To the left of the entrance sits a large wooden bar. Glassware and unfamiliar bottles line shelves. This is Can Cisa, one of Barcelona’s finest natural wine bars. Through another small room lays a dining room with an open kitchen and a marble-topped bar that looks out to the street on the other side of the building through large glass windows. This is Bar Brutal, which serves some of the most intriguing food in the city. Together, Can Cisa and Bar Brutal work together to serve one of the most enticing combinations of food and drink offered in El Born, or anywhere else in the city.
When it comes to food, small, eclectic dishes change regularly, but visitors are likely to find something similar to seabass sashimi with cucumber and basil; pork neck with fregola, carrots, and fennel; octopus with bok choy and ink. The flavors are inventive, taking their inspiration from local ingredients and international cuisine.
The drink menu is both intimate and wide-ranging. A selection of natural wines in “bubbles”, whites, reds, and sweet are available by the glass, along with a large list obtainable by the bottle. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and encouraging. They want to share what they know.
There are also a number of hand selected spirits available that spread the gamut from Gin to Grappa to Mezcal. Only two cocktails are offered on the menu, both Gin & Tonics, and there is also Vermouth for those wishing to sip something a bit more local.
Can Cisa / Bar Brutal offers one of Barcelona’s finest drinking and eating experiences in a laid back setting. The food is creative and the wine thoughtfully selected. And despite its location on the tourist-packed Carrer de la Princesa, it still manages to feel like an undiscovered gem only available in the labyrinth-like streets of El Born.
Find It Here:
Carrer de la Princesa, 14
08003 Barcelona, Spain