Great dishes but definitely not a vinoteca: Restaurant La Vinoteca Barcelona (29. January 2018)

If a restaurant calls itself ‘Vinoteca’ I expect a broad variety of different wines to pick from. If you also expect that, then don’t go here as the wine selection is rather disappointing (as in small) and the quality of the wines is also not the greatest. You can find a lot of wines on their menu which we get in Europe for 10 EUR (not that they are bad, but completely overpriced) which you pay 30 BHD for – which is approximately 75 EUR!

However, the food selection was much better than expected. I went for the “Ceviche de gamba (local prawns marinated in lemon and spices, served with banana chips and olive oil caviar)” (2.600 BHD) which was great in terms of taste – flavourful, rich, nicely marinated with lemon.

The “coca de boquerones (house-marinated white anchovies served on crispy bread with roasted vegetables ‘escalivada’)” (2.500 BHD) was a great crispy starter.

What I liked about the “La Escala anchovies (premium Spanish anchovies dressed in olive oil, served on a bed of seasoned tomatoes)” (4.000 BHD) was the variety of tomatoes. But still with 4.000 BHD it was one of the most expensive tapas which left me wondering.

The “Artisanal Spanish cheeses (Artisanal cheese served with quince jelly, pumpkin jam, dried fruits and homemade bread)” (3.500 BHD) were okay. I didn’t try all of them but somehow the blue cheese was good. The rest didn’t look too appealing to me.

The “Jamón ibérico (hand-carved plate of Iberian ham with olive oil bread)” (12.000 BHD) was actually tasty but the meat was ‘sweating’ which made it a bit less appealing than if you really get it freshly.

The “Gambas al ajillo (local prawns fried in garlic and chili, served with cherry tomatoes and paprika)” (3.500 BHD) really were a disappointment though. The prawns were dried out, they weren’t served in sizzling hot oil and the garlic wasn’t really applied. I mean, yes, there was garlic but it was almost nothing and completely lacking its flavour.

The “croquetas de morcilla (Spanish black pudding croquettes, topped with fire roasted red peppers and parsley)” (2.500 BHD) were good. Not like if you eat actual morcillas but still rich in flavour.

While I have never heard of “chistorra (tradititional thin Spanish pork chorizo braised in white wine and garlic)” (4.500 BHD) and was a bit skeptical when the dish was served, as it didn’t look too appealing in its own oil, it turned out to be quite rich and full of flavour.

The “patatas bravas (deep fried potatoes stuffed with spicy chili sauce and olive oil mayo)” were served in a re-invented way (2.000 BHD). I am always surprised in how many ways you can prepare patatas bravas, or what you can actually call patatas bravas.

The “croquetas (homemade roast chicken croquettes, served with creamy Romesco sauce)” (2.000 BHD) were not so much to my liking but that might just be related to the fact that I am not into these creamy mushy chicken things.

The highlight of the evening was definitely the “chuletón (1kg of premium aged beef loin on the bone, chargrilled, served with piquillo peppers, Spanish triple cooked fries, mixed leaves salad and béarnaise sauce)” (39.000 BHD). I’m not sure if I would pay that kind of money again as the meat is definitely good but not that good but decent enough.

The atmosphere of the place is nice but there are quite some flaws too. On the one hand side when it comes to the service as they are not as attentive as they should be. Secondly, if you book a table and they call you to make sure you come to take the table, I am a bit surprised if then, they don’t have your reservation anywhere. Strange, strange. However, the food offering is definitely better than expected and lastly, the place is a nice alternative to most places in Bahrain which are all similar and the same.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant La Vinoteca Barcelona

Building 119, Road 3931, Block 338

Manama (BH)

Tel.: +973 1700 7808

E-Mail: hola@vinotecabcn.com

Homepage: http://www.vinotecabcn.com

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.