Whether it’s a rare glass of wine you’re searching for while visiting historic downtown South Norwalk, CT, or a unique meal, Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar can satisfy your cravings.
Located within walking distance of the Maritime Aquarium in SoNo’s shopping and entertainment district, Barcelona boasts a broad menu of Mediterranean dishes with a Spanish flair, as well as an extensive and exotic wine list.
My dining companion and I sipped glasses of French Chardonnay and Spanish Coronas wine while relaxing in the spacious outdoor dining patio. We indulged in one of the restaurant’s tapas—risotto cakes stuffed with mozzarella, two delightful, round rice- and vegetable-filled cakes floating in a smooth tomato-based sauce.
For entrées, we chose baked halibut and a half-chicken “Scarpiello.” The generous-sized halibut, accompanied by spinach, slices of roasted potatoes and baked with a mild Spanish cheese, was delicious. The large and tender chicken was served with hot cherry peppers and more of the same tasty potatoes. Other entrée choices include pan-roasted ostrich, roast pork chop Alentejo-style, grilled portobello mushrooms and broccoli rabe over stewed black beans and, of course, the traditional and hearty Spanish dish, paella.
But the toughest decision we faced was what to have for dessert. Chocolate mousse with coconut ice cream? Carrot cake with cinnamon ice cream? Vanilla ice cream with biscotti? Or flan Catalan? Those were just some of our options. We decided on key lime cheesecake and a fruit crisp. The piping hot fruit crisp, filled with fresh blueberries and apples, was served with a heavenly scoop of Tahitian vanilla ice cream; the cheesecake was cool and decadently creamy.
We washed our glorious sweets down with a cup of potent Jamaican coffee topped with whipped cream.
BARCELONA RESTAURANT
63 North Main St., Norwalk, CT
(203) 899-0088
