The wait is almost over! For the last little while, we have all been curious about the “Coming Soon” paper teaser in the Barcelona Tavern window. With an anticipated opening date of Spring 2018, we will soon get to experience what these folks have been up to. We got a chance to chat with the General Manager of the Liberty Village location, Seamus Symth, who gave us some of the down-low on Barcelona Tavern.
What is the story behind Barcelona Tavern?
The roots of Barcelona Tavern are actually very cool! The owner, Jeff Hanna, and the chef, Andrew Gass, took a trip to Barcelona, Spain a few years back. Inspired by the food, the culture and their amazing experience, they wanted to replicate it all back in Calgary. The original Barcelona Tavern opened in November 2015 along Stephens Ave in Calgary. The Liberty Village location is the first Toronto, yet alone Ontario.
“Fun. Tapas. GNT (Gin and Tonic). Vibrant. Service.”
-The 5 key words used to describe Barcelona Tavern by Symth.
Instant Love for Liberty Village
Considering the company could have chosen any neighbourhood in Toronto to open their first location, they chose Liberty Village. Symth notes there is an amazing buzz and electricity running through the community (we agree!). Liberty Village has a reputation for welcoming new ideas and concepts, so Barcelona Tavern decided to soak in this amazing attitude and invest in the area.
Food and Drink Experience
Guests will be presented with a Mediterranean infused menu filled with many tapas and shared dishes. Picture beautiful and vibrantly coloured food. Their dishes will surely be Instagram worthy and delicious. Barcelona Tavern is also known as a premiere destination for Spanish wines and GnTs in Calgary and will aim to replicate that here, in Liberty Village.
The Ambience and Space
The interior (and exterior for that matter) of Barcelona Tavern are surely not to be missed. An enhanced patio experience can be expected as a retractable roof has been added to the restaurant. This two-level venue has ample natural light, creating an awesome all-seasons patio. We’ve been told that there is a really cool feature in the form of a graffiti dumbwaiter and we can’t wait to see what that is all about! Guests will be served by the small tight-knit team of 40-50 staff in the cozy restaurant of 40-45 seats on the main floor and an additional 60-70 seats on the second floor.
Ontario Produce
Many guests find it admirable when restaurants and businesses support local or Canadian products. Barcelona Tavern is certainly on board with this. The pork comes from Linton Farm located in Walton, ON and cheese products are sourced from Mountainoak Cheese in Hamburg, ON. You can also enjoy cold craft brews from Collective Arts and Woodhouse Brewing Co.
Whether it be a first date, an after work social or just a spot to catch the sports game, Barcelona Tavern will certainly be a fantastic spot in Liberty Village to indulge in amazing food and have an enjoyable experience.
All photos were kindly provided by Barcelona Tavern.
