, and today, its casual-but-chic dining room still feels like exactly the kind of place you want to settle into for a long meal, a few plates, and a glass of wine. The outdoor lounge, one of the additions since opening, is an especially charming spot for soaking up the neighborhood action, while inside, communal tables and a buzzy bar keep things lively without tipping into the elbow-to-elbow chaos of your average tapas joint.
For co-owner Manuel Suarez-Inclan, that staying power comes down to one thing: consistency. “I think a lot of consistency,” he says. “Juliana Gonzalez, my partner, and myself, we’ve been doing this for 15 years. Me at the door and her in the kitchen.” It’s a simple formula, but one that clearly works. Regulars return for the tastes they know and love, and those familiar plates have become as much a part of Barceloneta as the neighborhood itself.
First-timers should start with the classics: garlicky pan con tomate, creamy croquetas de jamón Ibérico, crisp patatas bravas that will be gone in an eyeblink, and the aromatic gambas al ajillo, followed, naturally, by the arroz negro with squid ink and prawns—a longtime sweetheart that has been on the menu from the very beginning. But once you’ve done your due diligence, Manuel recommends venturing a little further afield. “Go for something you don’t really relate to and try, because you’re going to be very well surprised,” he says. His picks include the alcachofas with fried egg and truffle oil (we certainly don’t skip a beat when ordering these), while his personal favorite, esqueixada, brings together raw wahoo and tomato in a traditional Catalan preparation that might just win over the uninitiated.
And then there’s the gin. True to its tapas-and-gin moniker, the restaurant’s signature gin and tonic bar remains a bit of a rarity in Miami. Inspired by Spain’s craft gin-and-tonic culture, the bar brings that same approach to Miami, where, according to Manuel, diners were more accustomed to gin without much character. Here, the gin gets a little more attention—and the tonic does, too. The Atian, for one, brings fresh grapefruit, fennel pollen, and Mediterranean tonic into one crisp concoction.
There’s plenty more reason to pull up a chair, too. Happy hour runs daily from 4:30 to 7 p.m. throughout the restaurant, Mondays bring 30 percent off bottles of wine, and Wednesdays mean $8 spritzes, sangria, and wine for the ladies. Come Saturday or Sunday, Barceloneta shifts into brunch mode with its regular lunch menu plus eggs Benedict, avocado and smoked salmon toast, and an open vegetable omelet.
Fifteen years in, Barceloneta remains refreshingly unfussy: authentic Spanish-Mediterranean food, a lively room, a very good gin and tonic, and the kind of consistency that keeps Miami coming back for another round.
Barceloneta is located at 1400 20th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139 (Sunset Harbour), 305-538-9299. For more information, visit their official website.
