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| - I was invited to a birthday party at Barsa Taberna on Saturday night. I couldn't make it for dinner so my review will only be based around the drinks/vibe and not the food.
As soon as I walked in, I was impressed by the seemingly hidden location and the eclectic decor. It reminded me of the stone Moors architecture and Gaudi influences of Spain, particularly Barcelona. It also had a wine cellar appeal to it. The decor also reminded me of the night club, SubMercer, at the Mercer Hotel, in New York City. To me, Barsa Taberna had that old world meets contemporary art feel. The location and decor made me feel like I was in a foreign land, chilling and dancing with the locals.
Yelp was offering a free, small pitcher of red sangria. I was surprised to see that the pitcher was in fact quite large. Bonus! Unfortunately, it didn't meet it's expectations. I had read the reviews about the rose sangria but the Yelp offer was for the red, which was really sweet and not so flavorful. However, this wouldn't stop me from going back to try other drinks.
The staff may need a little more rigor and organization. There were at least 4-5 people behind the bar wiping glasses and talking to each other while customers were waiting to be attended to because it was a full house--which isn't difficult to achieve since the place is fairly small. I used to be a bartender and although down time was perfectly expected, we still had to be on our toes and keep all eyes open--including the ones in the back of your head. The owner was especially cordial and we chatted about his inspiration for the place. He seemed passionate and wanted to make people happy.
Overall, I had a good experience and will definitely go back to try out the food!
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