Jennifer Y.
Yelp
Bar RBC is a Spanish Tapas spot that is the sister establishment to the steakhouse Rancher Butcher Chef. Upon entering, we were greeted by the host. It is dim inside with lots of wood accents, giving it a cozy vibe. There is patio seating as well as a second floor with more tables. Came here on a Saturday evening with no reservation and was told it would be a 1 hour and 20 minutes wait. We were not in a hurry, so we agreed and were added to the waitlist. While we were looking at the menu, the host mentioned that some bar seating opened up and offered us those. We appreciated that he updated us so quickly and we ended up getting seated without having to wait. Corinne and Kim greeted us when we took our seats at the bar.
Corinne was kind enough to walk us through the menu and provide us with recommendations. We ended up ordering a lot of her recommendations and they did not disappoint. We ordered two El Bulli Olives, the Toro Radicchio, Fried Anchovies and Artichokes, Iberico Secretto, and Tarta de Santiago. We also ordered the Pamplemousse Spritz and Strawberry-White Peppercorn Shrub. The drinks were both refreshing. The Pamplemousse Spritz had a good grapefruit flavor that was tart, light, and slightly sweet. The N/A rose added depth to the drink. The Strawberry-White Peppercorn Shrub had a unique flavor profile with the white peppercorn. It was slightly sweet, tart, and some acid, making it well-balanced. All of the food were hits. The El Bulli Olives are a fun play on a dirty martini using spherification. They are flavor bombs that burst in your mouth and were not as bitter as I expected. The Toro Radicchio was flavorful and we enjoyed how the "croutons" were presented as larger pieces of toast with the olive tapenade spread on top versus cubes. The radicchio was blanched first which gave them a nice texture. The Fried Anchovies and Artichokes were amazing. Great fry on both the anchovies and artichokes. They were crispy and not oily. The romesco sauce underneath them was flavorful and there was enough to dip each piece into. The Iberico Secretto tasted better than it looked. The iberico was tender and the chimichurri it came with was herb-forward, but very good. It was more of a paste than a sauce, but the flavor was there. To be honest, I probably would not be able to tell that the meat is Iberico, but we enjoyed it. The Tarta de Santiago is a gluten-free almond and orange cake with whipped cream on top. I was skeptical about it as I have not had the best experiences with gluten-free desserts, but this one so good. The cake was moist and spongy, and we could taste the almond and orange. The whipped cream tasted like homemade whipped cream and it was the perfect sweetness and texture.
Overall, giving Bar RBC a 5/5. Service, ambiance, food, and drinks were all great. Value is good too. It is nice that bar seating is full service. Thank you again to Corinne and Kim for their hospitality, and for the host for offering us the bar seats so quickly. Would highly recommend to others looking for a solid spot for food or drinks, and would love to visit again when we are in the area.