Barcelona Wine Bar is the first full‑service restaurant to open at Sundy Village, the seven‑acre mixed‑use development at Atlantic and Swinton Avenues that blends restored historic homes with new construction and is designed to bring dining, offices and daytime energy to downtown Delray Beach.
The project has been years in the making, and its restaurant openings are rolling out gradually rather than all at once. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream was the first to open in November.
Barcelona’s debut feels deliberate. The restaurant group behind the chain of 25 outposts had been scouting Delray Beach for years, drawn to Atlantic Avenue’s density of restaurants and the kind of street‑level buzz that mirrors Spanish tapas culture.
Barcelona quietly opened Jan. 17, skipping grand‑opening theatrics in favor of a soft launch that let the room find its rhythm.
Barcelona food: Classic tapas large enough to actually share
Executive chef Javier Narváez prints the menu daily, adjusting it as ingredients and seasons shift. While the lineup evolves, Barcelona keeps a reliable core of favorites in rotation, including jamón and Manchego croquetas, patatas bravas, boquerones and several paellas.
Current highlights include gambas al ajillo, tuna crudo with ajoblanco, roasted mushrooms with sumac and the truffled bikini layered with jamón serrano and Mahón cheese.
Paella options range from seafood‑forward marisco to the richer salvaje with pork belly, morcilla, chicken and short rib.
Portions are meant for sharing, encouraging variety rather than excess. The smartest move is to order broadly, let dishes land as they’re ready and add another plate when something catches your eye.
An outstanding wine program
Barcelona’s wine list is among the most ambitious in Palm Beach County, with more than 400 bottles and roughly 40 offered by the glass. Of note, price points won’t make you wince. Spain anchors the program, but selections extend across Europe and South America, with a strong emphasis on organic, biodynamic and family‑run producers from lesser‑known regions.
Half‑glass pours and nonalcoholic wines make the program accessible even for cautious drinkers, while the sherry selection invites deeper exploration.
Cocktails lean Mediterranean, including Spanish‑style gin and tonics built with aromatics and thoughtful garnishes, plus sangria in both classic and zero‑proof versions.
A sherry bodega reimagined in Delray Beach
The design leans heavily into Spain, specifically Lustau’s sherry bodegas of Jerez. Inside, repeating arches, warm whites, natural woods and clay tones give the room a sun‑washed feel. A divider wall made from repurposed ceramic flues echoes the stacked barrels found in traditional bodegas.
Look closer and the details get more interesting. Vintage amphorae from the 1800s sit alongside Turkish jars once carried by donkeys for shipping. A terracotta octopus pot pulled from the Mediterranean seabed adds a note of authentic, slightly eccentric history. At the entrance, an antique wooden filing cabinet with exposed sides and a vintage workbench serve as the host stand.
Art and photography throughout the space are mostly by the restaurant’s charming creative director Drew McConnell, including images shot in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and mixed‑media works incorporating concrete, pigment and found photography. The effect is transportive without feeling staged.
Barcelona vibe: Social, unhurried, come as you are
Barcelona is designed for lingering. Shared plates move easily around the table. Wine flows freely, sometimes literally, poured from a porrón held high above the glass.
Sit at the bar with a martini, settle in for paella or treat the menu like a choose‑your‑own‑pace evening. Dress it up, come straight from the beach, arrive hungry or just curious. The expansive space accommodates all of it.
Barcelona Wine Bar: What to Know
Barcelona feels fully formed from day one. It is polished without being precious, lively without being chaotic and confident enough to let patrons settle in and stay awhile. If I lived closer to this restaurant, you’d see me there frequently.
Address: 22 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach
Phone: 561‑501‑0300
Web: barcelonawinebar.com
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 3 p.m. to midnight; Friday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturdays 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to midnight.
Etc.: Reservations via OpenTable and Barcelona’s website. Parking is a tad confusing if you’re not familiar with the area, but there is a dedicated lot at Sundy Village; enter on Swinton. Brunch and happy hour are in the works.
Alexandra Clough contributed reporting on Sundy Village. Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post’s food & restaurant writer. Care to share news tips about the local dining scene? Please send them to dbiederman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Restaurant with lively coastal Spanish vibe opens in downtown Delray
Reporting by Diana Biederman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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