The unexpected trend taking Barcelona by storm: returning to neighbourhood wine cellars

Every week or so, a new restaurant opens in Barcelona. But they also close. And a large proportion are century-old wine cellars, which formed part of the life and essence of the city. Today they are re-emerging, being refurbished and reclaimed, and opening with the same passion and strength, or even more than in the past.

This viral phenomenon coincides with consumers’ desire to return to the old-fashioned, to breathe in history, to be drawn in by a local, homely and familiar atmosphere in which they feel more comfortable. Far from formalities, they are iconic neighbourhood places that welcome everyone equally. Places where friends give in to the desire to share wines by the glass, jugs of beer, homemade vermouths, traditional tapas with contemporary touches and spoon breakfasts.

The phenomenon is twofold: the long-standing wine cellars whose owners are still there, almost like a miracle; and those reclaimed by young people or restaurant groups when their owners can no longer continue and have to close. These success stories foster a more authentic Barcelona, one that escapes tablecloths, mass tourism and impersonality, in order to continue with the familiar places that are in danger of extinction.