A historic tapas bar reopens its doors in the center of Barcelona (and at affordable prices!)
The values of Bar Bauma are none other than those of everyday life and everyday use. Opened just after World War II, it was one of the first modern public places in the Eixample district.
This emblem of the Eixample district will enjoy a new lease of life thanks to careful modernization under the direction of Somos Esencia.
It closed its doors last September, but some places are too popular to be allowed to die. The historic Bauma Bar (Roger de Lluria, 124 years old) has just reopened its iconic marquee on Roger de Llíria with Diagonal. The owner of the bar-restaurant, Joan Altarriba, has transferred it to the restaurant group Nous sommes Essence, owners of Bestial, Barraca, and Agua. According to Altarriba, the transfer was made "on the condition that the bar remain in the hands of someone who shares our values."
The values of Bar Bauma are none other than those of everyday life and everyday use. Opened just after World War II, it was one of the first modern public places in the Eixample district. (And as I heard Altarriba say, it was the first bar in the city to have a customer-facing television). During the 1990s and early 2000s, it became a gathering place for writers: you could meet Quim Monzón, Joan de Sagarra, or Marsé, but in reality, what mattered was the calm atmosphere of the bar, its strategic location, and the opportunity to enjoy a good breakfast or a decent and hearty daily special.
Bauma means "shelter under rock in a shallow natural cave where light penetrates." And the dark crevice at the entrance, located under the iconic sign and between stone walls, continues to promise this. Depending on the direction of Nous sommes Essence, the modernization of the premises was surgical. "The renovation of the interior was very careful; we left the bar intact, as well as the ceramic caravel details above the coffee maker," they explain. The intensive schedule remains unchanged: every day from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., "to cater to a clientele ranging from the elderly to grandchildren, where everyone tells you their story at the bar when they return, " they say with satisfaction.
They have also kept the breakfast menu that was the hallmark of the establishment: tortilla sandwiches, Iberian ham and fuet sausage, or classic tuna with mayonnaise and roasted peppers. They talk about a 100% Barcelona way of eating breakfast. For lunch, there is a hot dish or a spoon dish (fricandó, cuttlefish ravioli, oxtail, etc.) and a selection of classic tapas. Not to mention the inevitable concessions made to the tourists who queue up at La Casa de les Punxes: tatakis, avocado toast, and eggs Benedict, all at prices that are not gentrifying.