Can Cisa/Bar Brutal
Wine bar · La Barceloneta ·
Natural wine bar with innovative shared plates, seafood, charcuterie
Natural wine bar with innovative shared plates, seafood, charcuterie
"While grungy bars serving sharing plates and natural wine have turned into Barcelona’s equivalent of florals for spring (not exactly groundbreaking), we must give credit to Bar Brutal, the OG spot that started the trend. This place has been educating us on the difference between pet nat and zero-zero since 2013, and they continue to do it brilliantly, while drawing in loafer-wearing, alt-cool types proudly sporting their Bar Brutal merch in natural wine joints from Bangkok to Brooklyn. The food here is also next-level. Baby scallops grilled in Moscato pack a sweet, perfectly acidic punch, while the charred squid with black garlic, a menu mainstay, is an umami-filled critter. A natty aficionado could happily disappear for a week sampling the 2,000-strong wine list here without ever getting bored." - Isabelle Kliger
"In front is a shop and wine bar called Can Cisa, and in the back you’ll find this full-service, wine-centric restaurant from twin Venetian chefs Max and Stefano Colombo. The menu combines Italian and Catalan cuisines, with an array of salty, sweet, rich, and acidic small plates, ranging from grilled octopus with pickles and beet puree to smoked sardines with apple relish. These aren’t your average tapas. All of the wine is natural, and many bottles are also biodynamic and organic. The well-trained waiters can guide any diner — from a wine novice to seasoned connoisseur — to a new, enlightened pairing for a meal." - Sam Zucker
"One of Barcelona’s best wine bars, Can Cisa specializes in natural wines. It's got a comfortable, inviting vibe, with a long communal table and an entire wall of industrial-steel wine cages that house just a portion of the more than 700 selections on the encyclopedic menu. You'll be able to sample fare from the attached Bar Brutal, which serves some of the most eclectic food in the city—so come hungry." - Isabelle Kliger, Naren Young
"Can Cisa—Bar Brutal Natural wines are all the rage these days, but this interconnected wine shop and tapas bar in El Born was one of the pioneers of Barcelona's vin vivant movement when it opened in 2013. You can choose from a lengthy list of natural Spanish and European wines; italso stocks some 300 bottles from organic and biodynamic producers. The Can Cisa wine shop entrance is on Carrer de la Princesa, while you can enter the Bar Brutal restaurant directly from Carrer Barra de Ferro. Bar Brutal's taverna decor is understated—exposed wood rafters, bistro tables, a long bar with high stools—with a few clever touches like mounted heads of a pig, chicken, and cow. The menu is similarly unpretentious, offering local specialties such as anchovies in olive oil and pata negra jamón."
