BarCelona Wine Bar (Robertson Walk)

Noticed that small entrance flanked by the winding stairs and faced with a beautiful fountain? What goes on inside is not small, I assure you. I am not a regular at that place, but yet BarCelona is always the top choice automatically whenever friends and associates ask for suggestions.

Besides good companionship, what do I look for in a wine bar? BarCelona answers that part of my demands perfectly. All of these demands lies in the ambience, music, service, food, comfort and more. Is it really possible for BarCelona to provide all of these?

The friendly staffs are very good ambassadors to this bar. Unlike in some dance clubs, they are very attentive. The bar managers take a significant effort to chat up with customers and build a rapport with them. I think that's one of the main reasons why it is not difficult to spot the same few faces of returning customers.

And yes, for once you do not need to scream into the ears of your pal given the loud music elsewhere. So it's not hard to see why I still prefer BarCelona among the many.

Ambience wise, you can really let your hair down and chill out for the night. It's not one of those high society bars, so do away with the formalities. One one side, pool players like myself enjoy a good game while on the other, most would laze back on their chair and relax. Don't worry, no matter where you are the music can be heard loud and clear. I have forgotten to mention too, a few tournament pool players enjoy playing at BarCelona too.

Being al-fresco, how can we forget about the food? I just can't hold myself back from their Baked Mussels and Calamari Rings. The Spicy Topshell and BarCelona Fries (in-house menu) are also big attractions to me. One thing that impresses me the most is the Grilled Mixed Sausages. I ain't a big fan of grilled food because most that I've tried are often too dry and hard for my liking. That's not really the case for their sausages.

Years ago when I first stepped foot into BarCelona, there were plenty of blues music. I still remember Jack who used to play his guitar along with his wicked vocals. That's like 8 or 9 years ago? Nowadays, we see a little rock music action in BarCelona which does not really appeal to me that much. I still prefer that good old blues and jazz in such a lovely setting, without being distracted by the human traffic outside.

Additional tips? They don't charge exorbitant prices.

My verdict? Love it you must. Be it with a bunch of friends, or an evening date... However, I'll stick to 4 stars due to the music factor.