Found in the heart of the thriving Sant Antoni district of Barcelona, you will find La Bombilla, the latest edition to this bohemian alcove. The project is still in its infancy and at just a month old it has already captured the essence of this quirky neighbourhood and has taken it by storm. To understand the concept of La Bombilla, it requires you to understand Sant Antoni itself. The area is a far cry from the tourist-drenched Ramblas. Here you will find a melting pot of young professionals, locals and expat residents, and this is reflected by the clientele of the bar. With the ongoing re-development of Sant Antoni Market expected to change the face of this barrio forever and be the final gentrification success story of Barcelona, La Bombilla is well and truly prepared to be at the epicentre of this revolution.
The bar is both a wine and cocktail destination which cleverly marries the expertise of the two great minds behind the venture. Benoit, the driving force behind La Bombilla has an impressive background in the wine business and focuses his attention as a wine connoisseur. Being from the Bordeaux region, he has a natural passion and depth of knowledge about great quality wine. Meanwhile Pol, a professional bartender and Catalan local, is the brainchild behind the mixology and the bar’s fantastic cocktail menu. Both of them respect each other’s know-how and direct customers to their particular area of expertise.
La Bombilla stands out, quite literally like a bulb in the street (as the name would suggest). The outstanding design and painstaking work that went into making this bar so special is thanks to Benoit’s exact specifications. The bar top and tables have retained their intimate natural form and have been sourced from one of Benoit’s own personal connections, nodo architecture. The raw wood is also complimented by fantastic artwork, the piano as seen below being an attraction in itself. The artistic soul of this bar, however, goes even beyond the design. Staying true to the objectives of this project the bar holds host to events supporting and displaying local artists work and even holds its own artist events.
The unique quirk, of course, extend to the drinks and to the charcuterie dishes. The journey begins with the hand written menus which match Benoit’s idea of retaining the essence of a pop-up bar. Although the concept encourages the separation between the expertise of wine and cocktails, the menu holds a strong connection with grape related spirits, like cognac and brandy. That said, their Nostra Superbia, a luxurious honey and citrus treat made with Gin Mare (4th best Gin in the world, oh and it’s Catalan), it’s to die for! As for the wine, it is all locally sourced from Catalunya with affordable quality being the main principle of their products. Ecologically speaking, supporting local and small enterprises is at the heart of the bar’s philosophy and this is why fLa Bombilla currently only has one supplier of wine. As for the cheeses and cold cuts, they are served with home-made condiments and the menu is rotated every couple of weeks to offer customers fresh new tastes (AOC standard, of course).
La Bombilla has already moved way beyond the pale thanks to its events. The most popular is Bloody Vermut. Held every Sunday, the afternoon jaunt with a live DJ (of course) is the hottest weekend hangout in Sant Antoni. Great music, a good crowd and personal service make Sunday the new Friday at La Bombilla. Wine-tasting and cocktail masterclasses are the next step in their master plan and with Benoit’s strong links with France, a professional crêpe night is on the cards too. So, if you’re looking for an authentic Barcelona experience then look no further than La Bombilla, the essence of Sant Antoni.
