Barcelona Wine Bar Opens in Waypointe Norwalk

After 20 years as a Sono institution, Barcelona Wine Bar has moved up the street and officially opened its doors in Norwalk’s new Waypointe complex. Their new home looks and feels much like the creative dining spaces guests have come to expect from Barcelona’s five CT locations, but as SVP Adam Halberg says “ Waypointe will feel familiar, but there are some key areas that make this new location quite unique.” The open kitchen, massive 40 seat bar, and a new menu approach will take their authentic and distinctive Spanish tapas menu even closer to the markets and restaurants of Spain. 

For those who wax nostalgic about late nights and good times at the old Sono spot, fear not, as Creative Director and Founder, Sasa Mahr-Batuz, has quite literally transported the soul of Sono to Waypointe. The old wood bar has been reimagined in the form of hightop dining tables, and the chalkboard signs are back above the bar. Three large patios surround the restaurant, which has been thoughtfully divided into flexible dining areas that can be opened and closed as desired. Barcelona continues to be a great spot for private parties of almost any size. Garage doors will create a seamless indoor/outdoor feel in the warmer months, and for the first time, the kitchen is the focus. A wrap around horseshoe shaped bar provides stadium seating for the main event...the food. 

Inspired by the team's research trips to Spain, Halberg and Barcelona's new Culinary Director, Christopher Lee, have changed the format of the Barcelona menu. The classics will still be there, but the thrust of the new menu is all about "ingredient worship," says Halberg, "procuring better ingredients and creating simpler, cleaner flavors." The goal is to allow seasonal ingredients to reign supreme.

Diners are given a visual display of the freshest meats, seafood and vegetables, much like the Ramblas' Boqueria Market in Barcelona. Ingredients get passed back to Chef John Dilemme ((French Culinary Institute, Lupa, Del Posto, and Filidia) in the kitchen, whose team will be serving a large selection of "Market" inspired dishes as well as specials you may not find on the menu. The open kitchen and surrounding seating was purposeful in generating a dialogue between diner and chef. Our hunch...the bar will be the hottest seat in the house.  

One of the most exciting features of this new kitchen are the two Bertha charcoal ovens (seen above). Most of the cooking in Norwalk will be done either on large planchas (think cast iron skillet meets a strong grill) or in the Berthas. Halberg and Chef John Dilemme were positively giddy as they showed off their new toys. These high powered ovens cook any protein or vegetable with either charcoal or wood, giving ingredients that grilled flavor you simple can't replicate with a stove top. The Berthas help translate Barcelona Waypointe's philosophy of creating simpler cleaner flavors, allowing the ingredients to shine. 

In terms of the beverage program, Gretchen Thomas will continue to offer an excellent selection of Spanish wine, as well as 4 draft taps for beer, one cider tap, and one cocktail on tap. The first will be a Jekyll & Hyde cocktail. 

Barcelona Waypointe is currently open for dinner, but will be open for lunch and brunch once they settle in. Bar seats and high top dining around the central bar area is reserved for walk ins, but all three dining areas surrounding the main space are available for reservations. 

Barcelona Waypointe, 515 West Avenue, Norwalk 203 854 5600