A peek inside Barcelona, the new tapas restaurant in Minneapolis’ North Loop

Walking in, you’d never guess that Barcelona Wine Bar wasn’t running at full throttle. The wine bar and restaurant was in the midst of its soft opening, but the neighborhood and tapas fans had already caught on. On this recent weekday evening, a vacant spot at a table or the bar didn’t stay vacant for long.

There’s been a buzz about the restaurant ever since the national chain announced earlier this year that a Minneapolis outpost was in the works. When the Barcelona restaurant team looked at a vacant space on Washington Avenue in the North Loop, they knew it was the perfect spot for the brand’s modern, artsy vibe.

“Those are the original pine beams,” creative director Drew McConnell said of one of the things that drew them to the long-vacant space that was once a warehouse.

Like the Barcelona Restaurant Group’s other two dozen Barcelona restaurants, including locations in Denver, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas and Houston, no two are alike. Each is designed to have its own distinct personality, right down to the space and local, chef-driven menu.

At the same time, all the Barcelona restaurants honor the food and modern art ethos of the Spanish international port city for which they’re named. During a preview of the space and menu during its soft opening, the Minneapolis location was no exception.

Alex Dayton, whose resume includes Borough, Piccolo and Red Wagon Pizza Co., is heading the kitchen. His debut menu highlights local, seasonal ingredients. Scallops are served on a bed of corn puree and grilled broccolini infuse Spanish flavors and seasonings such as sumac. Our state’s love for pork belly is evident on this menu, too. It’s offered brushed with a sweet glaze and then topped with a cherry pepper chimichurri to balance that sweet with some acid and heat.

Dayton, who is co-owner of Aliment Pasta Co, which went on hiatus during the pandemic, said he’ll continue to put his stamp on the menu. “I’m a breads, doughs and pastas person, so the next menu will have all of those things, for sure,” he said.

Noshing, grazing and shared plates are highly encouraged. The menu offers a charcuterie and cheese section as well as extensive tapas ($6 to $19), including croquetas (deep-fried rolls with ham and manchego) and gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), boquerones (marinated anchovies) and albondigas meatballs. In addition, paella saffron rice platters (starting at $28) and meat and fish entrees are also on the menu.

There’s a modern cocktail program as well as an extensive wine list with more than 400 varieties representing 100 Mediterranean, Spanish and Latin American regions. Gretchen Thomas, chief creative officer, emphasized organic, natural wines from small, family-run producers.

Sampling is encouraged in wines, too, with smaller 3-ounce pours available starting at $5. The restaurant also offers several options of white and reds in the $38-a-bottle range. “That way, you don’t have to search for that one wine on the menu that’s under $40, we have 200-plus wines in that range,” Thomas said.

In contrast to a Barcelona location in Denver, which has a ranch-style feel, the Minneapolis space has a loft vibe, fitting for its North Loop address of warehouse and artist spaces. Playing off “Minneapolis’ timber and wood craftsmen heritage” is a big theme, from the walnut tables to the custom walnut shelving, which serves as a partition between the entrance and the dining room. Custom light fixtures are crafted from materials upcycled from a mushroom farm. Large pieces of mixed media art meshing photography, concrete and paint that McConnell created adorn the walls.

“We’re really dancing with the space, really trying to be a good steward of it, recognizing that North Loop is a very special neighborhood,” he said.

Pointing across the street to restaurants that include Cuzzy’s, McConnell said he hopes Barcelona can complement the neighborhood. “I love a good dive bar,” he said. “Someone might want to go there after stopping by here — or vice versa.”

Barcelona isn’t going to have an official opening, but will gradually roll into full gear sometime within the next few days, according to the company. Eventually, they’ll add brunch to the offerings.

Out of the gate, they plan to be open until 1 a.m. most nights to accommodate revelers looking for late-night food and drink.

“I feel like it’s a thing we can add to the area. We’ll stay open as long as we’re allowed to, combined with how late people want us to be open,” McConnell said. “And we’ll offer the full menu, so it won’t be an exception [to the rule].”

Where: 508 Washington Av. N., Mpls, 612-446-0202, barcelonawinebar.com

Hours: 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Tue.-Sat., 4 p.m.-midnight Sun.-Mon.