Patio dining at Barcelona

Summer dining has me seeking fine restaurant patios. So I asked my partner in crime, “Where is a good patio to visit for dinner?” She immediately stated, “Barcelona has the best patio in town.” So off we went to 263 E. Whittier St in German Village. Our first trip to Barcelona was on a Wednesday night so obtaining patio seating did not require much of a wait. And Barcelona may have the best patio in town although La Tavola gives it a run for its money. La Tavola’s patio has the better view but I felt claustrophobic there with people right beside you at other tables. Barcelona creates a nice separation of space outside so that you feel like you are having a more private dining experience. Plus Barcelona has spared no expense in decorating the patio with a wide variety of plants and flowers as well as a relaxing water feature.

Sweet Corn Bisque at Barcelona

So the question became, “Could anything not be delicious in such a lovely atmosphere?” I started my meal with the Sweet Corn Bisque with toasted paprika oil. Barcelona’s menu even gives you the recipe to this lovely dish and describes it as the next best thing to eating sweet corn on the cob. I believe that this may be better than eating fresh corn on the cob. The combination of the sweet corn and the zippy paprika oil was fabulous. I went to Barcelona a week later and started my meal the same way - with the Sweet Corn Bisque. It’s probably a seasonal item so don’t miss out.

My main course was the Black Rice Paella. I later learned that they don’t actually use black rice but dye the rice with squid ink (according to a waitress at Barcelona). My companion got a kick out of my lips that had been stained purple from the rice. I couldn’t quite get used to eating black rice - the dish’s overall appearance was just too dark. The scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, and squid were all fine but my appetite must be tied into my visual senses as well. What doesn’t look appealing, won’t taste appealing either.

Ribeye at Barcelona

My companion ordered the Grilled Espresso Crusted Bone-in Ribeye and remarked how much it reminded her of her steak at Le Fouquet’s in Paris (especially since it was served with fries - ahh, those silly French). Her meal was delicious. So much so that she ordered the same repas on our next trip and was not disappointed.

On our next visit to Barcelona, I tried the Braised Colorado Lamb Shank as did a guest of ours. Both chose it on the strong recommendation of our server. Neither of us was impressed by the lamb. Perhaps it was too much dark meat, but my friend described it as “gamey.” That’s a strong word for me. I’ll describe it as being too dark meatie if that makes any sense. My friend must have been disappointed because he did not hesitate to tell the waitress that she should not recommend the lamb shank in the future to other customers. When she fumbled her response, my friend and his wife pressed her a little more until she backpedaled from her original position. Wow, strong words! Oh well, we both wished we had ordered the steak.

If you are looking for fine patio dining in Columbus, Barcelona is the place to go.

263 E. Whittier St
Columbus, Ohio
(614) 443-3699

Popularity: 21% [?]

You Should Also Check Out This Post:

More Active Posts: